For Immediate Release
June 19, 2009
Contact: Mike McGrath
303 571-4343
mikem@ncl.org
Tampa, Florida—The National Civic League announced the winners of the prestigious All-America City award during a celebration at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel and Marina. The ten winners in 2009 (in alphabetical order by state) are:
Phoenix, Arizona
Inglewood, California
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Richmond, Indiana
Wichita, Kansas
Somerville, Massachusetts
Albany, New York
Kinston, North Carolina
Statesville, North Carolina
Caroline County, Virginia
The 60-year old awards program recognizes neighborhoods, villages, towns, cities, counties and metro regions for outstanding civic accomplishments. To win, communities have to demonstrate their ability to address serious challenges with innovative, grassroots strategies that promote civic engagement and cooperation between the public, private and nonprofit sectors.
“These communities give us outstanding examples of leadership and civic innovation,” said National Civic League President Gloria Rubio-Cortés. “The All-America City Award is like an Oscar for civic accomplishment. This year’s event was particularly exciting because it is our 60th anniversary. We really had outstanding finalists to choose from.”
The All-America City Award is an honor achieved by more than 500 communities across the country. Some have won the award multiple times. This year’s winners addressed such pressing and topical issues as housing for seniors, immigration, education and economic development.
“There’s wonderful work going on around the country in communities small and large,” said NCL Board Chair Sandra Freedman. “It’s uplifting to find that out because we always hear the bad, and these are great stories. This is the good.”
This year's AAC Awards were sponsored in part by Prudential, MWH, Jones Day, Southwest Airlines (The Official Airline of the AAC 2009 Awards), Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel and Marina (The Sole Official Headquarters Hotel of the 2009 AAC Awards), Southern California Edison, Mile High United Way and Marriott International.
About 800 civic leaders and community activists from across the country met in Tampa for the three-day awards competition. Each finalist delegation had to make a presentation to a jury of civic experts from the public, private and nonprofit sectors listing three outstanding examples of collaborative, community problem solving.
Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, the National Civic League strengthens democracy by increasing the capacity of our nation’s people to fully participate in and build healthy and prosperous communities across America. Founded in 1894 by Theodore Roosevelt and other government reformers, NCL is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that accomplishes its mission through training, technical assistance, publishing, facilitating community-wide strategic planning and awards programs. It publishes research on government structures and reform and community building innovation (The National Civic Review, Civic Index, and 8th Edition of the Model City Charter). In addition to the All-America City Awards, NCL conducts the MetLife Foundation Ambassadors In Education Awards.
For more information on the All-America City Award winners or the National Civic League, call Mike McGrath at 571 4343 or visit our website (www.ncl.org.)
2009 All-America City Project Summaries
Phoenix, Arizona
Urban Higher Education
Life-altering drug discoveries, collaboration between high school students and international bioscience leaders, and a new, vibrant, urban university campus are among the results of Phoenix’s decision to build the future. The impact of the community’s nearly half-billion dollar investment in urban education can be measured by research partnerships, student success, a downtown renaissance, and a steady flow of creative ideas resulting in economic activity exceeding $4 billion. Funding came from the city’s 2006 Citizens Bond Program, organized by more than 700 residents and supported overwhelmingly by voters. The result? Two academic campuses, the Phoenix Biomedical Campus and the new ASU Downtown Phoenix campus, are blossoming in downtown Phoenix, where previously educational opportunities were limited. The community’s investment and partnerships for research and education eventually will create 26,000 jobs, educate 18,000 students and spur an economic impact of $2.6 billion annually.
Phoenix Parks and Land Preservation
As the nation’s fastest growing large city, Phoenix has gained more than half a million residents in 20 years. As Phoenix grew, the displacement of natural desert was so prevalent that The Arizona Republic published a series of stories called “An Acre an Hour.” The title represented the loss of desert land as homes displaced cacti and wildlife. In addition, an aging park system remained in older neighborhoods and many newer neighborhoods lacked sufficient recreational spaces. Reversing the problem called for an innovative solution. The city mobilized a broad coalition of residents, nonprofits, user groups, elected officials, and state and federal agencies. Their multi-pronged effort envisioned an audacious goal: seek community support and funding streams - to preserve desert land for recreational use, develop park spaces and improve existing parks and facilities. Last year, voters renewed and expanded their commitment to the program, which has preserved thousands of desert acres, funded new traditional parks and renovated older ones. Residents helped craft the initiative, which directs 60 percent of the funding to parks and 40 percent to desert preserve land. The program has raised nearly $200 million to build regional parks and recreation centers, make accessibility renovations to older parks and, in the last few years, help fund the purchase of nearly 2,400 acres of Sonoran Desert preserve land. The program is expected to generate nearly $2 billion over 30 years.
