California Collaborative Is Created

Generous Donation from Community Foundation of Louisville

In a recent announcement by the Community Foundation of Louisville, at a ceremony at the Kentucky International Convention Center downtown, a generous donation was awarded to the California Neighborhood Coalition, along with the California Block Club Federation, to create the California Collaborative. The total amount of the award is $450,000.00, with $150,000.00 distributed over the next three years.

The fiscal agent for the California Collaborative is New Directions Housing Corporation. Other local companies and agencies involved are Brown-Forman Corporation, the Heaven Hill Distilleries, Kentucky Center for the Arts ArtsReach Program, Habitat for Humanity, the University of Louisville Signature Partnership Initiative, Inc., Saint William Church, Breaking New Grounds, YouthBuild Louisville, Midwest Church of Christ, G-Block, Making Connections Louisville, Community Farm Alliance and Young Money. The California Collaborative is a concept conceived, developed, and implemented by California area residents. We have launched a Neighborhood Mangagement System, using as our inspiration, the NeighborWorks America Model, for robust neighborhood revitalization. The goal of the California Collaborative is to strengthen, connect, and network our community in making California...A Neighborhood of Choice!!

Impact of the California Collaborative

The California Collaborative has indirectly impacted everyone in the neighborhood; and, direct impact will involve at least 25% (or approximately two thousand households) within the first two years (2008 and 2009). We are well informed in our strategies by the ideas identified, and prioritized, by California residents in the 2007 Neighborhood Assessment Project Survey conducted by the Center for Neighborhoods.

The ArtsReach Program, part of the Kentucky Center for the Arts and the University of Louisville Signature Partnership Initiative, Inc., are adding support to California residents' voices to establish, implement, and manage strategies that develop a postive image of California as a "green and wireless community with a vibrant arts beat". New Directions Housing Corporation, YouthBuild Louisville, and Habitat for Humanity are alredy implementing projects to improve physical conditions in our neighborhood. The California Neighborhood Coalition and the California Block Club Federation are pooling our resources to beautify troubled areas of the neighborhood and involve residents to increase cleanliness and appearance. Breaking New Grounds will facilitate the creation of community gardens located at various locations within our community.

A Wireless Voting System is Also in the Works!!

A voting system will use the wireless network and create an online forum to deal with significant problems facing our residents. The voting system will inform residents about matters concerning our neighborhood and then ask for neighborhood input. Not all issues will impac the entire California community; for isolated issues, voting can also be isolated so that only neighbors within a certain area requiring an action may vote.

There are approximately 7,635 residents in California. As previously stated, through the efforts of the California Collaborative, all residents of the California community will be affected by this proposed project, with 25% (or approximately two thousand households) affected within the first two years.

California residents are optimistic about our future, and a healthy neighborhood is a place where it makes economic and emotional sense for our residents to invest our time, money, energy; and, where we all can successfully manage California neighborhood-related issues and neighborhood change.

Many California community residents are excited about the California Collaborative, and are looking forward to "change" that has been a long-time coming!!

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