SWAG

Southwest Advocacy Group, or "SWAG,"  is a grassroots, non-profit that advocates for seven low-income neighborhoods in SW Gainesville.  SWAG seeks to address the needs of the community by connecting individuals and families to services and resources through advocacy and from agency and community partners.  

SWAG's initial vision became a reality when the Board of County Commissioners, Partnership for Strong Families, SWAG, and dozens of local businesses joined forces, opening the SWAG Family Resource Center in June of 2012.  The Family Resource Center offers services designed to develop self sufficiency and promote the welfare of children and families. (To check out the current services that are being provided at the Family Resource Center, go to http://www.pfsf.org/resource-centers/swag-family-resource-center.)  

In 2015, building on the momentum created by the resource center, SWAG, together with Alachua County, the Alachua County Health Department, and numerous private entities opened the SW Health Clinic across the street from the resource center.  The clinic provides full service dental, medical and pediatric services and is currently seeing more than 500 patients a month!  

SWAG's third vision was an early learning center for preschool aged children.  With an estimated 860 children who are younger than five in the SWAG neighborhoods, and virtually no access to high quality affordable early learning services in the area, SWAG and its partners created a quality early learning center to serve low income children and their families. SWAG helped guide the vision, build the building, and piece together the relationships that resulted in the creation of the CHILD Center.  You can learn more at www.swagchildcenter.org.

For more information about SWAG, the SWAG Family Resource Center, and the SW Health Clinic, please visit SWAG’s website at www.swadvocacygroup.org.