Operation Solution & Response
Rev. Frank Paul Jones - President & CEO
The National Community Network, INC
Formally: the National Community Network and Coalition
of Highlands, INC
Office: (863)
657-2407
Website:
TheNationalCommunityNetwork.org
E-Mail: Info@TheNationalCommunityNetwork.org
A Project of the National
Community Network, INC.
The Agenda: November
1st - Fiscal Year 2014-15
Our Services Addresses these community related problems:
1: Preventing Criminal Recidivism
2: Education and Illiteracy
3: Hunger
4: Community Activities
5: Poor Community Economy
6: Disproportionately High Community Unemployment Rates
7: Homelessness and Housing Issues
8: AIDS/HIV
9: Human Rights
Introduction and
Overview:
The National Community Network, INC, was founded on October
20th, 2009, as the National Community Network and Coalition of Highlands, INC.,
in the State of Florida , in the City of Avon
Park, located in Highlands
County
We owned our two story headquarters is located at 923 South A Avenue Avon Park ,
FL. 33825, we refer to our headquarters location as the Blue Building
investments. We need
a 3 ton condenser unit for our downstairs central AC unit, two 12,000 BTU window
units upstairs, a parking lot to expand our educational services and fence placed
around our perimeter.
Our purposes, mission and vision was designed intentionally
to act as the framework for different types of
comprehensive plans to redevelop poor communities that have falling
behind economically across our nation, but this specific operation was designed
for Avon Park , FL.
The National Community Network, INC. is designed to face the
challenges of economically deprived neighborhoods and has built in mechanisms
to support Community Redevelopment Agencies "CRA" nationwide and not
just in Avon Park Avon Park FL. , this program may be duplicated in another
community in the State of Florida or even in
States in America , such as New York City
The function of the NCN is to act as an agent, to assistant
and also to take on the leadership role in solving community problems with our
main focus on economics and social issues. Our complete program design is meant
to be duplicated with modifications to create community solutions wherever
needed where there are programs designed with the intentions of "building a better community" in mind.
The National Community Network, INC., admits to our humble
beginnings, but what we are introducing is a potential nation builder. The
reason for our limited community work so far was the lack of funds, because we
didn't have our 501 c 3 statuses, but now this has changed and hopefully we will
be able to find Funders to support our programs designed for building a better
community in the Southside Redevelopment Area and a build a better Avon Park.
1: The National Community Network , took ownership of the
Business Area of the Southside Redevelopment Area around South Delaney Avenue South
Delaney Avenue
2: We advocated for our community. We plan to expand these services by creating
a new Facebook page, Wordpress.com blog, Website and Newsletter, to support these
initiatives.
3: We took what once had life and became a skeleton after
being closed down for over 5 years, with a seriously leaking roof and
transformed it with a new tin roof, also fixing the water damages inside and we
did a lot of other maintenance work and
repairs, all out of pocket. Now we are
well on our way of converting this once empty shell into a structure for a
program of comprehensive community services, which will bring forth more unity
among us. Now as a post 501 c 3
commitment we will finish this job and transform our headquarters into
respectful and accommodating place of community services, open for business. We want our property to be pleasing to the eyes of the community given
the SRA new hope through the initiation of services through "Operation
Solution & Response."
Supporting the Local Businesses:
When America
in general faces a recession the people in poor communities across America America
While the Avon Park CRA announced that South District's South Delaney Avenue Avon Park
The Avon
Park
Here is the middle ground and what we think should be done.
The properties that qualify for the new historic facade grant, be given the
grant by creating an escrow account.
This way properties that need these grants most, can apply for them and
when they come up with the matching funds, they will be able too use the money
set aside for their property renovations.
This could be the beginning of a comprehensive program whereby
government and citizens can work together, to accomplish the redevelopment of
the Southside Redevelopment Area's Southside District.
