THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, September 19, 1994 TAG: 9409190052
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PERRY PARKS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: Short : 45 lines
The River City Community Development Corp. is calling a community meeting Tuesday for residents to share ideas and concerns about their neighborhoods.
Organizers are relying on momentum from a recent grant application process that used citizens forums to identify problematic and challenging areas in the south-central part of the city.
River City, a nonprofit group whose goal is to empower residents of the city's low-wealth neighborhoods and to bring economic growth to those areas, said residents must help themselves for the efforts to work.
``Until we involve the community,'' President and CEO Lenora Jarvis-Mackey said, ``we're not going to be able to realize the goals and objectives of the corporation.''
The corporation's most visible project since it began operating two years ago has been the McMorrine Street Renaissance, which concentrates on breathing new economic life into a central commercial block just south of Ehringhaus Street.
But the group wants to reach out to the entire community supporting that block, Jarvis-Mackey said. During this week's meeting, organizers will update residents on the corporation's progress, share results of a consultant's study of the area and begin discussing topics such as community watch and clean-up programs.
A major function of the meeting will be to identify participants for another project of the community development corporation's, a leadership training course to help residents bring about change on their own.
The corporation has received enough funding and commitments to begin the $30,000 project and hopes to train up to 40 adults and 20 youths, Jarvis-Mackey said. But the group is still looking for support money from within the community.
``The community itself should have some buy into the project,'' Jarvis-Mackey said.
The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Holy Trinity Community Center, 607 S. Road St. For more information, call 331-2925. by CNB