2015 Annual Report Expedition For Assets Our Movement Mission Board of Directors Michael Brown Metanoia Community Development Corporation Erica Fludd is a movement of people, rooted in faith. We Blake Hart Rashawnna Hawkins invest in neighborhood assets to build leaders, Belinda Holloway establish quality housing and generate economic Burnet Jacques development. We are pushing forward into new Lisa Mclean relationships with God and one another to create Penny Middleton Aisha Singletary strong communities. Ayesha Washington Suzanne Morse, Honorary Member Council of Advocates Vision Cindy Cartmell Greg Garvan Metanoia envisions a diverse community of Sam Hayes people that are inspired and empowered to Cyndy Keyes make the community better for generations to Marty Klaper come; where quality housing and livable wage Charles Larsen Carole Mauldin jobs are accessible to all; where there are aca- Connor McIntyre demically achieving schools; where businesses Matthew Pardieck and faith communities benefit the community; Wayne & Cheryl Patterson Eric Porterfield where the quality of life includes green space and Terry & Tammy Thompson recreational opportunities; and where Reynolds Avenue is a hub of economic and social activities. We recognize the people of our community are essential to the accomplishment of this vision. Metanoia Community Development Corporation 2005 Reynolds Avenue North Charleston, SC 29405 t: (843) 529-3014 f: (843) 529-3639 www.pushingforward.org /MetanoiaSC @pushing_forward /MetanoiaCDC “HERE WE DISCOVER AND GROW ASSETS” Dear Metanoia Family, Those of you who have visited us at Metanoia know that the sentence above is displayed in large letters across the wall of our main office conference room. We work in a society that constantly wants to remind us of the problems of our neighborhood, reducing the community to nothing more than a collection of needs. But these words remind us that the most fundamental work of Metanoia is not centered in problem diagnosis, but asset discovery. The phrase is also a reminder that we are on an adventure at Metanoia. Our work is a kind of expedition to discover the hidden gems in communities often stereotyped as purely deficient. Sometimes our little expedition discovers a student who can become a great community leader, or a vacant home where we can create a local homeowner, or an empty commercial building where we can create new jobs. Indeed, one of the dynamics that makes our work interesting and invigorating is that we never know what kind of asset we might discover next. Like many explorations before us, our work at Metanoia is sometimes filled with long days and setbacks. It takes work to make progress in territory where we have not journeyed before. But this expedition is also spurred on by the spirit of adventure that one gets in making new discoveries. As leaders on this expedition we are keenly aware that we all have to work together if the expedition is to succeed. From local neighborhood citizens working to make the neighborhood better from within, to our donors who keep us supplied on the journey, everyone must play their part or our expedition for assets will not complete its mission. This year’s annual report is designed to give you a snapshot of how our expedition for assets has performed over the past year. As always, we remain grateful for everyone who is involved in our movement and we look forward to working with you in 2016 as we continue to explore for assets together! Peace, Rev. Bill Stanfield Ayesha Washington Metanoia CEO Metanoia Board Chair Expedition For Assets 1 The Expedition Discovering Assets Quality Affordable Housing Our housing efforts began with a focus on home- ownership and have since branched out to support a number of housing options for our community. We have completed over two dozen acquisition rehabil- itations on homes for first time homeowners. With the housing market in a slump for the last few years, we have converted a number of these into quality affordable rentals for community-minded residents. All net income on rent collected is reinvested into neighborhood initiatives. Perhaps one of the largest areas of recent growth is in our Owner Occupied Repair program, made possible through partnerships with the City of North Charleston, the National Fair Housing Alliance, and the South Carolina Housing Finance & Development Authority. This work allows community homeowners on a fixed or low income to keep their homes by providing major fixes such as HVAC or roof repairs. Number of Owner Occupied Repair projects 13-14 5 completed, 2013-2014 vs. 27 2014-2015 14-15 5 10 15 20 25 30 2 Annual Report 2015 «Champions Teams of our high school students came in 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 7th out of over 500 teams in the 2014-2015 spring semes- ter SC State Stock Market Game. One team was named 1st overall of the 2014- 2015 contest. Our teams achieved an aggregate increase in income of 21.93% over the course of the competition. Taking part in the Stock Market game is one of the ways our middle and high school students learn about entrepre- neurship and financial literacy. Our high school students gain real world experi- ence by owning and operating Hodari Brothers Screen Printing and Isoke Sisters Jewelry, while our middle-school students rotate small business ventures each semester. 