FRC: Meeting Rooms

"Sharing our meeting rooms has generated tremendous goodwill from the community."
Paradise Ridge Family Resource Center 

More Meeting Rooms | How We Do It

Collaboration, team work and community involvement are hallmarks of the family support approach. FRCs need flexible and accessible rooms to accommodate the many different types of meetings generated by the FRC. The rooms should be well-lit, with the ability to close curtains or shades for viewing of videos or overheads. Furniture should be easily moved so that the room can be used to hold a traditional business meeting or a teen group activity. It is helpful to have a TV and VCR set up for showing educational videos and a whiteboard or easel pads and markers to use during meetings. Many meeting rooms are stocked with a coffee pot, sugar, creamer, plastic utensils, and paper plates to use with potlucks or breakfast meetings. Clear clean-up rules may be posted so that each group that uses the room is responsible for leaving it as they found it.

Encouraging other community groups to use the meeting space is one way to ensure that the FRC is serving the whole community and to expand your visibility. However, developing a policy and procedure regarding what types of groups can use the room, how check in and out will be handled, and how scheduling will be prioritized is key to making this type of program a success. Some FRCs charge a minimal room rent or clean-up fee, others offer the rooms as a donation to the community.