Grassroots & Groundwork

2006 Break-Out Sessions

We won’t be able to announce our 2008 Break-Out Sessions until the end of 2007. In the meantime, we thought it might be helpful to list our 2006 sessions to give you a better idea of the types of models we showcased.

1. CHANGING LIVES: PORTLAND’S ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY INITIATIVE
Bureau of Housing and Community Development–Portland, OR
In its first year, the Economic Opportunity Initiative helped 500 Portland residents progress out of poverty. In the next two years, the Initiative is poised to help an additional 1,500 residents increase their incomes by 25 percent by providing comprehensive support services such as life coaching, housing, health care, child care, transportation and practical job training.

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2. CITIZENSHIP VOTER AND TRAINING SCHOOL (CIVITAS)
Coalition of African, Arab, Asian, European and Latino Immigrants of Illinois (CAAAELII)–Chicago, IL
Twenty community-based organizations in Chicago join forces as CAAAELII to provide civics education and leadership development to immigrants and refugee families. CAAELII established CIVITAS to address the growing need within immigrant communities to respond to community and national immigration issues within the context of a growing immigrant rights movement. The focus of CIVITAS is quality (to develop the social consciousness of participants) over quantity (mere turnout at events).

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3. COMMUNITY WEAVING
Family Support Network, International–Bothell, WA
Community Weaving is a social change methodology that incorporates Web-based technology to weave the human and tangible resources of the grassroots with the knowledge and skills of formal systems. The approach engages people to take responsibility for what they care about to create a more caring, just and civil society. Four implementation approaches are available.

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4. CULTIVATING THE COMMUNITY BASE
Sembrando CEDC & Azteca Community Loan Fund (ACLF)–San Juan, TX
For the sustained health and well-being of colonial families in rural South Texas, Sembrando uses a community-based strategy that’s interwoven with an array of social service programs and economic development issues. This model is rooted in the belief that members of a low-income community have the responsibility and obligation to organize themselves, and that through their association they can begin to advocate for solutions to the issues that impact their lives.

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5. CULTURALLY RELEVANT AND INCLUSIVE PRACTICE IN COMMUNITY PLANNING
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Reservation–Eagle Butte, SD
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Reservation–Bellacourt, ND
Lummi Nation Reservation–Bellingham, WA
In developing a 10-year strategic plan to reduce poverty and increase prosperity in their respective communities, these three Indian nation reservations have worked tirelessly to involve and share leadership with all stakeholders of their reservations and surrounding communities. Their unique processes open doors to, and connect, those members traditionally excluded from decision making. Through their efforts, they expect to see increased employment and business ownership, reduced dependence on social security and welfare programs, and improved academic performance.

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6. DELTA BRIDGE PROJECT
Southern Financial Partners–Helena, AR
Based on the idea that effective community development is locally initiated, planned and implemented, the Delta Bridge Project is guided by a community-developed strategic plan and seeks to integrate and coordinate local development programs with each other, and ultimately with foundation, state, regional and federal resources.

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7. EMERGING MARKETS HOMEOWNERSHIP INITIATIVE (EMHI)
Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Minnesota Housing Finance Agency & Fannie Mae Minnesota Community Business Center–Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN
The EMHI outlines 12 strategies to increase home ownership among Minnesota’s communities of color. Home ownership is the primary asset development tool (as opposed to stock ownership or savings) for low- and moderate-income households; arming Minnesota’s minorities with successful home ownership will strengthen the state’s social and economic fabric.

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8. THE FAIRNESS INITIATIVE ON LOW-WAGE WORK
Communications Consortium Media Center (CCMC)–Washington, D.C.
This multiyear project seeks to coordinate messages on low-wage work issues on behalf of communities seeking to use the media as a megaphone to reach the public and policy-makers with new research and emerging initiatives. CCMC and the Initiative shape credible, easily understood messages.

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9. FAMILIES FORWARD: A SERVICE MODEL FOR ADVANCING LOW-WAGE WORKERS
Wilder Research–St. Paul, MN
The Families Forward initiative focuses on people who are already working but who, with additional training or support, could increase their wages, job stability and future earning prospects. On average, participants experience at least a 22 percent income increase. This initiative points to the strength of workforce programs that operate from an intermediary position, serving workers and employers.

