The Si Se Puede Collective traveled to the East Coast! Some staff from each of the five organizations visited two community-based organizations in Boston and New York City.
The first organization we visited was the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI) in Boston. They empower residents of the Dudley neighborhood of Boston to exercise neighborhood control and access to resources. As the first community-based organization in the United States to be given eminent domain authority, they have secured over 30 acres of eminent domain in Boston’s Roxbury and North Dorchester neighborhoods. DSNI works with community residents to steward the land for affordable housing, urban farming, and local small businesses.
After that we headed to New York City to visit the Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ). It’s a community-based organization whose mission is to end intergenerational poverty in Central Harlem. They believe that education is the key to end intergenerational poverty. They provide families with various programs on “early childhood, education, and career programs to community outreach and wellness initiatives.” Today HCZ serves over 13,500 people including 9,000 children.
The SSPC staff learned so much about community ownership, family advocacy, case management, evaluation, fundraising, and more. The goal now is taking this knowledge and figuring out how to incorporate it into our programs to better support families in Mayfair.
Thank you to DSNI and HCZ for taking the time to share your story and the amazing work that you all do for the Dudley and Harlem community. We encourage you to visit their website to learn more about the great work each organization does.