The Board of Directors of the North End Community Improvement Collaborative (NECIC) invited the public to attend its Annual Meeting held recently at their downtown Mansfield office.
Founder and Executive Director, Deanna West-Torrence, discussed the successes of the prior year. New initiatives launched in 2019, such as the Urban Farm/Mansfield Microfarm Project, the African American Leadership Initiative, and the Microbusiness Development program, were highlighted. These new programs, along with the continuation of longstanding efforts, allowed NECIC to continue its mission to bring higher quality of life for Mansfield’s North End residents.
NECIC’s asset-based philosophy is a unique approach of engaging residents as well as community partners in collaborative action to improve economic and social conditions in the North End Community.
North End residents’ collective neighborhood aspirations are articulated in the North End Community Economic Development Plan. Developed with residents and stakeholders over a two-year period, the plan is a twenty-year vision of ensuring that the North End is “the leading engine of economic vitality, positive youth development, arts, and civic engagement”.
In addition to reviewing NECIC’s work over the past year, future endeavors for 2020 for discussed. NECIC is working hard to bring attention to the upcoming 2020 census, as ensuring that residents are counted in the census will help dictate the federal funds that the area receives and shape the services that are made available. Additionally, adequate and affordable housing will be a primary focus for 2020. For more information, visit NECIC-ohio.org.
Source, Photo: NECIC
