What We Do

The LEAD Coalition operates in partnership with community leaders to create safe and resilient neighborhoods.

Paving the way a Community Development Corporation, LEAD convenes stakeholders to develop and implement authentic, collaborative solutions to neighborhood challenges.

 

Our Mission: To work collaboratively to build trust, increase safety, and restore neighborhoods.

The LEAD Coalition of Bay County is a diverse, public-private partnership among cross sector community organizations.

 

LEAD is an acronym for Leadership, Empowerment, and Authentic Development.

 

Leadership              Building trust through a Unity of Effort

Empowerment        Based on a Common Vision that

Authentic                Creates safe and

Development          Resilient Neighborhoods benefiting the people who live there

 

Hurricane Michael’s catastrophic impact on Bay County exacerbated an already critical affordable housing shortage. According to the US Census, approximately 21 percent of Panama City’s 36,900 residents live below the poverty line. Since 2014, the LEAD Coalition has been a beacon of hope in Bay County’s underserved neighborhoods, addressing the strains of poverty that often steer youth toward perilous paths. Through partnerships with Gulf Coast State College and various community organizations, LEAD has provided after-school and summer programs for students and their families at two Title 1 middle schools, where the majority come from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

 

The aftermath of Hurricane Michael revealed significant housing challenges among students, with many displaced due to the storm. With more than 60 percent of these underserved communities renting their homes and approximately 70 percent of rental properties severely damaged or destroyed, the housing crisis looms large. This issue necessitates not only municipal and county intervention but also robust community involvement in rebuilding efforts.

 

In response, LEAD has seen great success with its newest initiatives: the STEAM Team and the Glenwood Farmers Market. The STEAM Team has empowered students by engaging them in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, equipping them with skills and confidence to envision a brighter future. Meanwhile, the Glenwood Farmers Market has become a vital community hub, providing access to fresh produce and fostering economic growth. These initiatives are pivotal in strengthening the fabric of our community, demonstrating the power of collaboration in overcoming adversity. Together, we’re building a foundation of resilience and hope for Bay County’s future.

The LEAD Coalition of Bay County, Inc., is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization registered in Florida.

– Our Guiding Principles

 

  • Only through collaborative processes will this community generate complimentary actions that create sustainable social change and achieve the mission.
  • Freedom from fear is a basic human right.
  • People of all races, classes, ages and sexual orientation and in all communities have the right to be free from violence in homes, schools, workplaces, and on the streets.
  • Violence must be addressed holistically as a health, safety, social and economic problem. It costs our communities in lives lost, diminished potential, and millions of dollars.
  • These problems are bigger than the individuals, agencies, organizations and businesses and cannot be resolved by individual efforts.