NeighborWorks Week this year looks different than usual. For many network organizations, the week dedicated to service and community celebration went virtual, as community residents remained physically distant from one another due to COVID-19. Communities turned their attentions to social justice, while at the same time, focusing on community building and community connection. Some organizations postponed activities. Others followed through with planned events.
Christiansburg, Virginia
Virginia-based Community Housing Partners (CHP) is continuing to move ahead with CHP Reads!, a summer reading campaign held at selected multifamily properties CHP owns and manages. The campaign's objective is to address the academic regression experienced by students over the summer – what many refer to as "the summer slide."
In the past, the campaign included book fairs, stocking lending libraries and summer reading programs. Last year, CHP, which serves families across the Southeast and mid-Atlantic, hosted multiple reading events to coincide with NeighborWorks Week. That was the original plan for 2020 as well, says Kristie Lowry, CHP's resource development and evaluation coordinator.
"CHP Reads! is critical for many reasons this year beyond combatting the typical learning loss our youth experience over the summer," says Tiffany Slusher, CHP's resident services director of programs. "With limited opportunities to engage with their peers and nonfamily members, CHP Reads! will provide opportunities for purposeful individual interactions while sharing the common experience of reading."
Slusher says book distributions will be individualized and "provide something consistent and positive." The hope, she says, is to replace a gap where lack of technology and isolation meet and to create lifelong readers.
"We have always been focused on providing diverse books to our kids, and recent events have reinforced to us the importance of allowing kids to see themselves in a positive light in the books that they read," Lowry says. "It's also incredibly important for kids of all races to gain a better understanding of one another, and books can help that happen."
Austin, Texas
In Austin, BCL of Texas had planned months ago to focus on homeownership, one of its core missions. They decided to continue with that plan.In past years, they've celebrated NeighborWorks Week with a homebuyer fair. This year, they'll be hosting virtual classes for current and future homeowners. "The focus is going to be: If you're thinking about buying a home during this time, what's the same?" says Lindsay Ignatowski, communications coordinator for BCL. "What's different? What do you need to be thinking about as you go on this homeownership journey?"
The first class was offered the week of June 9, and more classes will be offered later in June, extending through homeownership month. BCL decided on the classes after surveying its network to see what people wanted to know more about. Overwhelmingly, BCL customers wanted to know more about credit and homebuying. In addition, BCL of Texas will offer a class on mortgage modifications to provide relief options to those who are facing financial challenges. Meanwhile, they're continuing the coaching and counseling for businesses and homeowners that became virtual in March, when the government issued the stay-at-home orders connected with COVID.
Two of their classes for this month filled up immediately, and they expanded the registration maximum. "We're seeing that there is still strong demand for information about homeownership, and we're happy to be able to provide virtual classes to reach our audience," Ignatowski says.
Since mid-March, BCL has provided personal, one-on-one coaching to more than 40 people and 168 small businesses to help them navigate changing financial situations caused by the shutdowns. BCL has also worked with cities to provide local loan funds and has made over $1 million in funding available to small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program.
At the same time, BCL of Texas recognizes the importance of economic opportunity in promoting racial justice and is focused on neighborhood resilience and solidarity. The organization has worked with Prosperity Now on their Closing the Racial Wealth Gap initiative since 2018, but has been doing the work for much longer. "BCL has always focused on providing asset-building opportunities, including financial coaching, homeownership and small business programming," Ignatowski says. "Our Diversity Fund, for example, provides loans for growing minority-owned businesses that may not have access to traditional sources of capital."
Rosa Rios Valdez, BCL's CEO, reflected on recent events in a blogpost, saying. "I am committed more than ever to advocate economic inclusion and social change."
Rios Valdez says BCL will remain focused on closing the economic disparity gap of African American and Latino families. The organization will continue to provide affordable capital to small minority businesses and help families of color build assets and emergency savings, Valdez says. "BCL must stand strong together and work harder for a promise of racial and economic equality."
During NeighborWorks Week, organizations celebrate homeownership, neighborhoods and communities. "This is a really wonderful time to say that we know we're going through a lot right now, but we're still here," says Ignatowski. "We're still pursuing our American dream."
Editor's Note: During this nontraditional NeighborWorks Week, where we won't have our usual in-person events and activities, we are reflecting on the power of unity and resilience that our communities strive for daily. We are heartened to see that same strength and power driving calls for change and justice. We build on the legacy of giants and innovators who sought to galvanize the collective power of public-private partnerships to ensure that communities were not erased or forgotten. In 2020, as our country responds to the impacts of COVID-19 and cries out in social justice protests, we are grateful to stand with partners who are committed to ensuring housing security, community stability and consumer financial health.
