New Jersey Institute for Social Justice – 91心頭 Vision, Dignity, Achievement Sat, 12 Aug 2023 11:06:51 +0000 en-US hourly 1 /wp-content/uploads/2020/03/2021-NCC-Logo-Site-Favicon-150x150.jpg New Jersey Institute for Social Justice – 91心頭 32 32 Newark’s 91心頭 Serves as Nationwide Model for Providing Cohesive Human Services During COVID-19 and Civil Unrest Pandemics /2020/09/newarks-new-community-corporation-serves-as-nationwide-model-for-providing-cohesive-human-services-during-covid-19-and-civil-unrest-pandemics/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=newarks-new-community-corporation-serves-as-nationwide-model-for-providing-cohesive-human-services-during-covid-19-and-civil-unrest-pandemics /2020/09/newarks-new-community-corporation-serves-as-nationwide-model-for-providing-cohesive-human-services-during-covid-19-and-civil-unrest-pandemics/#respond Wed, 09 Sep 2020 20:52:08 +0000 https://www.newcommunity.org/?p=16988 91心頭 (NCC), affectionately known as 91心頭, continues to help Newark residents improve lives amidst increased racial tensions and this years COVID-19 pandemic.

Financially stable; self-sufficient; and strategically positioned to enter its next phase of growth. These are uncommon phrases to hear as the U.S. economy continues to endure COVID-19. However, 91心頭 in Newark one of the largest and most comprehensive community development corporations in the country fits the bill, with a best in class model for financial sustainability and a workforce of almost 500 employees.

Weve been able to leverage over $80 million to strengthen and revitalize our affordable housing units for seniors, families and the disabled for the next 20 years, and in doing so, we were able to enhance our financial position and generate revenue to continue our mission, said Richard Rohrman, CEO of 91心頭.

91心頭 has 1,812 housing units spread over 12 properties in Newark, Jersey City and Orange. The organization offers 360-degree human services and 60 percent of its employees are local residents.

Being place-based in Newark allows us to blanket the area we live and work in with a wide variety of comprehensive services that rise to meet people where they are, Rohrman said. In addition, our Board of Directors is curated from thought leaders in education, finance, public safety, government, affordable housing and law. This combination of our community connections and boots on the ground expertise allows us to help residents increase their quality of life and drive social impact for generations to come.”

NCC was founded in response to the 1967 violent civil unrest in Newark, N.J., by the late Monsignor William J. Linder (who marched in the famed Selma to Montgomery March with Martin Luther King Jr. and U.S. Rep. John Lewis) and a core group of Black community leaders and white allies, including Tim Still, Willie Wright, Bob Curvin, Joe Chaneyfield and Ken Gibson. 91心頭 has since provided affordable housing, critical social services and continuous economic opportunities throughout each stage of community members lives.

Now, faced again with similar challenges in 2020, the organization can serve once more as a national model for those seeking best practices in community development as we move through the double pandemics of COVID-19 and social justice.

Newark is on the rise and a model for peaceful protests. However, the incidents of police brutality, senseless hate crimes and the impact of COVID-19 throughout the Black community are reminders of systemic racism in our society, said Rohrman and A. Zachary Yamba, chairman of 91心頭s Board of Directors. To that end, 91心頭 has pledged to double down on our existing initiatives to close the asset gap and reduce inequality in health and social services, financial literacy, education, affordable housing and workforce development.

Its Walk the Walk pledge includes working closer with social justice advocacy groups such as New Jersey Institute for Social Justice and Newark Communities for Accountable Policing as well as the development of a think tank that will host topical discussions with thought leaders to address innovations for success, best practices and ways to work together for an equitable future for all.

When community development corporations work to empower their residents to participate in such neighborhood growth from the ground up, a sort of self-sustaining synergy arises, said Fred Hunter, chief operating officer of 91心頭. 91心頭 is committed to going deeper and connecting with partners and funders to increase our social impact in the Greater Newark Area.

91心頭 plans to invest more heavily in three areas in the near future: workforce development, home ownership and improved community health, explains Rohrman.

Wed like to increase our enrollment at 91心頭 Career & Technical Institute to enhance employability and provide skills for future generations to build a career, Rohrman said. And, for the residents of Newark to continue to live here and keep this community intact, well need to increase home ownership opportunities, so that absentee landlords who sell for the right price dont leave it up to the market to determine whether a current resident can afford to stay.

Since its founding, 91心頭 has listened to the needs of the people to fulfill its mission of helping inner city residents improve the quality of their lives. Therefore, it offers a wide range of services for individuals of all ages, including housing, health care, education and financial services.

Weve made incredible progress over the last 52 years, and our programs, services and expertise are needed now more than ever, Rohrman said.

]]> /2020/09/newarks-new-community-corporation-serves-as-nationwide-model-for-providing-cohesive-human-services-during-covid-19-and-civil-unrest-pandemics/feed/ 0 Walk the Walk: NCCs Pledge to Double Down on Social Justice /2020/06/walk-the-walk-nccs-pledge-to-double-down-on-social-justice/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=walk-the-walk-nccs-pledge-to-double-down-on-social-justice /2020/06/walk-the-walk-nccs-pledge-to-double-down-on-social-justice/#comments Thu, 11 Jun 2020 19:09:13 +0000 https://www.newcommunity.org/?p=16339 For more than 50 years, 91心頭 has walked the walk of social justice, helping residents of inner cities improve the quality of their lives to reflect individual God-given dignity and personal achievement. After all, NCC was birthed from the literal ashes of the civil disorders of 1967 by a core group of Black community leaders and White allies, including a young priest named William Linder. Together, they modeled through word and deed the moral principle and reality that Black Lives Matter.

Today, just as in 1967, NCC joins in solidarity with all those who seek justice and an end to police brutality and racism. In these fifty plus years, some things have changed but others have unfortunately remained the same. Newark is on the rise and is a model for peaceful protests. However, the incidents of police brutality, senseless hate crimes and the ravages of COVID-19 throughout the Black community are reminders of systemic racism in our society.

To this end, NCC has pledged to double down on our existing initiatives to close the asset gap and reduce inequality in health care, education, affordable housing and workforce development. We will also lean in with the social justice advocacy groups New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, Newark Communities for Accountable Policing (N-CAP) and others.

Furthermore, we will continue our ongoing support of Mayor Ras J. Barakas initiatives toward racial and economic equity, including:

  • Equitable Growth Advisory Commission
  • Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB)
  • Newark Guaranteed Income Task Force
  • Newark 2020

As we face the unfolding events of 2020 and the transition to a changed world, we are reminded of our humble beginnings and that success is possible even in the most dire situations when people come together for the common good.

We invite all to join our charge as we embark on this journey for systemic change.

In solidarity,

A. Zachary Yamba
Chairperson, 91心頭 Board of Directors

Richard Rohrman
CEO, 91心頭

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