Community Action Development Corp Of The Lehigh Valley

Programs: Community action development corporation of allentown (cadca) is a community development organization serving a large portion of center city allentown. Cadca organizes the residents of the center city neighborhoods to plan and implement revitalization strategies, especially small business start-ups. Cadca also administers a neighborhood partnership program funded by corporations that receive state tax credits. The npp, called upside allentown, funds physical improvements, neighborhood organizing and youth development activities. See schedule o for additional information. Conducted two 19-week start your business courses taught by volunteer professionals who provided comprehensive entrepreneurial training to individuals interested in starting a new business or expanding an existing business; 69 students enrolled, of whom 12 graduated with fully-prepared business plans; nine businesses were started and 11 jobs were created. Provided technical assistance to 47 existing and prospective entrepreneurs not participating in the start your business course; three businesses were launched, creating four jobs, and 16 businesses were sustained as a result of this service. Conducted the third annual marketing competition for start your business graduates, awarding 10,000 in marketing support to seven businesses; provided website and social media development assistance to 15 businesses; provided marketing assistance to nine existing and prospective entrepreneurs, creating marketing materials such as flyers, menus, business cards and websites. These efforts were funded by the century fund and targeted start your business graduates with an existing business in center city. Administered the main street program on seventh street in allentown: distributed monthly email newsletters featuring seventh street merchants and events to over 400 recipients; college students and local volunteers mulched 60 trees during april's annual "spring offensive- and bb&t bank volunteers planted six sugar maple trees; installed additional seasonal led lights to augment the festive holiday effect for people driving into the revitalized downtown; earned national main street accreditation for the eighth consecutive year; received the fifth townie award from the pennsylvania downtown center for the best faade program category with the faade restoration of the indian caf at 549 north seventh street. Completed the third year of upside allentown, the neighborhood-based, six-year community development effort in collaboration with the city of allentown and other partners in the area that includes old allentown, old fairgrounds, center city (south to walnut) and seventh street: designed faade improvements for four commercial and seven residential properties; conducted first annual family fun fest for upside residents that attracted over 400 attendees; supported the old allentown house tour which had 615 attendees and featured 9 homes and 5 businesses; implemented the first phase of upside's arts and culture 2020 plan by launching "artist residencies" in the hamilton district, jordan heights and old allentown neighborhoods; supported the allentown police department's youth academy at which 55 young people were introduced to careers in law enforcement as well as "living with integrity for future excellence" (l. I. F. E. ) program that provided life skills training for 50 middle school students; funded police bicycle and walking patrols on seventh street with 25 different officers dedicating a combined total of 800 hours to improving safety and reducing crime; funded training for 17 individual childcare givers, representing 12 childcare providers to improve quality of early learning experience for pre-kindergarteners; conducted summer learning initiative to mitigate "summer slide" for 118 children who attend cleveland and mckinley elementary schools; conducted weeklong sat boot camp for 15 high school students, encouraging them to pursue a college education; funded ged exam preparation, career counseling, workforce/job preparation for 110 youth; funded the rehabilitation of two homes in the jordan heights neighborhood, one of which was to be sold to income-eligible, first-time homebuyers and the other a rental unit for an income-eligible household; awarded seven "love upside" grants to neighborhood groups for beautification projects; funded a combination of 11 neighborhood events, including summer youth camps, sports and recreational competitions, block parties and community fairs that served over 2,500 residents. (these efforts were funded with contributions from the following partners: 150,000 by bb&t bank, 100,000 by ppl corporation and td bank and 50,000 each by alvin h. Butz corporation, city center investment corporation, lafayette ambassador bank and wells fargo and backed by neighborhood partnership program tax credits from the pennsylvania completed the seventh year of the jordan heights neighborhood partnership, a revitalization effort implemented in conjunction with the housing association and development corporation: held monthly community meetings with the participation of over 250 residents, covering issues related to public safety, noise, trash/litter, and youth recreation; conducted two community fairs that brought over 30 social service providers together to distribute information to over 400 residents; assisted community action financial services in recruiting 54 neighborhood residents to attend homeownership training seminars; distributed homeownership information to over 300 renter households; coordinated "earth day" clean-up event by recruiting 85 volunteers; celebrated the grand reopening of the newly-refurbished stevens park; held three "enhancing police interaction in the community" workshops attended by 50 residents and police; held three "movies in the park- and playstreet events with over 400 residents in attendance; partnered with rodale institute organic farm to set up the weekly farmers market from july to november. (these efforts were partially funded by a two-year, 150,000 grant from the wells fargo regional foundation). Coordinated the third wells fargo bank community service day, during which the following community service projects were undertaken: painted a mural at 446 north seventh street; installed outdoor benches and tables and planted a garden at cleveland elementary school; mulched and landscaped greenspace at central elementary school; painted a large community room at st. Luke's neighborhood center (which serves neighborhood youth); refurbished and painted 66 trash receptacles in the 200-600 blocks of seventh street; teamed up with residents to build and plant 50 decorative flower boxes which were presented to them; the neighborhood's ethnic restaurants served 400 volunteers and residents. The community action development corporation of allentown is a separately- incorporated subsidiary of the community action committee of the lehigh valley.