- March 12, 2025
The Rev.d Sims E. Jones wants to help people. That’s why he got into ministry. That’s why he spent 13 years as a foster parent. And that’s why, when he noticed a boarded-up building in Bunnell, he decided to do something with it.
Months ago, it was surrounded by a barbed wire fence and an overgrown lawn. Today, the fence is gone and its interior is cleaned and renovated. Now, it’s home to the People Helping People center.
The center, which opened Oct. 31, is run by Sims and a coalition of about a dozen Flagler County charities and socially focused organizations.
It’s a place where people can come to get the support they need, whether that’s job training, a place for their children to go during the day or access to a computer.
“We’re trying to fill in the gaps,” Jones said. “That’s our main goal.”
The opening of the center has been in the works since April. Jones said he saw a need in the community after the Florida Department of Children and Families announced the closure Flagler County’s ACCESS service center in Bunnell.
The center was a place where people could apply for food stamps, Temporary Cash Assistance and Medicaid. Although those applications are still available online, some people don’t have access to computers or Internet, and some people don’t have the computer skills necessary to navigate the website, Jones said.
The center has several computers that anyone can use, either to check email, to apply for jobs or to apply for assistance programs. A sign outside its door welcomes the community, children walking home from school say hello through the open doors as they pass. Many of them helped repaint the building in the weeks leading up to its opening.
In April, Jones, along with Denise Calderwood, a member of the Focus on Flagler Youth Coalition, and other members of his group approached the owner of the building that now houses the center. Jones worked out a lease agreement for the building, which had no windows and was filled with garbage.
Jones, Calderwood and a handful of volunteers headed the cleanup and renovation efforts. Many community members, curious about what was happening to a building that had for so long stood abandoned, came to help.
Today, Jones has big plans for the People Helping People center. He’s there from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, ready to help.
“We just want people to reach out,” Jones said. “We’re here to help however we can, and however that looks for specific people.”
Jones is working on offering job training services at the center.
“There’s a lot of need in this community,” Jones said. “With the construction industry down, a lot of people don’t have other things they can turn to or resources to gain new skills.”
The center is privately funded and is staffed by eight volunteers. Jones envisions putting a playground outside to give children a safe space to come after school and he’s currently putting together a free course about how to recognize and prevent elder abuse in the community.
“I have a mandate from God that drives my life,” Jones said. “We’re supposed to help everyone. If your brother needs help, you help him. That’s it.”
So at the center, if people need help, Jones and the rest of the team will do what it takes to get it.
“It’s just a place for people to turn when they might not have anywhere else,” Jones said. “But the people here don’t want a handout. They just want someone to give them a hand, help them out and guide their way. You feel better about yourself if you can lift yourself up.”