One must attempt to understand the reality and state of South Delaney Avenue S. Delaney Ave. New York City Avon Park
Now what I will propose may have sounded far-reaching just a
year ago, but today it is a rational thought process and its foundation is
principle based. We believe the solution
to the redevelopment of the Southside Redevelopment Area, is the new taxes on
the sales of medical marijuana in State of Florida
The $50,000 for the Southside Redevelopment Area, should be
used to start the redevelopment process of our businesses. It should be a comprehensive plan that
requires active participation by the grantees and or management of these
businesses. Because fixing a building
and putting equipment inside it, without the assurance of proper management is
a cocktail for failure. We believe that a major part of our problem is the lack
of knowledge concerning business practices. Many of these properties were within
families for more than one generation and while beneficiaries may have
inherited the family properties, they did not necessarily inherit the family business
or know how.
Helping our Disadvantage Young Adults:
We think the main problem in the United
States today is the jobless rate that is causing us to
create a generation of hopelessness among our youth and this is amplified in
black communities nationwide and is now a serious issue in Avon Park
While our youth, sees Hollywood and Multimedia as outlets as
a means to creates dreams about success and a way out of their state of
oppression, what Hollywood depicts is often just an illusion that is often not
obtainable by many of them due to the lack of education and connections and
this degrades their moral fiber. Because
they grew to want something that they cannot have. Too often due to joblessness, they stay home
all day and play violent video games, listen to rap music often filled with
filthy and degrading language and watch fantasy television shows, only to end
up turning to the streets with nothing
to do ("an idle mind is the workshop of Satan"). And too often this ends in violence, the loss
of young lives which isn't new to the Southside District and the incarceration
of too many of our young adults. And we
want to curb this! We want to curb crime
and recidivism. And because many of us within
the National Community Network to include myself have been there and done that,
by operating on the other side of the law, who better qualifies to reach out to
our disadvantaged young adults, than one with a common past life of crime
and/or just being on the streets.
They need to see a way out, today many of them would not and
could accept an invitation to a better way of life, because it requires
education and skills, something many of our disadvantaged young adults fear to
take on the endeavor or simply do not understand the incentive in a tangible
way. Many of these young adults are even
afraid to take on the simple task of obtaining a GED, to many of them this is
not simple at all, but is a very complex measure. Many of them are simply afraid to fail! Yet many of them will need higher education
beyond a GED in order to survive in the future Highlands County Avon Park
We believe that the fastest way to create noticeable change
in "building a better community," is to put a major focus on the
redevelopment of our young adults between the ages of 18-35 and older, because
often it is at this age group when most of our young adults engage in self-destructive
and/or unproductive behavior that could be modified if they were given other
options with meaningful incentives.
Because these are truly the children who will be our leaders of
tomorrow.
Helping our Young Children:
Before we created the disadvantaged young adult, we were
handed an innocent child through the grace of God. They did not ask to come on this earth
because none of us did, but they were born and came to us as babies unable to
support or even take care of themselves.
They therefore had to go through a molding process in order to function
as upright American citizens, with the responsibility of someday being
caretakers of America
Meanwhile our young children see our young adults on the
streets 24/7 being unproductive or trying to survive. They live in a community
whereby illegal drugs is the number one commodity. They see a community of
victims being slaves to poverty and eventually see themselves as forever
victims also, without any real option to gaining a part of the American dream,
but often end up within a life of crimes, jails, institutions, long term addictions
and death. Our children need to feel
safe, loved and protected and believe it or not and this is very important,
they need to feel needed, because the reality is one day will depend on them or
self-destruct.
We believe as a community we must be the caretakers of our
younger children, who are under 18 years old and are not emancipated. If we as
a community do not raise our children properly, we as a community has failed
tomorrow already. Part of the cause of our
current social and economic problems and conditions are our past failures in
the molding processes of our children. It is due to our past failures as a
community in education, crime prevention and community economics that this
program we are presenting now has become a program of community need and not community
convenience. Operation Solution and Response is a SRA community need.
