Gainesville Opportunity Center

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Gainesville Opportunity Center GOC is a 501c(3) non-clinical program that offers recovery through work for adults diagnosed with mental illness.

Members participate in the work of the clubhouse. We do data-entry, make and serve lunch and occassional dinners, work on computers, look for jobs for each other, outreach members, answer phones, greet guests and other members. We also have a monthly newsletter that is almost totally written by the members.

We want GOC to be a place where people feel welcome, valued, and connected. From the smiles of Members greeting visitors...
10/16/2026

We want GOC to be a place where people feel welcome, valued, and connected. From the smiles of Members greeting visitors at our front door to the friendships built through working together, GOC is a place to belong.

A big thank-you to **Becky Quiroga**, who generously volunteered her time and talent to help create a beautiful new mural.

Our Members and staff joined in, turning a blank wall into a bright, colorful welcome for everyone.

This project is an example of the Clubhouse model in action. Working side by side, Members and staff share their talents, build confidence, and take pride in creating something meaningful together.

Thank you, Becky, for helping make GOC an even warmer and more welcoming place!

Please like and share to celebrate the creativity, teamwork, and community spirit that make GOC special! Lutheran Services Florida Florida Department of Children and Families Clubhouse International - ICCD UF Department of Psychiatry Meridian Healthcare HCA Florida North Florida Hospital UF Campaign for Charities

Thank you to Courtney from Hartley Press for sponsoring our 2026 GOC Fall Festival!We connected with Courtney through th...
10/15/2026

Thank you to Courtney from Hartley Press for sponsoring our 2026 GOC Fall Festival!

We connected with Courtney through the Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce, a wonderful place to build relationships with people and businesses making a difference. If you're not a Chamber member, consider joining!

**There's still time to sponsor our Fall Festival!** Your support helps Gainesville Opportunity Center create opportunities for people whose lives have been interrupted by mental illness to rebuild confidence, find purpose, and reconnect with their community.

**Join us Friday, November 6, from 11 AM to 5 PM!** Our free Fall Festival Open House will feature more than 20 local organizations sharing information and resources.

Both the Chamber and GOC show what happens when a community comes together to help others succeed.

**Come see our community in action!** We hope to see you there. Please like and share to help spread the word! Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce Clubhouse International - ICCD Lutheran Services Florida Florida Department of Children and Families The Hartley Press

https://www.facebook.com/events/2604074140027202

After lunch, GOC Members enjoy a wellness walk through our beautiful, tree-lined neighborhood. These walks help Members ...
10/14/2026

After lunch, GOC Members enjoy a wellness walk through our beautiful, tree-lined neighborhood. These walks help Members build friendships, reduce stress, improve their well-being, and feel connected to the community around them.

One of our neighbors goes all out for Halloween. Under the Clubhouse model, recovery includes friendship, fun, healthy activities, and a sense of belonging. A special thank you to our creative neighbor for making our walks a little more exciting!

Like and share this post to spread some Halloween fun with your friends and family! Clubhouse International - ICCD Lutheran Services Florida Florida Department of Children and Families City of Gainesville, FL - Government UF Department of Psychiatry

In accordance with our safety standards, GOC staff and Members completed a fire drill to ensure that everyone is prepare...
10/13/2026

In accordance with our safety standards, GOC staff and Members completed a fire drill to ensure that everyone is prepared to evacuate the premises in a fire emergency. Fire drills are one of many ways we work to ensure our Members' safety.

We were pleased to welcome Deborah Gowen and Patrick Dodds of Southern Legal Counsel to the Gainesville Opportunity Cent...
10/10/2026

We were pleased to welcome Deborah Gowen and Patrick Dodds of Southern Legal Counsel to the Gainesville Opportunity Center to explore opportunities for partnership.

One important topic was GOC's Transitional Employment (TE) program, which helps Members gain real-world work experience, build confidence, develop job skills, and take meaningful steps toward greater independence.

We discussed how a potential partnership with Southern Legal Counsel could create new employment opportunities for our Members while providing valuable support to their organization.

Meaningful work can change lives. We appreciate Deborah and Patrick taking the time to learn more about GOC and look forward to exploring ways we can work together to create opportunities for the people we serve. Southern Legal

The Gainesville Opportunity Center recently met with Valerie White, who coordinates adult education and career certifica...
10/09/2026

The Gainesville Opportunity Center recently met with Valerie White, who coordinates adult education and career certification programs through a partnership between Santa Fe College and the Gainesville Housing Authority at the ELITE Training Center.

The ELITE Training Center offers GED preparation, adult education, and career training opportunities, including phlebotomy certification and entrepreneurship programs.

We are excited to explore a partnership that could help GOC Members continue their education, develop new skills, and build pathways to meaningful employment and greater independence.

