PARTNERS: Our Lifeline to Success!

New Operation Cooper St., Inc.(NOCS) has enjoyed significant community support since its inception in
1961 as a recreation center for African-American residents. Partnerships that have been and continue to
be developed come from a wide variety of organizations for the now multi-cultural center:

Long standing monetary and in-kind support from the United Way of Charlotte County, Board of
County Commissioners, and City of Punta Gorda is anticipated to continue;
The NOCS facility is owned and maintained by the City of Punta Gorda; NOCS pays rent of $1.00
per year;
Continuing support with in-kind services is anticipated from long standing partnerships with: Harry
Chapin Food Bank; Bayfront Health Center, Punta Gorda; Dees & Dees Accountants; Charlotte
County Transportation Department; and, the City of Punta Gorda multiple departments, but
especially the Punta Gorda Police Department, Urban Planning Department, and Facilities
Department;
Fundraising activities and volunteer recruitment by the Punta Gorda Isles (PGI) Civic
Association/Beyond Ourselves Club supports programs at NOCS. The annual Home Tour has
provided larger donations each year ($20,000.00 in 2014, $25,000.00 in 2015); its popularity and
increase in participation in the 2015 Home Tour indicates that this will continue;
Newly established partnership with Florida SouthWestern State College, Punta Gorda, will
provide support in the areas of program development, implementation and evaluation, volunteers,
and fundraising;
Individual supporters have facilitated a golf tournament to benefit NOCS for the past 2 years, with
one scheduled for Oct. 2015;
Civic associations and area churches support NOCS programs through direct donations, in-kind
services, and/or arranging for participation at no cost in fundraising opportunities (Punta Gorda
and Sunshine Kiwanis, Punta Gorda Rotary, St. Marys Church, Deep Creek Community Church,
Unitarian Universalist Church of Port Charlotte);
New partnerships with the Visual Arts Center (VAC) and Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center
(CHEC), as well as Make it Count Sports, Inc., will add more excitement and variety to summer
camps and other youth programs;
Partnerships with Drug Free Charlotte County and Drug Free Punta Gorda provide for activities
and strong support for healthy lifestyle choices for the young people we serve;
Program support by volunteers comes from current volunteer sources (PGI Civic Association
groups, retired educators, local authors, Junior Achievement, Punta Gorda Police Dept., Charlotte
County Public Schools) and emerging partnerships.