Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance celebrates milestone with wall-signing ceremony for community center

Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance (IFHA) hosted a celebratory wall-raising and signing ceremony last week to mark construction progress on Parker’s Place Community Center – the heart of IFHA’s affordable housing development in Immokalee.

Following the presentations, major donors and community supporters were invited to participate in a symbolic wall-signing ceremony inside the under-construction community center. That included Captain Will Conley from the Salvation Army of Collier County and Brittni Brown, the vice president of philanthropy at The United Way of Collier County and the Keys.

“This is more than a building – it’s a promise to the people of Immokalee,” said Dr. Arol Buntzman, Chairman and CEO for the Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance. “Every name on these walls represents a shared belief that families deserve secure, affordable homes and the opportunity to thrive.”

Among the honored guests were Brooke Brantley and her son Parker, who made a $1 million contribution to the project and were recognized with naming rights for the new Parker’s Place Community Center. John Smith was also recognized with naming rights for the Manager’s Office.

After the naming rights, recipients signed the walls; community members and partners were invited to add their names as well. The signing ceremony symbolized the community’s collective investment in creating a safe, empowering space for Immokalee families.

“My hope is that this building will be buzzing from morning to night and to have different community partners coming in and providing different kinds of service,” said Tammy Richelieu, chief development officer for the Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance.

Once completed, Parker’s Place Community Center will become the heart of the IFHA community. It will provide early learning and after-school programs for children, including access to a computer lab partially funded by The United Way. Adults will benefit from financial literacy and workforce training programs, along with a variety of enrichment activities designed to strengthen and support families.

For more information about the Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance or to get involved, visit ImmokaleeFairHousing.org.

Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance

The Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) created in 2018 by a group of concerned citizens who saw the damage done by Hurricane Irma to already substandard trailers and shacks rented by farmworker families and other low-income families in Immokalee. The IFHA vision is for these families to have access to secure, affordable, hurricane-resistant rental housing, which will strengthen the community by fostering health, education, dignity and financial stability. The organization has embarked on a project to create community awareness and raise funds for a 128-rental unit complex in Immokalee. For more information, please visit ImmokaleeFairHousing.org.