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10. HAWAII ASSET POLICY INITIATIVE
Hawaii Alliance for Community-Based Economic Development (HACBED), Honolulu, HI
 HACBED works to support social and economic justice through community-based economic development. They provide training and technical assistance services ranging from business planning to organizational assessments. HACBED also attempts to organize communities, and the organizations within those communities, to have a greater voice in policy discussions.

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11. INTERFAITH PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCACY NETWORKS
Joint Religious Legislative Coalition (JRLC)–Minneapolis, MN
Churches United in Ministry (CHUM)–Duluth, MN
As social justice advocates, JRLC and CHUM know how to construct an agenda across diverse faith communities, how to activate citizens from faith communities to act in the public arena, and how to enlist charity-based volunteers for justice work – creating a powerful, effective network of citizens who can influence state and local decisions to gain benefits and economic security for people who struggle with poverty.

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12. MAKING GREAT STRIDES
Northwest Area Foundation–St. Paul, MN
 This year, the Foundation provided a $100,000 “reward” to each of four communities because of significant progress in long-term poverty reduction. Each community has 10+ years of experience to share: Illinois Valley Community Development Corporation, Cave Junction, OR; Dayton Chamber of Commerce, Dayton, WA; Lemhi & North Custer County Economic Development, Salmon, ID; and Wallowa Resources, Enterprise, OR.

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13. MICROENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT
Enterprise for Equity–Olympia, WA
 Enterprise for Equity ensures that low-income people in the South Puget Sound region – single parents, people with physical and/or mental disabilities, formerly homeless people, low-wage workers, underemployed, and others who want to increase their income through self-employment – learn the 10 essential financial literacy tools and have access to training, technical assistance, support and credit for small business development.

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14. PROSPEROUS COMMUNITIES, PROSPEROUS NATION (PCPN)
Future Search Network–Philadelphia, PA
 PCPN uses Future Search, a face-to-face engagement strategy that enables a community to get the “whole system” together to discover shared history, meaning and future aspirations – common ground – and to create practical plans that the community supports and commits to implementing. This approach is proven to result in a whole-system collaborative vision, more focused goals and actions, better use of a broader array of community resources and greater commitment by a range of stakeholders to implement the plans they created. The program also provides communities with a unique opportunity to influence national policy, based on the work they do locally.

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15. SEEDING ECONOMIES
Michigan State University–East Lansing, MI
Eaters Guild–Bangor, MI
Seeding Economies addresses food insecurity among lower-income populations, as well as the loss of community agriculture – a mainstay of rural Michigan. The model is both knowledge- and practice-based, using a local team approach to address food access and availability, and stimulating food supply and demand through a community food system process.

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16. SUPPORTIVE HOUSING: ENDING LONG-TERM HOMELESSNESS
Hearth Connection–Minneapolis, MN
 Hearth Connection removes barriers in mainstream programs so extremely poor single adults and families with children can move into housing and along a path of recovery and self-reliance. Many of the adults assisted by Hearth Connection have dual struggles with ongoing homelessness and co-occurring mental illness and chemical dependency. Within the first six months of enrollment, 75 percent of participating households obtain permanent housing; by 18 months, 92 percent do.

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17. WHO DECIDES, WHO BENEFITS? THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT AGREEMENT AND EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT PRACTICES
Alliance for Metropolitan Stability–Minneapolis, MN
 Countless opportunities are lost to tie urban redevelopment investments to measurable community benefits that link development goals to racial and economic equity issues. The Alliance is working with community groups to organize and demand better public outcomes from development activities, and to insist that low-income people and communities of color have a strong voice when land-use and development decisions are made.

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18. WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS: BUSINESSES JOIN NONPROFITS TO COMBAT POVERTY
Multi Service Center (MSC)–Federal Way, WA
 MSC helps low-income people progress toward self-sufficiency by combining basic services (food bank, energy assistance, affordable housing) with developmental programs (education, family financial, employment services). Recently, the focus has been on improving employment opportunities and retention as the best route to long-term poverty reduction. Communities benefit from greater economic vitality and decreased reliance on taxpayer-funded economic subsidies.

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