Community Change Award Honorees
NJ BIC Community Change Award Honorees
2011 NJBIC COMMUNITY CHANGE AWARDS CHAIRMAN’S SELECTIONS
CATEGORY: HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
CANDIDATE: HARVEST OF HOPE –
“Harvesting Permanent Homes for Children”
A Licensed Adoption Agency incorporated through the First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens
Began on October 1, 2006 due to New Jersey’s foster care needs where over 5,000 children are waiting to be adopted in New Jersey alone, most being African-American. There is a need for adoptive homes for children who are considered hard to place, and are often not considered by prospective parents. These children are sometimes medically or emotionally fragile, have severe developmental delays, or are 9 years old or older. Harvest of Hope has partnered with the State to meet the urgent need by recruiting, training and supporting families who will provide permanent homes for children.
Since its inception, Harvest of Hope has recruited over 285 families and they have become approved foster homes. Likewise, 490 children have been placed in temporary foster care, and 134 families have adopted 194 children. Participating foster parents have an 85% retention rate.
CATEGORY: LAW, JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY
CANDIDATE: Voices of Change and Liberation V.O.C.A.L. Coalition (Projects - Empowerment of Street Gangs Committee, Newark Anti Violence Street Shut downs, Mothers of Murdered Sons (MOMS)
V.O.C.A.L. is a coalition of grassroots organizations (i.e. Newark Anti- Violence Coalition, Women in Support of the Million Man March, WISOMMM, People's Organization for Progress (POP), Mothers of Murdered Sons (MOMS), Nation of Islam - local Mosque-- just to name a few ) individuals, elders, lawyers, NAACP - Newark Chapter, Metropolitan Baptist Church, KISSFM Open line Program, Street Doctor and etc..
Although the V.O.C.A.L. COALTION is only six months old, V.O.C.A.L. is involved in major and comprehensive projects; the first involves the Newark Anti-Violence Coalition's street shut downs over the last year and half (They began prior to the existence of VOCAL).
Another project that has been integrated into VOCAL is MOMs. The relationship is the result of a presentation during the community Call to Action by women who lost their son's to unnecessary street violence and feel that the Office of the Essex County Prosecutor has not been as responsive to them as they may be to those in economically wealthier communities and/of another racial persuasion.
V.O.C.A.L./VOCAL is also engaged in the UHURU Film Forum/Discussion Session. It is held the second Friday every month at Metropolitans Baptist Church's (MBC) Willing Heart Care Center, located in the heart of the Newark, New Jersey's Central Ward.
Lastly, VOCAL produces a community newsletter that is e-mailed to anyone requesting it. It contains lists of reliable press outlets, recommended books, vocabulary of government, politics and law that every citizen should know, among other information.
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CATEGORY: EDUCATION
CANDIDATE: SEED YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
E E Jenkins Ministries’ Servants Endeavoring to Empower and Develop (SEED) Male Mentoring Program is hosting a 5-week program to encourage youth between the ages of 13 and 17 to practice good manners. The program is designed to provide workshops to promote social skills. The workshop topics include:
Ø Manners
Ø Kindness
Ø Communication : verbal, non-verbal and appropriate conversation
Ø Respect: for self and others
Ø Individuality
Ø Etiquette: social and table etiquette
Ø Volunteerism
Once the participants have completed the workshops, they will create a script to demonstrate what they have learned from the workshops and showcase their knowledge and abilities through a community performance entitled “10 Commandments of God Manners”.
CATEGORY: ECONOMIC SECURITY AND OPPORTUNITY
CANDIDATE: WOMEN BUILD WOMEN BUILD PROGRAM– TRAINING WOMEN IN NON-TRADITIONAL EMPLOYMENT
The “Women Build Program” is a skilled-trades work opportunity initiative, specifically designed for women and ex-offenders in Essex and Camden counties. The Hispanic Family Center, in Camden, and the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, in Newark, will work together to assist each other in the accomplishment of the goals of the program. The 18-month pilot program will provide a unique opportunity for a collaborative effort between a number of state agencies, including NJ State Parole Board, NJ Department of Corrections, NJ Office of the Attorney General, and NJ Labor and Workforce Development.
NJISJ will recruit and train a minimum of 32 women (of which 60% will be female ex-offenders) in the greater-Newark/Essex County area. The program will run for 8 weeks. A minimum of 30 women will graduate from the training program, and 25 of those will be placed in long term employment in the construction or environmental remediation industry.