We want to insure that every child in our community has a
fair chance in life and will be able to grow and enjoy the Declaration of
Independence in America
Serving our Senior Citizens:
The senior citizen is the backbone of our community and it
is from them that we gain our strength in character as a union throughout the
world. We will find within this group of
people, a lot of knowledge, wisdom understanding through experience and
education. It is a fact that through the process of life and aging, most people
grow to care more about humanity as a whole and find a God of their
understanding that they serve. Like a
child should be born innocent and it is the journey of humankind, to once again
try to become righteous and be in service to the God of their understanding. And often this is done through one's
community work.
But the reality is that many of our senior citizens are
barley surviving in the Southside Redevelopment Area. Most are living on a fixed incomes or food
stamps that barely allows them to make all their bills and eat properly. Many of senior citizens find themselves in
really lonely situations, without anyone to socialize with. Many of our senior citizens are without
structure and only want to do some meaningful volunteerism. Many of our senior citizens are huge
resources of information waiting to be tapped for knowledge. And some are just doing fine in retirement and
just want to give back to our community.
Whatever it is, if it is good, our senior citizens deserve it and more. So we set aside Sunday as "Weekly
50+ Senior Citizen Recreational Spot," whereby we are open all day
to address senior citizen issues, offer recreational activities, food and other services.
Serving our Underserved:
With the mentality that "nobody will be left behind,"
we try to help anyone experiencing misfortunes, with a focus on economic and
social issues.
Serving People with AIDS/HIV:
We believe that the virus that causes AIDS, was developed in
a laboratory in Germany
We believe that in 1989 the cure to AIDS was developed, but
never release, because the pharmaceutical industry is profiting from the many
very expensive treatments being made available. Therefore position isn't to
fight for a cure, but to fight for the release of the cure to AIDS.
Therefore our approach to dealing with the AIDS pandemic, is
to inform the people as to what is really going on to create a movement of AIDS
awareness that is based on the idea that this disease was not by chance, but
was in fact develop in a laboratory and was government sanctioned.
Through AIDS awareness programs and advocacy, we believe we
will the forefront and leaders of change in policy that will bring about the
end of AIDS.
Helping Enforce the Human Rights of all people:
We realize that their a many important social issues that
deserve and need to be resolved but are being denied of. We believe the most relevant social issues of
the day are Gay and Lesbian Rights, the marijuana dilemma concerning it
legalization & uses and the AIDS pandemic.
And always we must keep close to us the ongoing fight of the African
American, which is for the true emancipation of the African America Slaves in America , because we know that the 14 Amendment
did not free black slaves, but was only a measure to reunite the Confederation back
into the Union . No more and no less!
For this reason we will attempt to be at the forefront of
information sharing and advocacy, through continuing campaigns designed to
inform, lead, support and assemble people together. Though we are different we
have a common enemy and through unity the war against humanity can be won. We see us as a coalition of the diverse
underserved and as a community against unjust laws and rules, whom will get a
fair shot of true inclusion within American society as equal partners in the Union , unless we fight for our right.
Operation Solution & Response
The National Community Network has solutions that will help the
Southside Redevelopment process and our future community economic growth as
well as prepare the people in our community to be able to survive, excel and
grow in the future Highlands
County
What it is?
Operation Solution and Response is a long term initiative
designed to perform
services for people in determined CRA
eligible areas, Residents of Public Housing Complexes and other subsidized
housing and communities determined poor in need of assistance by some
government standards. We will assist in and
initiate and facilitate the renewal of physical, economic, and social
conditions through the redevelopment and/or development of community structures
but most importantly the people. The OSR
is designed to assist the people within these communities as well and not just
fix the structural problems. Because
when communities become, blight, plight and slum areas, you can believe the
mindset of the community also suffered drastically.
What is required?
Operation Solution and Response is a community response
initiative. Therefore in order for this project to have any real successes, it
will require a lot of community participation and dedicated volunteers.
Therefore we call on other non profits, the churches, the local businesses and
most importantly the people, to take an interest in this program and to do so
is to take an interest in yourselves, by helping us build a better community. Because we are in this together and together
is the only solution.