Library Spaces – Phoenix’s Focus on Teens
Phoenix Public Library’s first teen space, Teen Central, opened in 2001 at the Central Library downtown. It followed more than a year of work between the library staff, architect Will Bruder and teenagers who helped design the space and its contents. With funding and guidance from a variety of community groups, led by the Friends of the Phoenix Public Library and the Phoenix Public Library Foundation, the center opened to fanfare - the first of its kind in the nation designed by the young people who would be using it. Now, every new or renovated library in Phoenix has a teen space, and the process has become a national model. In the last five years, nine of these spaces opened in Phoenix libraries, with another to grace a new branch in a few months. All 15 Phoenix libraries have their own Teen Councils to design and name the spaces and advise library staff. The councils plan fun and educational programs and organize fundraising events - learning the democratic process and developing leadership skills.
Inglewood, California
The Village at Century
Rising from a dilapidated area formally consisting of run-down apartments and a sky-high vacancy rate, Inglewood’s The Village at Century celebrated its much-anticipated grand opening on May 25, 2006. The high quality retail center located on 16-acres along the city’s historic Century Boulevard features eight national brand restaurants and retailers, and has created 350 new homes and approximately 600 new jobs. The Village at Century has positively transformed the city’s personality, evoking a spirit of celebration, delight and optimism. The project is the result of the successful partnership and decision making of local, regional and federal government entities, private developers and, most importantly, the citizens of Inglewood. In June 2006, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson and U.S. Treasurer Anna Escobedo Cabral traveled to the city to honor Inglewood’s achievement in economic development and job creation, calling The Village at Century a “national model of public-private partnership.”
Residential Sound Installation Program
For years, the City of Inglewood worked tirelessly to improve quality of life for residents by mitigating resident exposure to high noise levels generated by aircraft arriving at neighboring Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Approximately 15 years ago, Inglewood created a pilot project to both insulate and move heavily impacted homes away from the airport. The City of Inglewood worked with government agencies and active residents to become fully funded and speed up the sound installation process. In 2006, the City of Inglewood and surrounding communities reached an historic settlement with Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), which provided funding to accelerate noise mitigation through the Residential Sound Installation program, an initiative that reduces the impact of airport noise by outfitting homes with quality insulation products. The City of Inglewood ranks in the top five national sound installation programs, averaging more than 600 completed homes with a goal of 800 homes per year. Since the settlement, more homes were insulated in the last 3 years than all prior years combined. Today, the project is 48% complete with approximately 3,100 homes insulated out of about 8,700 eligible homes.
Youth Auto Repair Apprenticeship
In a city where employment rates have been historically low, job training programs for Inglewood’s youth addresses an important need and remains essential for Inglewood’s sustained workforce. In 2006, the City of Inglewood and the Los Angeles Opportunity Industrialization Center (LAOIC) launched the Youth Auto Repair Apprenticeship. Since, the city’s Fleet Management and Transit Services have trained more than 120 young students at Inglewood Unified School District and other schools throughout Los Angeles, at no cost to the student. Inglewood and LAOIC partnered with South Bay Workforce Investment Board, South Bay One-Stop Business and Career Centers, County of Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services, the County Department of Public Social Services, and the school district to offer morning maintenance classes for academic credit to 10-15 high school students each semester. LAOIC’s mission is to provide quality training and employment to economically disadvantaged people of all races and backgrounds, enabling them to become self-sufficient.
Fort Wayne, Indiana
The Refugee Resource Center
From 1991 to 2008, the number of immigrants and refugees from various parts of the world has grown from 44 to 3,644 an increase of 1274%. The United Way of Allen County held community forums to address the specific services and needs for the refugee community. As a result of this forum, a federal grant was submitted to the Office of Refugee Resettlement for funding by a coalition consisting of several community agencies to develop a refugee resource center that will serve as a one stop location. The coalition received the grant and in November 2008, The Refugee Resource Center was officially opened. The Center provides services and educational classes that help refugees access healthcare, employment, learn English and other skills. Currently, nine agencies provide on-site services, and two organizations provide off-site services as part of a Refugee Resource Coalition. Current coalition partners include: Saint Joseph Community Health Foundation; the Burmese Advocacy Center; the Allen County Lead and Healthy Homes Program; the Reclamation Project; Indiana Family and Social Services Agency; Advantage Health Solutions; Super Shot; East Allen County School Corporation; Neighborhood Christian Legal Services; Catholic Charities; and IVY Tech Community College.
