8th Council District Neighborhoods

SOUTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD Mid-Term Report 2000 Mid-Term Report 2000

Aug 11, 2006

WHO WE ARE AND WHY WE ARE
INTRODUCTION


The Eighth District Empowerment Congress Southeast Neighborhood Development Council is a valued experienced group of community volunteers elected by neighborhood residents to serve a 2-year term as community representatives. The Leadership?’s accessibility to the Eighth District City Councilman Mark-Ridley Thomas provides training and insight to fulfill the Eighth District Empowerment Congress mission, to Engage, Educate and Empower neighborhood residents, enabling them to make well-informed decisions on public policy issues.

The Eighth District Empowerment Congress SE-NDC Leadership consists of neighborhood representative volunteers dedicated to promoting positive change, engaging in the business of the Eighth District with Councilman Mark Ridley -Thomas on issues concerning public safety policies and neighborhood redevelopment projects. The Councilman encourages Leadership to strongly support neighborhood revitalization efforts, community standards, Senior and Youth advocacy and Economic Justice Projects.

We endeavor to provide effective leadership commitment and to protect our most treasured opportunity, to work wisely and diligently with southeast neighborhood individual residents, group organizers and other neighborhood stakeholders toward a better tomorrow, safer neighborhoods and a more viable, cohesive community base. We pledge our support to uphold the ideas and visions of the southeast community in hopes that together, we will promote realistic change.



SE-NDC Neighborhood Assembly Meetings


The SE-NDC Neighborhood Area Assembly meetings are held quarterly. Our year 2000 Assembly meetings were held at two southeast faith based facilities, the Mother of Sorrow Catholic Church South Main Street Annex and Southside Bethel Baptist Church on San Pedro Street.

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION


Neighborhood Area Assembly - Saturday, April 1, 2000
Mother of Sorrow Church Annex - 10:00AM ?– 12:00 PM

This assembly was dedicated to the ?“Check the Black Box?” Census 2000 Project and was supported by the Southern Leadership Christian Council (SCLC) African American Census 2000 outreach efforts. More than 50 ?“Check the Black Box?” Question and Answer Center supervisors, faith-based and community based organizations participated. The community participated in a questions and answer period conducted by Rev. Johnson, Executive Director of SCLC.

Neighborhood Area Assembly - Saturday, August 12, 2000
Southside Bethel Baptist Church ?– 10:00 ?– 12:00 PM

The theme ?“Let?’s Make Southeast Neighborhoods Shine?” is in reference to two recent southeast neighborhood projects. A Councilman Mark Ridley Thomas/Staff southeast residents neighborhood Bus Tour and the New Southeast Neighborhood Beautification Committee Of Volunteers (SE-NBC) Clean ?–up Campaign. The highlight of the Assembly is the GOOD NEWS of a Neighborhood Beautification Committee Plan to continue the southeast Clean-up Campaign, beginning with an immediate plan to improve and beautify the areas main throughways and corridors. It was announced during the Assembly that the Councilman approved a plan to improvement of the Manchester Avenue throughway. The Manchester Piolet Project will begin east of Vermont Ave and end at Central Ave commencing with funds are availability.
Other Topic discussions were:
1. What?’s in a name? ?– (See Appendix II)
?· Denotes ownership and creates a sense of community
?· Identifies neighborhood boundaries.
2. Clean Sweep Matching Grants: Angela Hernandez, provided information on Clean Sweep Grants to be used for neighborhood beautification projects. She gave the criteria for receiving funds and passed out application forms to neighborhood participants.

SE-NDC Neighborhood Assemble Community Participants Attendance Record:

The Assemble Meeting attendance projection is at 100 ?– 125 neighborhood residents.
An approximate 20% of projection are in attendance averaging around 40 residents per assembly meeting.



The SE-NDC Year 2000 Work Planning Committee is a Systems Five Operations Team. The frame of reference is people empowerment. The goal is to enhance the southeast neighborhood residents quality of live. .

The SE-NDC Committee Team is divided into five categories distinguishable by work assignments and duties. We do not operate as five distinct committees, but as five definite entities representing ONE TEAM. The Team reflection is a combined effort that generates the energy needed to effect growth and development.

COMMITTEES

1. Block Club Leadership Network - Goals are to identify existing southeast block clubs, organize new southeast block clubs and to help define the block club leadership role.

2. Southeast NDC Newsletter - Goals are to prepare news worthy articles to showcase a full disclosure of the Eighth District Empowerment Congress?’ work and to exhibit a positive volunteer image while encouraging neighborhood residents to engage in community interests activities.

