2016 was an exciting year for the S.G. Atkins CDC made possible by the continued support of our program partners with financial support from the Winston-Salem Foundation, Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, BB&T, the city of Winston-Salem and Winston-Salem State University. Our work is attracting small businesses and increasing investment in neighborhood housing.
Secured funding for shared-use commercial kitchen
In response to requests from local food entrepreneurs who struggle to find permitted, well-equipped kitchens to cook in, the Enterprise Center is building one of the first shared-use kitchens in Forsyth County and it will be open by summer 2017.
Enterprise Conference and Banquet Center
The event staff has hosted fundraisers, community meetings, banquets, weddings and more while generating jobs for caterers, event planners, decorators and a small staff.
Transforming Urban Residential Neighborhoods (TURN) & Ridgewood Place homes
We have partnered with the city's TURN program to distribute $800,000 for needed home repairs for applicants in the southeast ward. At least 25 homeowners will benefit from this forgivable loan program. We also started building affordable single-family homes in Ridgewood Place while supporting the start of a neighborhood watch group.
Small business education and mentoring
We have hosted hundreds of current and aspiring entrepreneurs at business workshops and events including a finance workshop for minority contractors seeking bond-funded contracts, monthly referral meetings, monthly business roundtable discussions and the city's annual small business training class. The WSSU MBA class completed business plans as a class project that matched students with local entrepreneurs.
Sixth anniversary of our community garden
New and experienced gardeners volunteered to make this sixth garden season a success that yielded several hundred pounds of produce that was shared amongst gardeners and with churches, food pantries and neighbors. WSSU students planned and filmed an end-of-season celebration with cooking demonstrations and healthful recipes.
Fourth annual Southeast Neighborhood Association (SENA) Community Day
The CDC and SENA partnership to host Community Day grew to include the Prosperity Center, PowerUp NC, La Pharmacia, Llibott Consultoria, Food Lion, Churches Chicken and several more. Music, prizes, dancing and face painting brought residents and businesses together for the fourth year in a row.
Voter registration
The CDC brought Turbo Vote to the WSSU community and hosted a debate watch party with faculty, students and community residents. Voter registration officials were on site to register, educate and mobilize voters.
Graduated first class of neighborhood residents trained to do weatherization retrofit
The CDC partnered with PowerUP NC and ESRA Facility Management to conduct a four- week weatherization training certificate program that had six graduates who retrofitted five homes. One graduate obtained full-time employment and the class will be offered again to include solar panel installation training.