Fort Wayne’s Big Give
In early 2008, ‘Oprah’s Big Give,’ a national campaign to inspire citizens to give back to their communities, gave Indiana’s News Center, ABC’s local affiliate, $10,000 to launch a Big Give movement in Fort Wayne. Aboite New Trails (ANT) was chosen as the recipient of the $10,000 due to its leadership, previous success and grassroots nature. Realizing the campaign’s potential to impact the entire Fort Wayne community, ANT chose to share the $10,000 equally with other area trail groups and create a community-wide event. The participating trails groups had five weeks to plan five fundraising events, each in a different geographic region of the area. On the morning of April 12, ‘Fort Wayne’s Big Give’ for Fort Wayne Trails was an overwhelming success with the individual events garnering huge participation and money for the developing trails system. Through generous community donations and the City of Fort Wayne’s dollar-for-dollar match, the event raised $1.26 million, including the $10,000 seed money. On April 21, 2008, Fort Wayne’s Big Give was recognized as the competition’s most successful Big Give campaign in the country. Funds raised during this campaign were dedicated primarily towards the completion of the Towpath Trail, a vital component in the Fort Wayne Trails system. Having raised over 25% of the total funds garnered by all 90 cities collectively, this campaign was a remarkable testament to this community’s support for trails and an improved quality of life.
Great KIDS Make Great COMMUNITIES
The Allen Superior Court Great KIDS Make Great COMMUNITIES’(a.k.a. Great KIDS) mission is to motivate and equip individuals and organizations, to join together in nurturing competent, caring and responsible children and adolescents. Great KIDS is unique in that through community collaboration, adults are trained to work with youth more effectively using the Assets model. Since its inception, Great KIDS’ staff have provided 40 Developmental Assets presentations to over 1,000 groups in our community, from church committees and neighborhood associations to PTA groups, foster care associations, civic organizations, tutoring programs, and many more. In recent years, Great KIDS has also partnered directly with youth to produce the Allen County United Youth Summit, an event designed to engage youth on community issues and empower them to make a difference.
Richmond, Indiana
The Third Grade Reading Academy
Motivated by the Wayne County Learning Corporation’s Education Summit of October, 2007, the entire community set out to address the 30% high school drop out rate by raising third-grade reading levels. This community explored two approaches: one adult-centered, the other led by youth. Adult-centered response: Two local business people began and, with the help of over two hundred community contributors and volunteers, raised $150,000 and conducted the first Third Grade Reading Academy. During the summer of 2008, a four-week intervention reading program was developed to generate an interest and enthusiasm for reading and to involve key local institutions. Of the 145 eligible students who had not passed their ISTEP (the state’s) Language Arts test, 118 participated and raised their scores by 50%. Youth-centered response: The youth believe that the key to addressing drop outs is to motivate through interactive activities inside and out of school, and cite three efforts. My Will is a weekly group meeting of up to 30 high school girls to address personal problems and support each other. Stage One is Richmond Civic Theatre’s youth theatre involving 250 youth in up to three productions each year. The net benefit is personal development and increased civic/community engagement. Civic Hall is a 936 seat performing arts venue owned and operated by Richmond Community Schools providing “wonderful opportunities for students to perform in a professional setting.”
Countywide Partnership for Youth (CPY)
Creating a safety net around children without resources allows them to be more successful in school and have a chance for success beyond school. Believing there is power in numbers, the Countywide Partnership for Youth (CPY), a coalition of youth-serving agencies, educational institutions, governmental entities, and individual citizens, came together to see how each could be more successful in meeting the needs of kids and in helping focus our community’s efforts for greater outcomes. Formed in 2004, the Partnership’s Youth Development Plan provided a vision for enhancing positive factors in a child’s life. As a result of the collaborative work of this coalition, $8,594,000 in federal and state grants has been secured for our community, including the Safe School Healthy Students grant.