3. Recruitment & Outreach Committee ?– As an attempt to create a sense of community, focuses on persuading, motivating, mobilizing and engaging southeast residents neighborhoods in public policy issues. Using every opportunity to reach across age, gender, culture, race, religion, and ethnic divides. Our strategy includes seeking out ways to involve neighborhood groups who are underrepresented, specifically, young adults age range 18 ?–35 and Senior Citizens.

4. Parks and Recreation - Committee plans are to network with southeast neighborhood public parks, Algin Sutton and Green Meadows ; to support establishing a southeast community neighborhoods Parks & Recreation Advisory Board; to engage in active membership established Advisory Board and to respect neighborhood residents right to maintain an individual park theme.

5. The Training Committee ?– Function is to prepare and provide technical and resourceful information through workshops training, seminars, and symposiums. The committee presentation is a practical leadership-training model of wholesome information and has responsibility to disseminate information relative to the Eighth District Empowerment Congress work.
The training committee places special emphasis on the NDC membership and community neighborhoods work ethics in areas of commitment, attendance, and interpersonal skills.












ACCOMPLISHMENTS

The work plan of SE -NDC is progressively evolving. During the course of our planning, many suggestions and a variety of activities were visited that have become part of our accomplishments.

?· Developed a work plan relevant to the priorities identified by the SE-NDC.

?· Identified committees and assigned members task relevant to the work plan.

?· Each committee provided a report relative to their projects.

?· Training committee prepared a Community Assessment Survey in both English and Spanish that was circulated at neighborhood assembly meetings to identify the training needs of the neighborhood. (See Appendix III)

?· Neighborhood Networks developed a plan to convene neighborhood block clubs. Letters were sent to 21 block club members. To date, one block club network meeting was held at the Constituent Service Center.

?· Outreach and Recruitment committee prepared a research project survey to establish a count of southeast neighborhood faith based organizations and community based organizations. The research finding identified 137 faith-based organizations and 12 community based organization within the southeast boundaries. This information is useful when identifying neighborhood resources.

?· Neighborhood News ?– The development of a SE-NDC e-mail address, sendc@hotmail.com and Website address (www.neighborhoodlink.com) Provide a vehicles for sharing news worthy items on the internet. A SE-NDC Guest Book is also made available to those who wish to engage in dialogue with neighborhood representatives and NDC members.

?· Neighborhood Beautification ?– the newly organized Beautification Committee of volunteers sponsored southeast neighborhood a clean up campaign in June 2000. Over 200 neighborhood volunteers participated. Neighborhood business provided many resources as did city agencies and Community Base Organizations.

?· The Manchester Ave piolet program is a Streetscape Project in progress and is approved by Councilman Ridley-Thomas. The agencies involved are, Victor Osugi, Designing Engineer, Bureau of Street Services, Ruben Perez and Leo Fuller, Department of Building and Safety. At our most recent meeting a planning committee was formed a SENDC member was selected to participate on committee.

?· A SE-NDC member was designated to serve on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board at Algin Sutton Park. Algin Sutton Park is designated to receive funds for city park upgrades.

?· Participated in Empowerment Congress Activities and Events.

?· Participated in the Development of an Empowerment Congress Joint Council.

SE-NDC Assessment


STRENGTHS

The strengths of the NDC membership can be realized the many diverse experiences of the membership and as volunteers sharing their talents, gifts. Their strength is in the ability to exhibit a professional attitude and a professional competence in spite of oppositions. These experiences are manifested in areas of expert community organizers, specialized attorney, technology specialists, dispute resolution, educators, scholars and long-time community activists.

CHALLENGES

?· Provide incentives to encourages increased membership attendance. Currently, SE- NDC monthly meeting attendance averages 8 out of 13 members. . (See Appendix I)
?· Develop new plans to step up community outreach and recruitment.
?· Plan a membership drive.
?· Create a real community base wherein everyone participates in the improvement their own neighborhoods




SUMMARY

HOW TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE

The SE-NDC showcases the many spores of the Eighth District Empowerment Congress and is committed to work together toward a more enriched life for the neighborhood constituents.

?· Through workshops and leadership training.
?· Identify the neighborhood stakeholders who will engage the SE-NDC Work Plan.
?· Continue to develop and improve follow-up strategies.
?· Continue the beautification project
?· Begin the neighborhood naming process in order to prepare for the city-wide council system of neighborhood councils.
?· Develop and present information so that neighborhood residents are more informed of new developments that impact their daily life activities.
?· Develop an extensive volunteer database.
?· Activate and utilize the existing Computer Center at the Constituent Service Center to reduce the digital divide.
?· Work to increase capacity to serve southeast neighborhood need to address interests..