How It Works:
By using a 7 tiers approach we address what we think are major
problems associated with these type community problems, whereby the businesses
are going out of business and or struggling, the residents also suffer due economic
problems, crime and illiteracy and or in some cases just being down in the dumps emotionally as
well from the stresses of constant poverty.
Because poverty we understand, we drafted our response.
We have a 7 tier approach:
(1) Unemployment (2)
Education and Illiteracy (3) Hunger (4) Criminal Recidivism
(5) Poor Performing Economy. (6) Community Activities (7)
Homelessness and Housing Issues
What are we designed to do?
The Operation Solution and Response is designed to reduce
blight thru renovations as an alternative to demolition in designated CRA areas,
develop community resources, stimulate government and private sector investment
in the communities and cities we serve, give communities comprehensive support,
organize and develop community leadership and create the leaders of tomorrow
and create a network to collectively collaborate and address the social and
economic problems in our communities and to solve them through a team effort
using centralized and interactive communications, as the foundation for organized
movements for economic and social development and redevelopment.
The Program Basic
Figures:
Hours of Operations
Maximum:
Monday thru Thursday
9:00 am to 9:00 pm
Friday: 9:00 am to
11:00 pm
Saturdays: 12:00 pm
to 8:00 pm
Sunday: 9.00 am to 11
pm - Weekly 50+ Senior Citizen Recreational Spot:
1) Total hrs. Blue Building
2) Total hrs. Blue Building
3) Total hrs. of
projected labor minimum: 152 hrs. weekly
4) Man-hrs. needed:
200 man-hrs wkly min. 5 full time or at least 10 part time jobs.
5) Value of labor per
week @ $10 to $15 per hour or @$12.50 average - 200 man-hrs. x $12.50 = $2,500
per week.
Value of labor per
year = $130,000 per year. This does not include the costs of the actual services
being rendered, this is only the costs required by us to facilitate these services
and events with the needed supporting personnel.
Its is our goal to expand our operations into other outside facilities,
due to the limited space in our two story headquarters location. It is our hopes that eventually our
headquarters location will be used exclusively as the administrative and
intelligence center of our operations to accommodate our organization's staff,
while we perform our services at other locations by allocating the needed
personnel to serve in areas within Avon
Park and Highlands County
1: Unemployment
Services:
A: Requires 16 man
hours weekly
B: Requires 8 hrs of building occupancy
Demographic Changes and the lack of skills needed in today's
industry is the cause of a disproportionate rate of unemployment within the
poor communities nationwide. Many of the
citizens of the poor communities are falling behind or have fell behind and
cannot seem to catch up. Job creation is a necessity, however many of our
citizens are not skilled and are not even registered in our Highlands County
Workforce System, for correctable reasons such as the lack of transportation or
lack of incentives, being they feel they do not qualify for anything anyway.
In Highlands
County Avon
Park and Highlands County Highlands County
Our part of the
solution:
1) Set aside at least 5 hrs. per week for seminars relevant
to addressing unemployment
5) Offer Volunteer Positions
6) Workshops = 4 hrs week
7) Referrals to training programs
8) Making four computers available for business use - Lab
hours will be adjusted accordingly.
Personnel required: Maintenance team to setup and breakdown
seating arrangements and clean up first floor common area before and after
seminars. And person to make all arrangements with outside contacts. This will come from the upstairs.
4 hrs of operations x 2 maintenance personnel = 8 man hours
per week.
8 hrs for 1 on call personnel in charge of building and
establishment. = 8 man hours per week.
2: Education and Illiteracy
Services:
A) Requires 11 man
hours weekly
B) Requires approx 10
hrs of building occupancy: These 10 hrs of scheduling is contingent to us
getting a parking lot which is capital investment needed on our properties.
Many of our citizens in the Southside Redevelopment Area are
still without a GED. Often the challenge of adult education is that adults have
responsibilities and have to provide food for themselves to eat as well as feed
others and unless there are economic incentives for the adult to spend time
studying & going to school during their spare time, it is going to be hard
to recruit adults in poor communities like ours into the adult education system
at numbers that will create real differences to our economy. There has to be economic support and
structure and we must allow people who are grown to be able to spend time
studying and going to school and not have to worry about how every bill will be
paid in the process.
