Tag Archives: community development

Here’s my old college roommate

Wendy Plump:

The maps encompass homes and small businesses, the D&R Canal, boarded up buildings and empty lots, and much that is blighted and run down. This is the home turf for a dream [Rev. Darrell] Armstrong has. It’s a big one, and it’s going to need the help of his 2,000-plus congregation and a whole lot more besides.

He wants to build a “church campus” with Shiloh at its close-knit center, a shelter of homes, businesses and programs that provide a sense of belonging to the families in his congregation.

It’s a dream Armstrong plans to evangelize throughout Trenton and the country, and, if he has his way, a patchwork salvation for what he sees as one of the biggest problems facing this country — broken families with no sense of a broader community.

“We bought that piece of property, we bought a property on this street, we bought what used to be a bar along the greenway,” says Armstrong, pointing out the parcels. “I want to create a campus environment that says, ‘We’re gonna’ change this community house by house, block by block.’

via Shiloh Baptist leader hopes ‘church campus’ will foster community in Trenton | NJ.com.

LINC is seeking a Business Coach

[ Listing below is from Grand Rapids, Mich. based LINC Community Revitalization ]

LINC Community Revitalization, Inc. is seeking a Business Coach.

General description:   LINC Opportunity Center provides a supportive and resource rich environment for low and middle-income individuals, families and business owners.  Clients are able to access employment/career advancement opportunities, income supports, financial tools, services, and access to business resources. Through a new outreach approach, coaching, and a set of bundled services, they help clients reach economic stability and their personal goals.

As a coach, you are also responsible for assisting clients with a wide range of services including, but not limited to: budget counseling, money management, financial literacy, proprietor mediation, tenant issues, proprietor issues, homeownership, foreclosure prevention, GED teaching, language barriers, fair housing, discrimination, career/workforce development and business/business related-services. Opportunity coaches will be the front-line contact team for all individual clients.

Duties:

  • Provide services to clients: walk-ins, phone clients, referrals, and others seeking services
  • Build relationships with individual clients, entrepreneurs, prospective business owners and community partners
  • Identify emerging and expanding business markets and trends
  • Assist every client develop a success plan
  • Provide one-on-one counseling/coaching and case management as a part of LINC’s Opportunity Center Services: assessing financial situations and helping clients develop realistic business goals with focus on spending, savings and debt management plans, improving and building credit, developing emergency plans and building assets (retirement, education, housing, etc.)
  • Provide group counseling/coaching
  • Develop, maintain, coordinate and schedule financial education and business-related courses
  • Work in conjunction with LISC AmeriCorps member to deliver income support services, create and review budgets, and assist participants in acquiring benefit(s)
  • Manage outcome-tracking system through Efforts To Outcomes (ETO), Counselor Max, and HOME LINKS databases while maintaining client files according to grant requirements, HUD, MSHDA, and organizational standards
  • Utilize in-house tracking tools/system (Quick-base) in order to maintain linear processes according to program service flow
  • Input client financial data at baseline and required follow-up intervals (Quickbooks/Quicken)
  • Collaborate within team meeting to reach department goals as established by Co-Executive Directors and Department Heads, complete various program requirements, provide feedback, and program updates as necessary (5 new clients monthly; 150 clients annually—all goals subject to change)
  • Provide sound business recommendations
  • Ability to discuss/strategic and financial issues of business
  • Provide appropriate referrals to clients seeking services and information about business start-up
  • Propose ideas and methods to expand business scope in markets
  • Provide brief, in-depth, short- and long-term counseling
  • Work closely with Economic Development Director
  • Tasks as assigned
  • Provide regular program and department updates during meetings (in written form upon request)
  • Partner/collaborate with other agencies to provide quality referrals, information and services
  • Partner/collaborate with other departments/teams to deliver quality programs
  • Receive and make referrals to/from other departments/team members and share agency/program information as needed
  • Be an effective and involved team member by developing and implanting team driven solutions.