CCA 09/26/11
2010
Teen Sharp
The TeenSharp program develops youth that are SHARP (Successful in High-Achieving and Reaching their Potential) and ready to serve as thought leaders in a globalized world. The program equips youth with the skills, knowledge, and high standards necessary for leadership and academic success.
SHARE Network Access Points
The Access Point Model consists of a faith-based or community based organization where people can go in their community or neighborhood
To look for jobs, assisted by trained individuals who connect them to the One-Stop Career Center system via computer by direct referrals.
Education for the 21st Century
The target population being served by Education for the 21st Century (EY2K) is youth aged 5 – 13 years old who reside in the upper West Side Park of the Central Ward of the City of Newark. During the agency’s twelve-year history, over five hundred (500) youth have participated in the Education for the 21st Century’s (EY2K) Saturday comprehensive, academic enrichment program.
Dress for Success / Food Distribution of Nutritional Value
We have collaborated with the Clothing Pantry and other service agencies to offer clothing to residents of the Public Housing Self-Sufficiency Program to receive clothing monthly for their needs. The PHFSS developed a collaborative partnership with the Community Food Bank of New Jersey and the Richmond Towers Resident Association to provide nutritional food boxes for both sites to reduce hunger and address healthy eating habits.
Christopher’s Program
A new innovative partnership with the Union County Court System, Christopher’s Program consists of a multi-faceted, comprehensive, long-term interactive therapeutic program dealing exclusively with the issue of gangs and youth violence, dedicated to enhancing community awareness and decreasing incidents of youth violence.
2009
Youth Build Newark
Youth Build Newark (YBN) is a youth and community development program serving at-risk youth and young adults ages 16 - 24, most of whom are out-of-school, re-entry and/or gang-affiliated. It’s mission is to harness the intelligence and positive energy of low-income young people to rebuild their community and their lives. YBN has thoughtfully developed a network of resource development and community partners that help it to fulfill its mission.
East Orange General Hospital – Essex Valley Supportive Housing
The project helps individuals with mental illness to maintain independent, affordable housing and reduce the cycle of evictions, hospitalizations and homelessness, promote positive feelings of self-worth, and achieve independent living within their community
Plainfield Public Library – Diversity Studies Collection
The scope and materials (such as journals, oral histories, photographs, and books) in Plainfield’s Diversity Studies Collection on African-American culture and history emphasize the community of Plainfield, but New Jersey and American histories are included to place local issues in historical context.
Camden County College, and National Coalition of 100 Black Women – Southern New Jersey Chapter
EDGE - Education + Development + Growth + Endeavor: Working Together to Give an EDGE. EDGE encompasses tutoring, workshops, and mentoring to assist at-risk female college students at Camden County College as they work to accomplish their goals.
2008
New Jersey Sharing Network - “Life’s For Sharing..Pass It On”
This project grew out of the need to educate and bring awareness to minority and urban communities about organ and tissue donation awareness and the benefits of healthy living. Their mission is to promote and provide the awareness and education essential for these communities to better understand disease prevention, and the benefits of organ donation and transplantation.
Southern Jersey Family Medical Centers, Inc. – “I Know It!”
This multicultural sex education program designed to increase awareness and improve outcomes relating to birth control methods and sexually transmitted diseases among teens and young adults in the southern New Jersey region.
New Jersey Education Association – “FAST: Families and Schools Together Work For Children
FAST was created with the belief that children attain greater school success when families are involved. NJEA members work on a voluntary basis within community partnerships to provide a wide-range of programs that actively engage families in their children’s schooling and build relationships throughout the community to support public education
The Links: Raritan Valley Chapter - “Project HealthLinks”
The purpose of this program is to expose middle school students to career options in the healthcare field, to inform them of critical issues in healthcare that impact their communities, and to encourage them to become advocates for healthy lifestyles
Abbott Leadership Institute
With start–up funds from the Schumann Fund for New Jersey, youth from the NJ UYRI conducted interviews, collected data, assessed the capacity of schools throughout three major urban communities to satisfy graduation requirements, and documented state-wide perceptions and evaluations of the new graduation requirements
Tomowo, Inc. – “Striver’s Row”
This project was created to be the best free website in the world for young adults to discover role models & mentors from across the African Diaspora to combat the overwhelming negative media images of people of African descent in the media.
Noble – Noble Youth Initiative
Five day summer program held in a hotel environment. Notable speakers present topics including self-esteem, sex, gang awareness, money management, and SAT prep to 150-20 youth from urban centers who are from 13 to 18 years old.
