What's New:  Norwood Blooms
                       The Norwood Bedford Park Consortium

Introduction
In late March and early April of 2007, four community based organizations spearheaded an effort to respond to needs of the Norwood and Bedford Park communities: the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center (MMCC), the Mosholu Preservation Corporation (MPC), the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition (NWBCCC) and the West Bronx Housing and Neighborhood Resource Center (WBHNRC). This “Norwood/Bedford Park Consortium” held 2 community-wide meetings where residents developed a list of concerns. From that list, residents voted on three top issues: 1) a need to communicate resources that are available; 2) building a sense of community; and 3) training for a variety of skills development. The Consortium strives to build a network of leaders, resources, media, activities and strong local institutions to help residents communicate and build community. The more interactions people have, the stronger their feeling of community. We are calling this effort the Norwood/Bedford Park BLOOMS Initiative. This directory is one of many facets that we will be working on over the next years. Please be on the lookout for our organizations and the many activities with which we will be involved.

The plan we have developed addresses these needs head-on by providing avenues for residents to build relationships and leadership as they gather the tools to address their own social and economic needs. The result will be a community that is interdependent and self-reliant. Norwood and Bedford Park will BLOOM. Our efforts to connectedness will be fourfold:

1) Training ~~ Basic skill development through entry-level job training, computer/internet training, financial literacy, and professional development (for leaders in the community and in the non-profit sectors).

2) Community Events and 3) Sharing Information ~~ Develop social networks and identify/support/network with potential community leaders through consistent, structured events.

Community Events

Sharing Information

4) Individual Crisis Intervention (Live) ~~ Helping community members get their basic needs met is part of our commitment. These training opportunities are an excellent way to identify leaders and strengthen the ties among the BLOOMS Initiative organizations and the community.

Mosholu Montefiore Community Center: http://www.mmcc.org/

Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition: http://www.northwestbronx.org/

West Bronx Housing and Neighborhood Resource Center: http://www.dhcr.state.ny.us/ocd/apps/profiles/profile_detail.asp?applid=251

West Bronx News Network: http://westbronxnews.blogspot.com/
 

  Copyright© 2006-08 Mosholu Preservation Corporation.