CHANGE has agenda to aid communities

Group rolls out goals for the year at meeting

By: Mary Giunca | JOURNAL REPORTER
Published: November 02, 2009

In the midst of an economic downtown, the community must keep tackling tough problems, even when conventional wisdom says it can't be done, leaders of a local community organizing group told its delegates yesterday.

CHANGE, which stands for Communities Helping All Neighbors Gain Empowerment, presented a new agenda at its fall community assembly at Union Baptist Church.

Organization officials said they plan to work on preventing foreclosures, improving minority contracting rates, making sure the city has a plan in place for disasters and emergencies and assuring that students in local schools get the support they need to learn, graduate and become productive citizens.

Over 1,000 people, representing 53 dues-paying congregations, neighborhood associations and other interested groups attended the meeting. Mayor Allen Joines and a number of current city council members and candidates were also there.

During the meeting, a CHANGE member described the pitiful conditions at a temporary shelter after a fire at Alder's Point, an elderly apartment complex, displaced 97.

CHANGE members asked that elected officials reconstitute a local chapter of National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, which promotes collaboration between community agencies when disasters happen. CHANGE leaders said there had once been such a group in place locally..

They also called on the city to increase its goals for hiring minority contractors on construction projects.

A CHANGE team showed photos of foreclosed homes in the area now owned by banks.

Many of them were dilapidated.

Tami Hinton, a representative of Joe Smith, the N.C. Commissioner of Banks, said at the meeting that Smith would work with CHANGE to get banks to take care of the foreclosed houses they own, put them up for sale and get them into the hands of people who will live there.

During yesterday's assembly, all parents, grandparents and caregivers of children in attendance were asked to stand and take an oath committing at least 30 minutes, five days a week, to talk, tutor and read to their child.

"The pot has been stirred," the Rev. Darryl Aaron of First Baptist Church on Highland Avenue, said in closing remarks. "Our complaints are justifiable and our hope is undeniable."

mgiunca@wsjournal.com.

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