Skills:

  • Positive, effective written and oral communication skills including public speaking and written reporting
  • Work with a diverse, multi-cultural population
  • Promote LINC/LINC Resident Services projects
  • Problem solver and self-starter, who demonstrates the ability to adjust and adapt quickly
  • Able to handle multiple assignments while maintaining a good level of organization, attention to detail and time management
  • Analytical/problem solving skills
  • Effective verbal/presentation/listening and written communication skills
  • Excellent computer skills (all Microsoft apps/excel, spreadsheets, project)

Qualifications:

  • At least 1 year of counseling experience
  • Strong computer skills (MS Office applications)
  • Experience in Business Management, Project Management, or other business-related field
  • Financial counseling certification a plus
  • Bi-Lingual with Spanish a plus (Oral & Written)
  • Familiar with non-profit work
  • Able to work flexible schedule (some evening and monthly)
  • Teaching experience a plus

Benefits: Full-time 8:30pm-5:30pm Occasional evenings/weekends, $25,000-$35,000 depending on experience.

To apply, email resumes@lincrev.org, attention: Human Resources c/o Venessa Remo or mail/drop off to 1167 Madison Avenue S.E. Grand Rapids, MI 49507.

No calls please.

Nehemiah reports on a grant

The book of Nehemiah reads like a grant report. What do you think? Nehemiah used the skills and methods of a community development slash social entrepreneur with a large grant to get a wall built and Jerusalem back on track. The issue is that the wall around the city of Jerusalem lies in ruins. Rebuilding the wall will remove the disgrace of the Jewish people. (Neh. 2:17)

Process:

  1. Nehemiah identified the need (Neh. 1:3)
  2. Nehemiah affirmed a vision (Neh. 2:4-5)
  3. Nehemiah sought partners (Neh. 2:16-18)
  4. Nehemiah approached regulators and funders for support (Neh. 2:1-9)
  5. Nehemiah secured resources (timber for the walls and buildings) (Neh. 2:8)
  6. Nehemiah won the support of the authorities/officials (the King) (Neh. 2:6)
  7. More resources (escort, security, legitimacy from army and cavalry) (Neh. 2:9)
  8. Developed a plan with a timetable (Neh. 2:6)
  9. “Exegeted the community,” i.e. made personal assessment of the need (Neh. 2:12-15)
  10. Gathered community leaders, won community buy-in, and secured project partners (Neh. 2:16-18)
  11. Project management: Divided up the work among partners (Neh. 3, all)
  12. Project management: Addressed external threats (enemies) (Neh. 4, all)
  13. Project management: Addressed internal challenges (usury) (Neh. 5, all)
  14. Was brave and courageous when faced with a threat to his person (Neh. 6:10-13)
  15. Completed the project in 52 days (Neh. 6:15)
  16. Addressed sustainability of the wall by addressing root causes: The root cause was the disobedience of the Israelites and their failure to follow the Law of Moses (Neh. 1:5-11)
  17. Held a public reading of the new (old) contract (Neh. 8, all)
  18. Secured a public agreement from the people to follow the contract (Neh. 9-10, both, all)
  19. Set up leadership to follow through on the new agreement (Neh. 7:2; ch.s 11-12)
  20. Returned to his previous work, leaving the indigenous leadership in charge (Neh. 13:6)
  21. Came back to Jerusalem to assess the progress of the “root causes” section of the overall project (Neh. 13:6-7)
  22. Got the project “back on the track” by addressing sustainability (Neh. 13, all)
  23. Back on track: throws out Tobiah from the Temple (Neh. 13:7-9)
  24. Back on track: gets the tithe to the Levites (paying the priests/clergy) (Neh. 13:10-13)
  25. Back on track: reboot on honoring the Sabbath (Neh. 13: 15-22)
  26. Back on track: dealing with intermarriage (Neh. 13: 23-28)

The entire book reads like a report on a grant. But the report is not to some foundation, nor to the King, but to God.