Our Stories of Empowerment and Change
The Catholic Campaign for Human Development strives to build meaningful and sustainable relationships with the men and women of community organizations making differences in our communities. To hear the testimonies and stories of these groups is truly inspirational and calls us all toward greater participation in the work of justice and peace.
Re sidents of P ublic H ousing in R ichmond A gainst M ass E viction (Re-PHRAME)
| RePHRAME’s first major event, The
Community Forum on Public Housing Redevelopment in September of 2008. |
Devoted to preserving and expanding
affordable housing options for low-income Richmonders, Re-PHRAME
held its first major event, the Community Forum on Public Housing
Redevelopment in September of 2008. At this event, a panel of
public housing resident leaders and RePHRAME partner representatives
presented their concerns to a diverse audience of over 150
attendees. Following the panel, candidates for mayor and city
council of Richmond were asked to make public commitments to 1-for-1
replacement, the right to return, and a meeting with RePHRAME
leaders after taking office. All of the mayoral candidates said
“yes” to all three commitments including soon-to-be Mayor Dwight
Jones.
RePHRAME leaders meet with Mayor Jones of Richmond
Soon after Mayor Jones took office, RePHRAME contacted his office to
set up the follow-up meeting to which he committed in September.
On March 26, twenty RePHRAME leaders met with Mayor Jones and asked
him to make further commitments. At this meeting, he
reiterated his commitment to 1-for-1 replacement of any public
housing units demolished or sold off in the redevelopment process.
He also committed to working with RePHRAME to (a) hold a community
meeting on the subject of redevelopment in Gilpin Court , and (b)
increase the number of public housing residents on the Richmond
Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) Board of Commissioners
from one to three.
In addition to these major public meetings with public officials,
RePHRAME has conducted weekly information sessions in the Gilpin
Court community, and organized numerous door-to-door canvassing
efforts to engage new resident leaders. So far, RePHRAME has
trained 20 door-to-door canvassers; provided information to over 500
Gilpin Court households, and engaged 150 residents in 1-on-1
conversations, petition drives, and meetings.
Richmond Peace Education Center
"Richmond Youth Peace Project encourages youth to take a lead role with their peers in finding ways to settle disputes peacefully. Through their experiences in RYPP, they develop new personal habits handling conflict in their interaction with others, and new skills as they take leadership roles with younger children and their peers.
"RPEC seeks to provide youth leaders with opportunities to develop their own creative voices to express and communicate their perspectives, their lives and their communities, through spoken word, poetry and other forms of personal creative expression."
-- Adria Scharf
Youth participants of Richmond Youth Peach Project
Virginia Black Lung Association
Vince and Marilyn Carroll, Cynthia Anderson, Calvin Dunford and Virginia Brown. Five of the founding members of the VBLA celebrating their 15th anniversary."In 1989 I became involved in the VBLA as a volunteer. My involvement was two-fold -- I needed the 'clinical work' for my legal assistant classes and since my husband was a coal miner, I knew that were he to ever receive black lung benefits, we needed to work for changing the black lung regulations. Quite frankly, at the beginning, my motivation was self-serving!
However, 19 years later, I am still here. It became my passion and my mission to 'work' for better safety in the mines, more equitable black lung laws, and a support system for disabled coal miners."
"Without funding from CCHD, both at the local and national level, the VBLA would not have been able to keep the office open five days a week, nor provide funds for four staff people during the early nineties, when the VBLA was lobbying in Washington, D.C. for more equitable black lung legislation. Frankly, the support of CCHD was the keystone that strengthened and supported the VBLA that has enabled us to continue as a self-help organization these twenty years! Words will never be enough to convey our appreciation to CCHD for their generous support in our 'early years'!"
-- Sparkle Bonds
The Clinch Coalition
TCC monitors and works to prevent proposed and existing timber sales in the National Forest around High Knob.
"Our outreach, organizing and publicity efforts are aimed at increasing interest, concern, and appreciation within out communities for our forests and mountains. Part of this is about shifting values and perceptions, helping mountain people see that it is possible to have a healthy environment and healthy economy, despite our history of resource and human exploitation. We also set an example and give an opportunity to people who may have never felt politically empowered before to have a voice and play a role in this work."
Volunteers collect water sampling from Tom's Creek.
Appalachian Women's Alliance
Members of AWA in front of the organization’s Clinchco Center
"We are teaching and motivating folks to reflect upon and analyze their own situation, put it in a larger context, see it in terms of the entire community and then do something about it. We are empowering abused women and building young leaders. We are giving folks the knowledge and resources necessary to participate in the political system in which they live."
-- Member, Appalachian Women's Alliance
"I'm 51 years old and this is the first time I've ever voted. No one has ever actually talked about it here in Clinchco before. But I'm low income and I'm worried about what's happening with Medicare and Social Security. Now I can vote, I'm going to!"
-- Member, Appalachian Women's Alliance
Richmonders Involved in Strengthening our Communities
www.thedartcenter.org/RISC.html
2007 Nehemiah Action
"Through coming together, we build our power and ability to successfully live out God's call found in the words of Micah 6:8 and the words of Jesus in Matthew 23:23. The scripture states what is required of people of faith, "to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God (faithfulness). RISC is an organization that focuses on congregations partnering together in the arena of justice ministry. The model for action that RISC will use is found in the story of Nehemiah and the people of Jerusalem in Nehemiah, chapter five."
- RISC Action Packet (PDF)
- RISC Press Release 4/30/08 (PDF)
- RISC Article 5/13/08 (PDF)
District One Community Action Group
District One Action Group Leaders accept grant check given by Diocesan CCHD Director, Colleen Barranger."The District One Community Action Group vision is to be a catalyst for building solutions to community problems and needs by bringing diverse groups and generations together, developing affordable housing, and attracting skilled jobs to sustain families."