At GOC, we believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed. By working together with community partners, we can help open more doors for the people we serve.

Thank you, Valerie, for taking the time to meet with us. We look forward to exploring ways to work together! Gainesville Housing Authority ELITE Training Center Gainesville Housing Authority Clubhouse International - ICCD Lutheran Services Florida Florida Department of Children and Families

Our weekly Tuesday Social is about much more than sharing a meal. Under the Clubhouse model, social activities give Memb...
10/07/2026

Our weekly Tuesday Social is about much more than sharing a meal. Under the Clubhouse model, social activities give Members opportunities to build friendships, strengthen connections, and enjoy being part of a community where everyone belongs.
A big thank you to Bowie Pizza for giving us a generous discount and helping make this week’s Tuesday Social possible. Good food, good friends, and a great evening together! Bowie Pizza Clubhouse International - ICCD Lutheran Services Florida Florida Department of Children and Families

Our friends at Bragging Rights Amusements in Gainesville donated four Unlimited Free Play Passes, valued at $106, for ou...
10/05/2026

Our friends at Bragging Rights Amusements in Gainesville donated four Unlimited Free Play Passes, valued at $106, for our Fall Festival raffle! The winners will get a day of unlimited play on hundreds of arcade and pinball games.
Donations like this make our raffles more exciting while helping raise funds to support GOC and our Members.
Want to help make our Fall Festival a success? We are still looking for:
- Great raffle prizes
- Gift cards from local businesses for our Giving Tree, which will feature gift cards totaling several hundred dollars
- Fall Festival sponsors
To donate a prize or gift card, or become a sponsor, email [email protected].

Our Fall Festival Open House is Friday, November 6, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Gainesville Opportunity Center. Admission is FREE! Come meet our Members, see GOC, and enjoy the day with us.
There’s no cost to attend, but bring some money for our $10 cookout lunch and chances to win some fabulous raffle prizes!
Thank you, Bragging Rights Arcade, for supporting GOC and our community!

GOC Recipe!!!!! Carrot Soup. At GOC, making food from scratch is about more than a good lunch. Members work side by si...
09/28/2026

GOC Recipe!!!!! Carrot Soup. At GOC, making food from scratch is about more than a good lunch. Members work side by side to learn new skills, build confidence, make decisions, and take responsibility for preparing meals for the whole Clubhouse community. Today, that teamwork resulted in homemade carrot soup!
Like or comment if you enjoy seeing what our Members are creating, and please share our post to help more people learn about the opportunities available at GOC.

Carrot Soup Recipe (feeds a family of 4)
Ingredients:
8 medium-to-large carrots
2 cloves garlic
2 ½ cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
3 sticks celery
1 small leek
1/4 onion
1/4 stick of butter (2 tbsp)
1 tbsp each of garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, thyme
1 tsp salt

Prep:
Cut the carrots and celery into coins. Dice the onion. Cut the top off the leek and strip off the outer two layers, then cut in half length-wise. Slice leek into ½ coins. Peel and mince the garlic.

Cooking:
Bring medium stock pot up to medium heat and add butter
Once butter begins to bubble add onion, leek, and garlic to the pot and saute gently to translucence. Do not darken.
Add chicken broth, carrots and celery. Raise heat to high and simmer until carrots are fork tender.
Once carrots are tender, reduce heat to medium-low and add seasonings.
Once the soup is no longer bubbling, blend with an immersion blender until there are no visible solids.
Pour milk into medium size bowl. Temper the milk by slowly adding a ladle of the blended soup while stirring the milk with a fork. Then, add this mixture back to the soup pot and stir.
Let sit on low heat for 10 minutes to cool and thicken.

Suggested garnishes:
Sprig of Italian parsley
Hunk of crusty bread or homemade croutons
Clubhouse International - ICCD Lutheran Services Florida Florida Department of Children and Families Meridian Healthcare UF Department of Psychiatry

Thank You, West Law Firm!A big thank you to Zach West Law Firm for sponsoring the Gainesville Opportunity Center’s Fall ...
09/28/2026

Thank You, West Law Firm!

A big thank you to Zach West Law Firm for sponsoring the Gainesville Opportunity Center’s Fall Festival at the $500 level!

We greatly appreciate Zach’s support of the GOC and our community. Sponsorships like this help us continue providing opportunities for Members to build friendships, confidence, skills, and greater independence. We look forward to seeing Zach at the Fall Festival!

Are you coming to the Fall Festival? Please mark yourself Interested or Going on our Facebook event and share it with your friends. Help us spread the word!

There is still time to support the Fall Festival. We are accepting sponsorships, gift cards for our Giving Tree, gift baskets, and raffle prizes.

We hope to see you there!

https://www.facebook.com/events/2604074140027202

Address

1210 NW 14th Avenue
Gainesville, FL
32601

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+13522245523

Website

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