UpDate - Vol. 15, No. 1, Page 9
August 31, 1995
Groups to cooperate in community development

     A series of exciting revitalization programs are being planned
for Wilmington's Southbridge neighborhood thanks to the combined
efforts of the UD's Center for Black Culture and Center for Community
Development and the Wilmington organizations-Neighborhood House and
Public Allies.
     The groups-represented by UD alumni and staff-are joining forces
to develop an ambitious program to promote economic development in
Southbridge and to encourage neighborhood youth to pursue educational
opportunities beyond high school. The Southbridge area is located in
census tract 19. Its boundaries include the Christina River on the
north, the Delaware River on the east, Walnut Street on the west and
Terminal Avenue on the south.
     Plans call for graduate and undergraduate UD students to work
with Neighborhood House youth, as the Center for Community Development
simultaneously focuses on economic development initiatives in
Southbridge. Both projects will be supported by Public Allies, which
will assign an intern to coordinate the work with youth and to set up
and monitor community service projects for the Center for Community
Development.
     The Center for Black Culture's mentoring is a community outreach
component of the campus program, "Each One Reach One." The campus
program, where upperclass students mentor incoming freshmen, was
developed during the 1994-95 school year based on the seven principles
of Kwanzaa and ROADS-an acronym for Responses, Order, Attitude,
Discipline and Spirituality. The goal is to teach students to be
responsible citizens in the University and surrounding community. The
concept of giving something back to others is a key part of the
program.
     "We are very excited to be involved in this project because it
gives UD African-American students an opportunity to reach back and
help African-American youth," Vernese Edghill, Delaware '92, director
of the Center for Black Culture, said.
     Programs planned in conjunction with the Center for Community
Development include a survey of neighborhood businesses and residents
to determine banking needs and the feasibility of establishing a
banking facility in Southbridge. In addition, the center will develop
a neighborhood Income Statement and Balance Sheet, which will
summarize the neighborhood's economic resources. The document can then
be used as a resource for community and economic development.
     Timothy Barnekov, director of the Center for Community
Development, and Bryan Nance, a graduate research assistant in the
center, will work with Wayne Brown, Delaware '71 and director of
Neighborhood House, to implement the bank survey and economic
document.
     "I am excited about the collaboration that is about to take
place," Brown said. "It is a win-win situation for all of the
organizations involved. Hopefully, it can be a model for efforts in
other communities in Delaware."
     "I think the value of this partnership is that it gives context
to populations that can benefit from University of Delaware services,
and it's a two-way relationship that also gives back to the University
students who are involved," Antoine Allen, Delaware '93 and director
of Public Allies, said.
     Ayanna Brown is the Public Ally appointed to coordinate the
project and will serve as community outreach coordinator. A 1994 UD
history graduate, she is a graduate student in the College of Urban
Affairs and Public Policy.
     Public Allies is the only program in Delaware providing
opportunity and support for young people to obtain full-time, hands-
on, leadership experience within a variety of nonprofit organizations
in the public sector, while providing them with financial and
technical assistance.
     Neighborhood House is a multipurpose community center that has
been providing services in and around South Wilmington since 1927. Its
mission is to enable the people it serves to improve individually
their quality of life and to develop cooperatively a better
neighborhood.
                                                         -Jerry Rhodes