White Center Community Development Association Programs
Family Development
Our "people" based strategies include: partnership, service and leadership to support two generations of families, from early learning and school success to workforce development and asset building.
Neighborhood Revitalization
Our "place" based strategies include: partnership, service and leadership to support equitable development and affordable housing/commercial real estate, neighborhood business district, parks and open space and public safety.
Community Building
The heart of our work in service of our results in Families and Neighborhoods. Our work includes core competencies in base building/social networking, resident leadership and community mobilization.
Recent Successes and Current Challenges
1) Our early learning providers and school partners with WCELI, Highline Public Schools, Community Schools Collaborative and several other community organizations have established a unique partnership and pipeline of service to ensure all our kids are healthy and succeed in school.
2) Since 2007, our partners have worked to place nearly 1,200 residents in jobs, and about half of them with health benefits. Annually, 40 small businesses receive technical assistance from the White Center CDA.
3) Since 2008, our partners have faciliated earned income tax credit claims amounting to $3.1 million returned to the community.
4) White Center CDA worked with King County to renovate White center Heights Park and the Steve Cox Memorial Park.
5) Our partners have secured 90 units of affordable housing in the development pipeline and the CDA is commited to securing commerical spaces for long term affordability in downtown White Center.
6) The White Center CDA is committed to community change that is led by the community. In 2009 alone, over 6700 residents have participated in social networks, mobilized and advocated for neighborhood change and have been trained in leadership. Our use of resident fellows and parent ambassadors, from the diverse ethnic groups, allow the White Center CDA to reach deep into our communities.
7) The White Center Neighborhood Action Plan represents 51 partners and over 100 action items collected and organized by the White Center CDA as a blueprint for how our community should grow into the future.
8) Our annual Community Summit is the ultimate accountability and "take action" event to connect residents with volunteerism and partner groups working in White Center. 6 languages are used in translation and interpretation throughout the day.
9) Since 2007, the White Center CDA has leveraged over $28.5 million in reinvestment by bringing together various funding partners, in service of resident priorities, focused on the White Center neighborhood. Initiatives such as the Making Connections Initiative of the Casey Foundation, White Center Early Learning Initiative of the Gates Foundation/Thrive by Five, White Center Enhancement Initiative of King County and others.
Current needs for the organization focus on the key components of our Neighborhood Revitalization work including pre-development and capital support for our commercial real estate development work and preservation of our local parks and open spaces/public art. Support for our White Center Fresh Marketplace Initiative to improve access to and diversity of healthy foods in our business district and small business facade improvements are critical to for economic development. Support of our community building work in resident leadership and community mobilization remain an under-resourced priority.