85% Combined revenue increase of Hodari Brothers and Isoke Sisters in 2015 Renovation» This house on Success Street, across from the old Chicora Elementary School, is one of several houses Metanoia reno- vated this year for quality affordable homeownership or rental in our neighborhood. Some see a boarded-up eyesore in the ‘before’ picture; we see a beautiful home just waiting for a little investment. $1.7+ million Total amount invested in new units of affordable housing over 9 years Expedition For Assets 3 The Expedition Investing In Potential Youth Leadership Academy When Metanoia was founded in 2002, our first task was responding to the community’s desire to have a safe place for their children to go to afterschool. In 2014, with the help of a sizable investment from the Cummins Foundation, we combined several autono- mous youth leadership initiatives under one banner: the Youth Leadership Academy. We identify neighborhood youth 1st through 12th grade with leadership potential in the areas of Character, Excellence, and Presence. During the school year, our students attend our after- school program where we offer our own leadership and entrepreneurship curriculum, and focus on academic excellence. In the summer months, our students take part in a Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School®, which teaches a love of reading and citizenship in equal measure. We now offer a year-round ‘youth leadership pipeline’ to forge the next generation of community leaders. Financial Literacy We continue to offer free Financial Literacy and Homebuyers’ Education classes focusing on budget- ing, credit repair, and qualifying to purchase a home. Taught by certified instructor Tony Joyner, these classes are designed to strengthen the financial skills of community residents. 4 Annual Report 2015 «Positive Ticketing This summer we worked towards positive community-police relationships. We worked with the North Charleston Police Department to debut a Positive Ticketing initiative modeled after successful instances across the USA and Canada. Neighborhood children were issued “Positive Tickets” by officers who witnessed good behavior. They were able to trade the tickets for prizes. Yearly comparison of percentage of 3rd, 6th, and 8th grade students performing on grade level in English Language Arts (ELA) and math Q 2015 83% ELA 69% Q 2014 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 67% Q 2015 Math 50% Q 2014 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 57 adults completed financial literacy « Teacher’s Tea or homebuyers’ education We celebrate and thank our students’ teachers every year at our Teacher’s Tea celebration. We seek to fos- classes from 2014-2015 ter great relationships with our students’ teachers so 76% of students gained financial that we can maximize our students’ potential. Teach- ers help fill our afterschool leadership program by rec- literacy knowledge growth based ommending students showing leadership potential. on pre- and post-testing Expedition For Assets 5 The Expedition Arriving At Community Community Planning We recognize the wisdom and authority of community residents in making plans for their neighborhoods by holding events like our annual Town Hall meeting, where residents guide all of our decisions. Generating Economic Development We continue to pursue a number of initiatives to generate economic development in our community. Beginning in middle-school, our students are taught entrepreneurship and financial skills. Our high school students own and operate their own small businesses, Hodari Brothers Screen Printing and Isoke Sisters Jewelry. We opened the Youth Entrepreneurship Center in 2014 to provide a ‘spark’ for the commercial redevelopment of Reynolds Avenue. In early 2016, we will open a neighborhood café in the front of this building, staffed by youth and adults from the neigh- borhood. Community Advocacy Listening to community residents - the real experts on our neighborhoods - and being responsive to their vision is a top priority at Metanoia. This past year we raised community awareness about the potential effects that may arise from the building of a new railyard next to our community. We are working to make leaders of the rail project aware of neighborhood concerns to minimize any negative impacts the facility may have on the community. 6 Annual Report 2015 «Celebration Parents pack Mary Ford El- ementary to see their chil- dren at the Freedom School End of Year Celebration. We encourage and receive par- ent participation across our youth leadership initiatives. » In The Garden People gather at the Chicora Place Community Garden to share fellowship, faith, and laughter.