For the last 7 years, members of the Leadership Team for LGBTQ Merced have been creating community connections and building the idea of a Community Commons for Merced.
What is a Community Commons? Healthy communities require a Community Commons – a place where people can meet and organize for free. A place free from capitalism, and also proselytizing, where people don’t feel pressured to buy a meal, alcohol, or join a church or some other subscription service. The best and only example of this in the City of Merced is the Merced Main Library. Organizations and individuals can reserve a small conference room or the larger Gracey Room downstairs for community events and meetings.
But the Merced Main Library is only open in the evenings twice a week, and is not open on Sundays. Merced urgently needs a centralized community center and resource hub to distribute mutual aid, life-saving Narcan, and hold cultural events and community meetings. And it also has to be able to serve people who work during the day, and want events on nights and weekends that do not involve alcohol.
This is why we have created a coalition of community organizations dedicated to creating a Community Commons for Merced. Our partners include:
- The American Red Cross
- The Micah Project
- The Robert Rojas Foundation Worldwide
- Journeys for Justice
- Plig Merced
- Freedom Oasis, Inc
- LGBTQ Merced
Please come to the Merced Civic Center (City Hall) to hear our presentation about our application for a City-owned building on 4/27/2026 at 5:30PM.
