Connecting Highland Park

2005-06-03T18:35:00.000-04:00

The "Revitalizing Business Districts In Urban Neighborhoods" conference, sponsored by Highland Park CDC was held on May 24, 2005 and was attended by Highland Park residents, businesses, community leaders, and resource providers. HPCDC is committed to the complete revitalization of the Highland Park community.

2005-05-10T11:55:00.000-04:00

Highland Park CDC and its partners are looking for ways to ensure that the condemned Carrington Gardens/Northridge site becomes an asset to the Highland Park community.

More Than Housing, A Partnership With Overby Sheppard

2005-05-08T08:50:00.000-04:00

When you think about community development corporations, many people think affordable housing. When you look at a community, housing is the first visible thing you see that measures the health of that community. When you look at funding for community development activities there is more funding for housing than any other activity. Like most community development corporations, Highland Park Community Development Corporation began its journey addressing the housing needs in the community. But, it became abundantly clear very early on that housing was not the only need that had to be addressed.

As we marketed the homes that we had rehabilitated, the first question was and still is about the neighborhood school. Overby Sheppard Elementary school is two blocks down the street from our office and is the only school in the Highland Park neighborhood. It was designed based on the open classroom model touted in the 1970's that is now known to be ineffective. The school had many challenges, including serving a population of children who lived in poverty and worst yet, who lived in conditions that were not fit for human habitation.

In 2003, the school had not yet reached accreditation under Virginia's SOL program, despite the earnest and tireless efforts of the teachers, students, principal and parents. In a system that includes many more schools than Overby Sheppard, its difficult to get the attention of the school board to make the changes and commit the resources that we knew were necessary at Overby Sheppard. After discussions with the principal, we made a plan and sought resources to help carry it out. The school needed help with literacy and not just student literacy but family literacy. The Bee-A-Reader program was born. With the help of Phillip Morris and the Robins Foundation, this afterschool program has been expanded to math and supports 92 students and their parents.

Highland Park CDC's role in securing funding and administering this program has been key to the success the students and their parents have achieved. In 2004 Overby Sheppard was accredited. To celebrate that success, the Richmond Braves, through their Brave's Buddies Ticket Donation Program, have provided all the students and parents in the program an opportunity to attend a Brave's home game.

Many thanks to Phillip Morris, the Robins Foundation, and Ben Terry with the Richmond Braves for believing in children and all they can achieve when given a chance.

To the volunteers who gave of themselves, who read to a child, who donated their books, your gift will last a life time.

A special tribute to Susan Stokes, principal and all the teachers at Overby Sheppard for not giving in or giving up. http://richmond.k12.va.us/schools/overbysheppard/

And to Vincent Edmunds, Highland Park CDC's Community Programs Manager, you are a treasure.

Wallica Gaines
Executive Director
Highland Park CDC

The Why

2005-04-26T14:23:00.000-04:00

I have met so many people in Highland Park who are passionate about this neighborhood. For some Highland Park envokes fond memories of a strong, safe, thriving neighborhood, for others it is a neighborhood with a sorted past standing at the gates of gentrification, and still for others it is a place of hope and opportunity because of its proximity to a downtown reborn. Whatever your take on Highland Park, I have found at least one thing to be true, we want to know each other, we want to know what is impacting Highland Park and we want to be a part of the circle that influences what will happen here. It is with that in mind that this blog is created.

Highland Park Community Development Corporation (formerly HP RAPP) was created in the late 1980's to respond to the community's need to reclaim the vacant and blighted structures that proliferated the neighborhood and to support the people who lived here as they "held on" during the bad times. Well times are a lot better by many accounts, but there is still plenty to do. This blog, managed by Highland Park Community Development Corporation (HPCDC) will regularly share information of interest to those who live in and love Highland Park.

Join us as we embark on this journey to Reclaim Highland Park.

Wallica Gaines
Executive Director
Highland Park CDC