KIDFEST
KIDFEST, a collaboration among several teachers, Discovery School, the Mayor’s Office, the Wayne County Historical Museum, Earlham College, Richmond State Hospital and a broad variety of interested citizens and parents, is a month-long, visible celebration of kids and their efforts. The month kicks off with a community parade. In the 2008 parade, which was a moonlight parade, there were 90 units with over 2000 participants. Several community members volunteered to organize and staff the event, and people came from all around the county to watch and to celebrate. Hundreds of young people participated, making KIDFEST a quantitative success. In addition, this project led to interesting and unexpected qualitative results. The KIDFEST emphasis on youth as entrepreneurs led to the development of a magnet elementary school, the Elizabeth Starr Academy for Young Entrepreneurs.
Wichita, Kansas
Mennonite Housing
The Mennonite Housing Rehabilitation Services (MHRS) program was founded to make the world better for low-income residents by repairing homes of elderly and disabled residents. Recently, this vision was expanded to include people who cannot afford decent housing or home ownership. In 2005, the block of 12th and Piatt in Northeast Wichita was a hub for drugs, crime, prostitution and gang activity. Through a community- based intervention strategy called “Weed and Seed,” Mennonite Housing partnered with other agencies to address these issues and rebuild. Four dilapidated homes were torn down and six brand new high quality homes were built. This development changed the lives of six families and makeup of an entire neighborhood. This block is just one of seven blocks in the City’s Local Investment Areas where Mennonite Housing has built new homes. More than 100 new homes have been constructed with partner funding from local municipalities and banks. Mennonite builds a $100,000 home, then sells the home for a maximum of $85,700. Families receive additional financial assistance from partner agencies, lowering their loan costs to less than $70,000. For many people and families, it is a dream deferred that has come true. Once residing in the home, these families feel a sense of empowerment over their home, their block and their community.
Visioneering Wichita
Visioneering Wichita (VW) is about achieving far-reaching, but attainable goals to make the region an excellent place to live. In 2004, residents from throughout the region gave input on efforts and priority to issues, including creating jobs, increasing per-capita income, ensuring education at every age and various quality of life initiatives. A process was created where the community could reach consensus on major issues of local, regional and statewide importance. Thousands of volunteers and hundreds of organizations worked together to create a long-term plan. Ten community issues were selected for the VW working document, and strategies were set for each goal, with over 500 organizations and community groups attaching themselves to one or more strategies. These vision partners agreed to work together to commit time, staff and resources to making individual strategies reality. Although the accomplishments to date are impressive, it is Visioneering Wichita’s process that is remarkable. Visioneering Wichita is about the gift of collaboration, the realization of a dream and the empowerment of a community.
Opportunity Drive
More than 11,000 children under the age of 18 live within walking distance of 21st Street, and what is now called Opportunity Drive. It is an area characterized by high crime, and at least 60 percent of children live with families at the poverty level or below. Children born into this neighborhood face many challenges. Community and business leaders in the area joined together to discuss what could be done to improve the prospects of youth in the area. They engaged the community on a vision for the area and created a public-private partnership that transformed the area into a multi-facility campus, attracted national media and became a learning and recreation destination for youth. The facilities include: The Opportunity Project (TOP), a new pre-K learning center, a new Boys & Girls Club, a K through 8 public school, and a health clinic, which provides medical and dental services to people in the surrounding areas. Completion of these superb facilities transformed a deserted parcel of property into a sea of activity. The neighborhood is experiencing a rebirth, and opportunities for young people are being created.
Somerville, Massachusetts
Green Line Extension
One of Somerville’s most important needs and largest current community projects is securing the State’s commitment to extending public transportation, via the Massachusetts Bay Transit
Authority’s (MBTA) Green Line, through Somerville by 2014. Since Massachusetts’ “Big Dig” project began in the early 1990s, which rerouted sections of Interstate 93 from Boston through Somerville, Somerville’s community members and elected leaders have advocated for reliable, accessible public transportation options and have made it clear that Somerville will not be an on and off ramp for Boston. The work of residents, community groups and stakeholders has paid off, most recently with the promise from the Governor of Massachusetts that construction and implementation of the project will be completed by 2014. Through constant advocacy and collaboration with state officials and the community, Somerville has secured the addition of seven “Green Line” passenger train stops through Somerville and into Medford. The Green Line extension will bring resolution to the many inequities and negative side effects resulting from the lack of public transportation in Somerville.
