Funders
FEMA
Donators
Mary Reynolds Babcock
NCDHHS
The Rural Center
USDA
Z. Smith Reynolds
GCC
NC Arts Council

Hispanic Info
NCCIU
Nat'l Council of La Raza
Latino.Com
Hispanic Business
Ascento Latino
Ayudate
Hispanic Heritage Month
FirstGov en Espanol

1999 marked the third year of funded activity for the Blue Springs-Hoke County Community Development Corporation ( BSHC CDC). It also marked a year of shifts and changes for the organization, including becoming very focused in preparation for the new millennium.

From our meager beginnings in 1995-- a year of fully operating as a volunteer organization to this year of beginning to move beyond the crawling stage-- with a more sure footing of funding in the fellowship hall of Since 1996, the Blue Springs-Hoke County Community Development Corporation ( BSHC CDC) which has been funded by the Rural Economic Development Center in the new and emerging CDC category , with .

1. BSHC CDC is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors which at full complement is a fifteen-member body. A consistent struggle for the CDC has been to fully staff the board to that 15-member complement, which has yet to be achieved and is a remaining goal as we enter 2000. The current 10-member body comprises a racially, ethnically, and economically diverse group representative of the rural population of Hoke County which is a community in transition. The BSHC CDC Board has specific mandates outlined in our bylaws which are to advise and approve programs; monitor and evaluate programs and the organization’s lead staff, and set policy which fosters development of the organization. In line with those mandates, the BSHC CDC Board leadership has stewarded and fostered a range of organizational accomplishments in 1999 which include: (a) Meeting monthly since January toward committing serious energy and concentration to organizational development issues and board development initiatives connected to shaping a strategic planning agenda which will guide the CDC into the next 3-5 years of operations; (b) Approved involvement and provided physical support and participation in an April site visit with Sandra MiKush of the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation and ongoing program support which was pivotal in securing an 18-month Organizational Development Grant of $20,000 in June from that foundation. (c) Approved BSHC CDC serving as the lead organization for a community collaboration which has garnered commitments of $104,250 in funding over the next two years aimed at turning the tide on adolescent and teen pregnancy in this county which ranks number two in the state with pregnancy levels of 125 per 1000 individuals in age groups of 12-19 years of age. (d) Approved involvement and provided physical support and participation in a collaboration with Southerners for Economic Justice to host one in a series of four workshops with scheduled events set for March, June, and August, with the fourth workshop to be planned by participating collaborating partners. The series would focus on Organizational Development and Economic Literacy. BSHC CDC hosted the June workshop event which featured an economic impact tour of Hoke County and brought together twenty-four (24) participants locally and from other counties in the state.

2. The BSHC CDC Board of Directors experienced decimating fall-out in 1999---from the political season successes of 1998--- when two CDC Board leaders made county-wide history by being elected to positions of the Hoke County Sheriff (James A. Davis, President) and a Hoke County Commissioner (Anthony "Tony" Hunt, Fundraising Chairperson). Those leaders tendered letters of resignation to the Board of their seats in a December 19998 meeting of the Executive Committee and were accepted by the full body in January of 1999. One other Board Officer also resigned her seat in the interest to serve as the county Democratic Party Chairperson (Charlotte Kelly, 1^st Vice President).

BSHC CDC has been ardently engaged in Board recruitment activity and efforts since January. Three new members: Reverend George Gilmore, Tyra Cohen, and Karen Mosby, were elected to the Board as a result of those efforts. Reverend George Gilmore was nominated and agreed to steer the CDC as President. However, growing church issues and demanding family responsibilities resulted in his resignation in July. The remaining two new Board members, Tyra Cohen and Karen Mosby, have both been actively involved in Leadership Development Initiative (LDI)Training events of the CDC along with external governance training events. Both Tyra and Karen participated in the LDI Fundraising Clinic in May; the SEJ Organizational Development/Economic Literacy workshop event in June on fundraising, and an August workshop on Nonprofit Financial Management in Durham as part of the SEJ collaborative. Both of these new board members additionally traveled with staff in September to the Organizational Development Retreat of the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation in Norcross, Georgia.

Current Board members and staff have submitted names of several individuals who have been nominated to serve on the board; a slate will be constructed for this meeting and five new members will be seated in the interest to bring the body to its full 15-member complement.

