The COVID-19 pandemic is challenging communities like never before. It also reminds us that we are all in this struggle together. This powerful message reminds us that we can and must be there for each other. Rev. Carl Pointer is a board member of Renaissance Heights United, a neighborhood-based revitalization effort in Fort Worth, Texas. Bringing lasting, meaningful change to a community requires thoughtful design, collaborative engagement and deliberate execution. Watch
The COVID-19 pandemic is laying bare the stark inequities and inequality in our country in a very powerful way. People who live in low-income communities are facing unique challenges and falling ill and dying at disproportionate rates. Leaders in the Purpose Built Communities network are on the front lines of providing help for their neighborhoods and have had to adapt as circumstances evolve quickly, just like the rest of the world. … Continue Reading →
Building from a rich history, community quarterback AmplifyGR is driving change with a holistic approach to neighborhood revitalization. Working in partnership with residents and a host of organizations, AmplifyGR is focused on cradle-to-college education opportunities, community wellbeing resources, mixed-income housing and economic development. Watch this great video to get to know this community and meet some of the people who are working to make it stronger than ever. Watch
LIFT Orlando is the community quarterback for the Communities of West Lakes, an area adjacent to Camping World Stadium and a stone’s throw from Downtown Orlando. Learn how LIFT Orlando and its partners are working together to implement the Purpose Built Communities model of neighborhood revitalization, and hear about their exciting progress in the areas of housing, education and community wellness. Watch
A community of partners came together in 2019 to break ground for the KIPP Woodson Park Academy, a YMCA Early Learning Center and a school-based health clinic. This historic, $51 million investment in the Grove Park neighborhood represents the first major step in a series of investments in the health, arts and affordability in the Grove Park neighborhood intended to boost health, equity, affordability, and economic mobility. As part of this new campus, the YMCA of Metro Atlanta is investing in both the education and the health of the neighborhood by building a new early learning center that will serve 65-90 students ages 0-6. A co-located, school-based health care center, funded by both the YMCA and Grove Park Foundation, will ensure that the children served on the campus and their families receive critical services that will support their ability to achieve their highest potential. … Continue Reading →
While the Purpose Built Communities model for holistic neighborhood revitalization provides a helpful guide, it also proves there is hope that building healthy and thriving neighborhoods is possible. Hear more about Purpose Built Communities’ hopeful vision from Bill Barnet, Chairman of the Board of the Northside Development Group, the Purpose Built Communities network member in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Watch
Building racial, social and health equity in communities of concentrated poverty is not an unrealistic dream - it's happening in real-time across the Purpose Built Communities network. A group of thoughtful leaders from diverse backgrounds in different cities have moved from talking to leading with equity.
Michelle Matthews, Senior Vice President at Purpose Built Communities, moderated a discussion in Orlando in 2018 with the first cohort of Equity Ambassadors - Kia Baker of the Southeast Raleigh Promise, Kirk Wester of Growing Together in Tulsa, Danny Shoy of the East Lake Foundation in Atlanta, and Sally Mackin of Woodlawn United in Birmingham. Listen
Neighborhood revitalization can be a daunting task. With many moving parts and interrelations within the community, it can be difficult for engaged and passionate people to know how to begin. The Purpose Built Communities model provides direction on how to both understand and address the root causes of concentrated poverty. Hear about why this model makes all the difference from Reverend Carl Pointer, a member of the United Communities Association of South Fort Worth, a partner with Purpose Built Communities Network member Renaissance Heights United in Fort Worth, Texas. Watch
Those of us who are in the business of creating healthier neighborhoods know that it requires a comprehensive approach. The Build Healthy Places Network (BHPN) convened several organizations around the country, including Purpose Built Communities, to create its “Principles for Building Healthy and Prosperous Communities.” … Continue Reading →
The Villages of East Lake in Atlanta is one of six community development projects from around the country that are included as exemplars of “health-promoting housing.” … Continue Reading →