Improved Communication
Over the past several years, the City of Somerville has increased its focus on creating a transparent, inclusive form of municipal government for allcommunity members and through a variety of media, to create a more inclusive and responsive community. This idea includes the creation of a government management model that not only tracks administrative trends and constituent requests to increase accountability, but also provides the City’s residents with the opportunity to respond to and provide feedback on City initiatives and the annual budget process, to create an inclusive, transparent form of government. To that end, in 2004, Somerville adopted the CitiStat model of management, dubbed “SomerStat,” which institutes a series of regular forums with all City departments and key decision-makers to identify problems, assess success of service delivery and track constituent concerns, determine opportunities for improvement and, along with the City’s 311 Customer Service Center, provide data on departments’ service demand and delivery, as partially determined by residents. Somerville’s goal is to build and sustain a continuous, positive relationship and ongoing conversation between City government and community members, and all of these tools have increasingly made that goal a reality.
Somerville Cares About Prevention (SCAP)
In 1998, the community-based coalition “SCAP” was formed with the mission to bring together and mobilize the diverse community of Somerville to prevent and address issues associated with substance abuse, while promoting positive mental, spiritual, and physical health, especially among youth. Through work with parents, schools, community organizations and retailers, SCAP has organized and implemented more than 10 successful anti-drug and alcohol campaigns in and around Somerville. In addition, the Suicide and Mental Health Taskforce was convened in March 2004 via SCAP to respond to an epidemic of youth suicide and overdose. The Taskforce was charged with recommending and implementing strategies to prevent youth suicide and to promote the emotional well-being of Somerville youth through youth development, support services, education, community building and data surveillance. The Taskforce works with and through such organizations as the Somerville Youth Workers Network, Teen Empowerment, and SCAP to research and develop youth activities with and for residents; and the commitment and dedication of the Taskforce has resulted in an ongoing support network for youth development.
Albany, New York
Capitalize Albany
First released in 1996 after a two-year committee driven effort, Capitalize Albany was intended to be a plan of action based on a long-term, broad vision for improving New York’s Capital City by attracting investment, residents, development and new job opportunities. The recommendations outlined in the strategy were derived from input from community and business leaders and other stakeholders in the City of Albany. The Capitalize Albany committee was dedicated to building an environment that would yield transformational change. The results of this effort and strategy have been tremendous. Over the past 13 years more than $6 billion in new investment has been made in development and infrastructure projects throughout the City. In downtown alone, millions have been invested in new streetscapes, infrastructure, and a pedestrian bridge to reconnect the City to its waterfront. The riverfront is a vibrant destination for events and festivals bringing thousands of people downtown throughout the summer. Business investors are choosing Albany as a location for their operations; many new fine-dining establishments have opened; and the City has witnessed a growing presence of people and related activity in downtown.
Youth Services
The City of Albany has a strong commitment to meeting the needs of its young citizens, as positive development of youth is central to the quality of urban life. In 1998, The City of Albany received national recognition for its Kids Improvement District (K.I.D.) initiative, a youth oriented inner-city redevelopment and anticrime program that began in 1995. As a result of the success of this program, the entire City has become a Kid Improvement District. Borrowing from the program’s success, the City of Albany has developed citywide collaborations to meet the needs of its most vulnerable citizens. In collaboration with community and faith-based organizations, neighborhood associations, concerned citizens, the City School District of Albany, and local government serving agencies, The City of Albany has developed a myriad of youth development, education, and recreation opportunities for Albany’s youth, including the Albany Gang Prevention Program, Albany YouthBuild, a program that combines education with on-site construction experience for disadvantaged young people, a Summer Youth Employment program, a truancy abatement program, and the Mayor’s Literacy Campaign.
Albany’s “Living History” Project: Half Moon Replica Ship & New Netherland Museum
As Albany commemorates 2009 as the 400th year since legendary explorer Henry Hudson first sailed to its shores, a floating educational institution, inspired by his voyages, completes its first decade of discovery. The Half Moon, a stunningly accurate replica of Hudson’s ship, is committed not only to preserving an important part of national heritage, but also is dedicated to educating youth by inspiring a love of history and fostering community involvement. Created in 1989 at the Port of Albany’s snowdock, The Half Moon was designed to be a unique method to teach youth in the Capital Region about their state’s rich history and heritage, and, most importantly, about themselves. As part of an annual curriculum for thousands of students, the Half Moon has been an incredible “hands on” sailing history lesson for more than 500 selected local young people since its maiden voyage ten years ago. At least twice every year, twelve middle-schoolers man the ship on a “Voyage of Discovery” from Lower New York Harbor to Albany. Students spanning the entire Capital District are involved, from city and rural school districts with incredibly diverse backgrounds.