Section II.   Administration

Administration activity for 1999 has been focused on internal capacity building for the organization, along with concentration given to financially shoring up the organization toward meeting its strategic planning agenda which is contained in our 1999 goals.

1. Administration activities for 1999 have included grant writing, program development and administration, and staff development for the BSHC CDC consistent with outlined CED goals and objectives.

1999 began with a move for BSHC CDC, just down the street. The offices of BSHC CDC moved from 112 East Elwood Avenue to 102 East Elwood Avenue, in the former Bank of Raeford building now owned by Dr. Mark S. Thompson. The building dates back to 1917 and is rich in historical presence. The move has provided the CDC with more space besides the one room we operated out of at 112 East Elwood Avenue; while it additionally affords the organization to be part of a growing minority-owned incubator in a building which is ripe for renovation, restoration, and recapturing of the community's economic capacity.

Grant writing activity in 1999 garnered the BSHC CDC actual funds and commitments of $204,450 for this program year and into 2000 on selected program initiatives.

(1) 1999 marked the third year of NC Rural Economic Development Center operational support for BSHC CDC with a grant of $33,000 in the new and emerging category. This grant would support organizational internal capacity building and strategic planning agenda initiatives of BSHC CDC; (2) BSHC CDC was awarded a third year grant of $4,200 in January from the National FEMA Board - Program Phase XVII- to assist families in Hoke County needing emergency assistance to stave off utility disconnection and displacement from homes. (3) BSHC CDC was notified in January that we had been awarded a $25,000 NC PEPSI Mentoring grant from the Governor’s Office to launch an innovative female mentoring project PAIRS (Positive Alternatives aimed at Intervention through Role-modelS. This program has successfully matched 20 students with adult mentors aimed at providing structured activity and guidance to prevent initial pregnancies and intervene in secondary pregnancies among these young women. (4) In May 1999, with PAIRS serving as a springboard, BSHC CDC was approached by the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Coalition of NC to serve as the lead agency to develop a local prevention council and provided with a two year grant of $30,000[$20,000 in 1999/$10,000 for 2000] to facilitate those efforts. Keemia Hurst, a recent graduate of Fayetteville State University in Criminal Justice studies was hired full-time in June to coordinate those activities. (5) BSHC CDC launched a third year of Summer Food /Summer Enrichment programming in June 1999 with support from the USDA and the NC Department of Health and Human Services. BSHC CDC served in excess of 9,000 meals at seven (7) community sites with the compensated assistance of 22 community workers over the five -week period of June 14^th through July 16^th and actualized a reimbursement rate of greater than $18,000 with those efforts. (6) In July 1999, BSHC CDC made application to the NC Department of Health and Human Services/Division of Public Health for a $75,000 grant to support the growing work of a Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative (TPPI) in Hoke county which ranks number two in the state with pregnancy levels of 125 per 1000 individuals in age groups of 12-19 years of age. This grant would support the launching of Hoke Youth Life In Focus (HYLIFe) a comprehensive youth development program which will serve as the cornerstone of a broad-based adolescent services initiative of the BSHC CDC.

Successful funding from the NC Department of Health and Human Services/Division of Public Health in the amount of $74,250 made possible the launching of HYLIFe in October 1999. Sixty slots are available to serve students 12-19 years of age in the interest to provide education, health services, mentoring, and tutoring opportunities designed to change the outcomes of these young peoples’ lives. Two new staff joined the CDC operations to steer the success of the pilot program: Karen Wright will serve as the on-site Project Coordinator and Abdul Haneef will serve as the Male Program Facilitator.

The above named accomplishments of Program Year 1999 for the Blue Springs-Hoke County Community Development Corporation ( BSHC CDC) have clearly been made possible through the many collaborative efforts and relationships with community partners and their support.

As we embark on Program Year 2000 and our fourth year of staffed operations, BSHC CDC recognizes its infancy in the arena of community economic development and continues striving to develop meaningful partnerships throughout the county. We seek full partnership with county and city government aimed at moving forward the overall goals of improving the quality of citizens’ lives in this community. AT BSHC CDC, our efforts continue to build the community of Raeford Hoke County from within by tapping the assets and resources of residents and citizens committed to "together building our future ourselves". The future looks bright in Hoke County.