FOUNDATION AWARD TO REBUILDING BROKEN PLACES (RBP)

The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation has Awarded the Rebuilding Broken Places (RBP)Community Development Corporation $30,000.00 dollars in grant monies for capacity building. The grant will be used to formulate the initial strategic plans, train board members and develop the infrastructure of RBP.

The RBP is an outgrowth of the ministry of Greenleaf Christian Church (DOC) located 2110 North Williams St. The focus of RBP will be to do community/economic development in the old Greenleaf Community in Goldsboro. Greenleaf Christian Church has purchased 5 ½ acres of property and 26,000 sq. ft. of existing space to be specifically set aside to house community/economic development initiatives.

According to Rev. William Barber, Pastor and Chairman of RBP, "Our intention is to be the catalyst for positive economic/community development 1 mile east, north west, and south of our congregation. We will become partners with the surrounding community in community building. We hope to involve residents community leaders, business leaders, and political leaders as partners in this endeavor to make a difference in North Goldsboro. We want to see bars and run down buildings in North Goldsboro replaced with beautiful and safe neighborhoods."

The vision of RBP is not to simply help the community but to use the strengths of the community to foster its own uplifting. As one writer said, "If you give someone a fish they eat for a day. Teach them how to fish they can eat forever. Or, as the prophet Nehemiah said, "let us rise up and build".

We believe communities must take ownership and responsibility for their plight and renewal. RBP will host numerous community forums beginning in the summer to build partnerships. Five programmatic areas have already been developed by the RBP board: 1.) A curriculum based pre-school designed to educate children within the school districts around the church who come from low-wealth families. The focus will be to insure that children who attend the pre school enter school performing above grade level instead of below grade level 2.) Computer/Job Training/Education program for persons moving from Welfare to work 3.) Drug Abuse Prevention 4.) Senior Citizen Complex 5.) Through a program entitled FAITHFORCE (Faithfully Asserting Initiatives To Help Families Organize and Revive Community Empowerment) RBP will advocate for development of Single Family Homes for persons within low to moderate income ratios.