Kinston, North Carolina
The Neuse Regional Water and Sewer Authority (WASA)
The Neuse Regional Water and Sewer Authority (WASA) was formed in 2001 as a result of the collaboration between Kinston and other regional water providers to support the current needs of the city and encourage and support potential growth and jobs for the region. WASA includes eight different water systems, and its 144 million dollar water plant, constructed along the Neuse River, is the largest funded water project to date in the history of the USDA in the United States. Funds totaling $48 million were committed from Federal, State, local and private sources. The establishment of WASA created 21 jobs for Kinston and the region. Since the authority was established, financing secured, and construction began, three major corporations have chosen to relocate to Kinston, bringing more than 3000 jobs and millions of dollars in investment. The new water plant increased the available water supply to Kinston by 3 million gallons per day and regionally by 15 million gallons per day. Through the use of its existing well field and its membership in WASA, Kinston will provide enough water for the next 50-75 years. In addition to creating jobs and providing economic development, the collaboration has resulted in increased trust between municipalities and other entities.
Little-by-Little
In 2007, a local financial institution, the "little bank," partnered with Partnership for Children along with Lenoir County and Southeast Elementary School to meet the challenge of providing a long-term mentoring program for elementary school children, and the “Little-by-Little” program was born. Each student is partnered with a mentor, or Buddy, from the community that nurtures their education and encourages them to dream big. Every nine weeks, the students are given specific goals in comprehension, behavioral, and accelerated reading. If the students meet their goals, $50 is put aside for the student's college tuition. Students are also awarded a $50 end of year bonus if all four, nine week goals are met throughout the year. This money will build over time and if students continue to work hard, excel, and meet their goals, they could have up to $3000 to use for college tuition or books. The intention of the program is to work and follow these children until they have finished high school. Other partners in the program include local attorneys, business owners, District Court Judges, Assistant DA, and local churches. Southeast Elementary and its collaborative partners believe that "little-by-little" is a way to provide support and teach children the value of setting and achieving goals both personal and educational.
The Gate
The Gate, a community development center, project is a non-profit. collaborative, faith-based initiative between Kinston, federal and state agencies, Lenoir County, private investors, local churches, and dozens of private citizens to create a community development center to teach gang awareness and gang prevention by offering programs and activities to keep kids off the streets. One of the goals of the program is to provide direction to at-risk youth in the community and help them view police as their advocates, rather than enemies. Approximately 50-70 young people attend various functions and activities; including career development, preparing for GED exams, and building character traits such as respect and honesty. All services and resources are FREE to kids in Lenoir County. In addition to strong attendance at The Gate programs, the relationships formed as a result of the youth interacting with law enforcement personnel has been invaluable and is producing measurable results.
Statesville, North Carolina
Mi Familia Institute
In North Carolina, the Hispanic population is growing at the highest rate of any state in the nation. In 2007, the Mi Familia Institute was established to help Statesville’s Hispanic community navigate the difficult journey of assimilation by “building family strength through education, promotion of respect, and advocacy for social justice.” A local church provides the space for Mi Familia Institute at no cost and funds much of the nonprofit organization’s operational expenses. Mi Familia has a wide range of programs, ranging from domestic violence prevention to financial planning. They rely heavily on volunteers, and partner with several local agencies to help increase their course offerings and community outreach. Statistics kept by Mi Familia indicate more than 1,900 persons have been served by one or more of the nonprofit’s programs, and support continues to grow. Mi Familia’s policy is to provide according to need without asking about the participants’ legal status. “First build trust,” is the motto held by the organization’s founder and executive director. As seen through Mi Familia, trust then builds a connection that strengthens families, quality of life and self-dependency.
