2005 Annual Report Executive Summary Empower Lewiston Enterprise Community
For many years, Empower Lewiston has been an unofficial foundation, making grants to several entities per year focused on various projects and initiatives in the EC. The grant making activity resulted in fostering an image of Empower Lewiston as simply as a ‘pot of money’. Despite Empower Lewiston’s contributions to projects of various scope and sizes, the organization had a relatively low profile in the community. The Board of Directors made a significant policy change mid-year to no longer serve as a grant making entity and to move more aggressively from a ‘project driven’ organization to a ‘mission driven’ organization. Empower Lewiston will utilize its funding to invest in the downtown by working with partner organizations whose missions overlap or interface with that of EL and to work towards its long-term organizational sustainability.
The organization continues to work persistently on refining and clarifying its mission to one more practically connected to the level of USDA funding received, that of an Enterprise Community and not of an Empowerment Zone. To that end, the Executive Director and Board of Directors have sharpened the focus to three overlapping areas—workforce development, literacy and higher educational attainment, financial literacy and personal asset building---while staff primarily work toward maintaining and broadening the organization’s neighborhood support strategies to bring resources to the residents, improve the quality of life for residents, to engage residents in neighborhood and community dialogues. Residents now have options of participating in the grassroots group, the Visible Community or one of the Downtown Community Action groups sponsored by the City of Lewiston’s police department.
The goals of the City’s Heritage Initiative of last year were addressed in a neighborhood planning charette last January. Residents and their community advocates and supporters were able to share their concerns and visions for the outlined Heritage Initiative area. While the City of Lewiston proceeded on commonly shared goals such as improving public safety, code enforcement, and streetscape improvements, the City has abandoned its plan to establish a road through the neighborhood redirecting traffic. The original site for relocation of the non-profit, Community Concepts, new office building has been changed to one that does not entail the loss of affordable housing units. Instead the new office building will be located on a site that now will accommodate their consolidated offices and thirty new units of affordable senior housing. In addition, two large multi-unit buildings once slated for demolition have attracted private investment, are almost completely rehabbed and ready for occupancy.
While residents continue to find ways to have input into downtown community and neighborhood development, EL is working to widen its connection to the residents. The Board of Directors was successful in recruiting members from the Immigrant Association, and new residents from Census Tracts 201 & 204. In addition, Empower Lewiston and USDA have developed a stronger working relationship over the past year. EL staff and Board expect this next year to be the busiest one yet.
Empower Lewiston EC Summary Page Empower Lewiston EC Funding Page