Welcome to the new Alliance Member Monthly! We noticed that our weekly Notices (pun intended) have been growing in size and the monthly E-News has been shrinking. Since it appears that the news and information glut is unlikely abate anytime soon, we are reorganizing our publications as we attempt to keep you up-to-speed on everything that’s going on in our universe.

The new weekly publication is now the Alliance Bulletin. This will continue to provide you with current and sometimes time-sensitive information on webinars, funding and employment opportunities as well as research and publications of interest. Policy and legislative news will go out in the Bulletin or as stand-alone communications, depending on the issue and action needed.

The Alliance Member Monthly will be a vehicle to shine a spotlight on member organizations’ work, successes and communities. This first edition features three long-time members along with some Alliance news and links to member newsletters. We hope you will find it both informative and easy to read.

Of course, this means that we need to hear from YOU about what you’re working on, so reach out to us at [email protected] so we can share your successes with our 850+ readers.
In this issue
Bill Lazar - St. John's Housing Partnership

Shannon Nazworth - Ability Housing

Kevin Gay - Operation New Hope

Alliance Executive Director Recognized for Service

Welcome Video from Strengthening Resilient Communities | The National Forum

Amanda Gorman, Inauguration Day

Meet the 2021 Board of Directors

2020 by the Numbers
From the Membership
Community Development Corporation of Tampa invites you to read about their latest news and updates here.

Dr. Irvin “PeDro” Cohen, a proud native of Jacksonville, has joined LISC Jacksonville as executive director. Read the article in the Jacksonville Business Journal.

Opa-Locka CDC invites you to visit its virtual art exhibit, Africa – Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.
February 2021 volume I, issue 1
Congratulations to Bill Lazar, Executive Director, and the staff at St. John’s Housing Partnership (SJHP).
Thanks to their hard work and dedication, they were presented with a SHIP Success Award at the Florida Housing Coalition’s 2020 Annual conference. SJHP is committed to promoting safe, decent and affordable housing in north Florida and does so by creating links between the public and private sectors on projects that create low- and moderate-income housing and rebuild neglected homes and neighborhoods.
To learn more about SJHP check out FHC’s Housing Network News, page 25.

On January 14, Shannon Nazworth, CEO of Ability Housing, was interviewed on WJCT, Jacksonville’s public radio station.
First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross is an hour-long call-in program that features local newsmakers, civic and community leaders, artists and people planning a variety of events across Northeast Florida. Melissa and Shannon had a great conversation about rental relief for people suffering economically from the Pandemic and the overall need for affordable housing in Florida.
To listen, go to First Coast Connect and scroll down to the Jan 14 program. Shannon’s interview starts at minute 28.

Shannon told us,“2020 disproportionately impacted the very people we serve; I am grateful for the Alliance’s work to increase the capacity of the industry so we can continue our efforts to build strong communities where everyone has a home.”
Operation New Hope (ONH) provides support, life and job skills training for people with a history of involvement with the criminal justice system, and places them in employment that offers a sustainable quality of life. Inspired by a deep faith and commitment to community, Kevin Gay founded Operation New Hope in 1999 to address the problems facing Jacksonville’s Historic Springfield neighborhood - poverty, crime, homelessness, disrepair, and drug addiction. Their success caught the attention of President Bush and in 2003, he selected Operation New Hope as the pilot site for the Ready4Work program. Since then, their work has been praised by the last four White House Administrations, federal, state and local representatives, law enforcement officers, and business leaders. Internationally, ONH has been recognized by House of Mandela as a model program for the world.
Read more about them in the Florida Times Union.

In December, our ED, Terry Chelikowsky, was recognized by the National Alliance for Community Economic Development Associations, Inc.
The framed art-poster reads “In recognition of Terry Chelikowsky for dedicated and exemplary service to NACEDA, her peers and Florida’s communities.” Terry was a long-time board member of NACEDA, serving as Secretary and Vice Chair before terming off. She maintains her connection with the group, serving on the Membership Committee.
We’d like to share with you the welcome video from Strengthening Resilient Communities | The National Forum.
In it representatives of the eleven community development association networks (including the Alliance!) that collaborated on the Forum, read a poem by Minneapolis-based artist Theo Langason. See if you can pick Terry’s voice out of the compilation of We march because We must.
If you watched the Inauguration, you may have been spellbound by America poet and activist, Amanda Gorman’s amazing reading of The Hill We Climb. I know I was so if you’d like to hear it again or just keep it around for inspiration, I found this version at The Guardian, US edition.