Fifth Street Ministries
In 1990, Fifth Street Ministries began running emergency, winter and battered women’s shelters. In 1991, faced with inadequate space and a deteriorating facility, Fifth Street Ministries moved to a dilapidated and abandoned school. The move allowed the soup kitchen to move into a functioning cafeteria and the expansion of the winter shelter program into a year-round night shelter. In subsequent years, additional services were offered, including a free health and medical center, a children’s program, and a thrift store that provided clothing and employment opportunities for shelter guests. In 2008, Fifth Street Ministries provided 58,247 meals, 11,005 shelter nights in the overnight shelter, 13,335 shelter nights in the emergency shelter, and 7,852 shelter nights in the battered women’s shelter. 350 volunteers donated well over 5,000 volunteer hours to make this possible. The need for Fifth Street Ministries’ services continues to grow and, with the help of community partners, Fifth Street Ministries opened a new facility on December 6, 2008. It has room for overnight guests, a cafeteria, and rooms for counseling, training, education and support groups. The new facility also enables Fifth Street Shelters to offer transitional housing and additional training in a variety of areas.
Boys and Girls Club of the Piedmont, Inc.
Following a tragedy involving youth in 2004, the Statesville community vowed to provide a place for youth to gather. With the help of an anonymous donor, the community decided to build a Boys & Girls Club, a comprehensive effort providing help and hope to a generation of disadvantaged youth. A committee was formed , and plans started on a $5 million, 28,000 square foot facility to house two gymnasiums, game room, exercise/weight room, a learning/technology center, kitchen, two classrooms, a teen center, and activity rooms to accommodate various programs. The project also included outside ball fields, basketball courts, playground and picnic area. The Boys and Girls Club now has approximately 300 members attending afterschool and summer programs in four different locations until the new facility opens in April 2009. Of the $5 million budget, 80% has already been raised with the help of a variety of businesses, individuals, churches, civic clubs and foundations. The facility is located in the midst of the population it serves, and the result is a comprehensive effort among public, private, business and citizen entities to provide hope and opportunity for those who need it most.
Caroline County, Virginia
Decentralized Wastewater System for Low Income Community
Dawn, an underserved community in Caroline County, worked together to solve a critical standard of living challenge – an outdated and ineffective wastewater system – and renewed its sense of faith in people and the government. The county committed $1.8 million of local funds to the project and, in late 2003, the Board of Supervisors approved the concept of using technology to create a decentralized wastewater system, which is less expensive and simpler to design and construct. Dawn’s community leaders took an active role in working with county government to accomplish this project, the first known system of this size and scale. Additional funding was secured with help from The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and the Virginia NAACP, among others. Three years later, the first homes were fully connected to the working system. Within the next 18 months, 188 more homes and businesses were connected to the system, thereby eliminating reliance upon onsite septic systems of any kind. Half of the connected homes are owned by low-to-moderate income residents; these homes were connected at no charge to the owner. The other half benefited from discounted connection fees. Dawn is very proud of its new system, which has made it a stronger community.
Caroline Library System
The first Caroline County library officially opened on March 8, 1981. As the community grew, subsequent branches were opened. It became necessary to establish a more economical means to service the deeper and far reaching rural communities, so the “Books on Wheels” Program was created. Again, citizens took the lead, and a retired school bus was renovated by an Eagle Scout to serve as a bookmobile, which continues to operate four days per week. In August 2004, the all-volunteer Library board again rose to the challenge of expanding the library system in the Ladysmith area. A state-off-the-art one million dollar facility was started with the help of a private developer, the Caroline County Board of Supervisors, and a private citizens group called “Friends of the Ladysmith Library.” This new 8,000 square-foot facility contains the latest updated equipment, including a complete and separate computer lab. It was opened to the public in August 2006. The Caroline County library has made a tremendous impact to the community and has risen to the challenge of meeting educational needs outside of the classroom.
Caroline’s Promise Dental Program
Caroline’s Promise is a nonprofit organization that strives to meet the physical, spiritual, and emotional wellbeing of the county’s youth. One of the organization’s five pledged promises is to provide a healthy start and future for all Caroline County children, and this promise is the focus of the dental program started in 2003. Like many rural counties, Caroline County has struggled with issues brought about by the shortage of medical professionals in the county and the resulting lack of access to care. In response, the County developed an innovative rural Dental program that has received numerous national awards. A number of things have made this program successful. One is having the dentist located in a modern and permanent surrounding and not a mobile unit, which gives assurance to the children and parents of the quality of care they are receiving. Another is the involvement of the county school system through the school nurses and its transportation system. The success of the program in Caroline County is now looked upon as the model for future programs in the region.
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