Illiteracy among our children is also often overlooked. Yet many of our youth's in poor communities
are performing below grade level and therefore are traveling in the direction
of academic failure. Yes, a lot of our
youth who are in school today are illiterate to the degree that they are poorly
performing in school and are not receiving any type of early intervention
assistance and as a result they will become illiterate as adults. It is our
position that the best way to curb illiteracy is to nip it
at the bud, with early intervention programs for our youth. We must beat
illiteracy before it stops us.
We do not just focus on the academically challenged, though
we are attempting to fix the problem of illiteracy, we also realize many of our children who are making
it in school are sometimes barely making it or still needs encouragement. And
some are often without any sense of responsibility to family, neighborhood or
country and do not understand we are depending on them for our future survival
and children they will not be forever.
They must grow up to be responsible adults. It is our job to direct them to the right
path. And develop an interdependent
relationship.
Many of our youth today who are making it in school still
needs to know they are appreciated. Life
is merely a gift bestowed to us all. It
is our duty to harvest the gift of life, given to us by God. So we have to assist the challenged children
but also must also recognize and reward the one's who are being productive as
well. And our ultimate goal and success
will be if we create relationships among our children that they hold to the
cliché "Nobody Gets Left Behind."
Our community must develop an all for one mentality if we are to grow
into the 21st Century as a community united to travel the direction of economic
and social growth.
Our part of the
solution:
Once we acquire the parking lot on 952 South Delaney Avenue
We cannot serve children below the ages of 18 years of age
at our educational institutions, because our headquarters is too close to two
nightclubs located on South
Delaney Avenue
1: Issue
School
2: Act as a referral agency for people looking for a GED,
Job Training and/or Higher Education - by appointments
3: The Entrepreneurs Business Plan Course: - 3 hrs per week once we get parking lot.
We want to sponsor programs that could be ran out of our
building on the 1st floor. The objective of this program is to make student
entrepreneurs aware of and teach them how to use and apply the tools necessary
and available to them such as the internet, office paid and open source
software, computers, cell phones, tablets and so forth and to assist them in planning their future
business and the writing of a business plan.
Then we will act as an incubator if possible or help them find an
incubator to help them get started, which is listed under our solution to
unemployment. The goal is to move this program to another facility in the
future.
4: DAW - Digital Audio Workstation Instructions - 3 hours
per week:
We will have to attract, engineers, producers, and artists,
who use DAW technology in their own studios and projects to give our clients
pep talks and seminars and to help us teach those who have an interest in these
technologies. We need people who know
computer hardware and software such as computer technicians and IT personnel to
assist us with DAW instruction, by teaching our clients about basic and
advanced computer operations and preventative maintenance skills and we need
personnel to maintain and upkeep our equipment for program use. We will need books and other forms of
tutorials such as audio and video tutorials, so that our clients can be
instructed, as well as use them as self help tools and materials, for them to
learn how to operate the DAW software program we can make available to them at
the "Blue Building
5: Other Study Groups, Assistance and computer lab - 4 hrs
per week
1) 2 maintenance personnel for about 5 days or 5 events = 5
x 2 personnel = 10 man - hrs per wk.
2) School Supplies Distribution Day should be an event that
several members in our organization participates in and be available to the
community. This would an annual event
for about 4 hours x 8 or more personnel = 16 man hours year = 4 man hours
quarter, therefore we will just make it 1 man hour week for our weekly
calculations.
3: Hunger:
A) Requires 25 man
hours weekly
B) Require approx 7
hrs of building occupancy:
Many families and individuals are still struggle even with
food stamps to eat everyday here in Avon
Park and Highlands County
For some senior citizens, the delivery of a hot meal is
their only daily human contact. We must be the caretakers of our children and
elderly and no American should be left alone and no American should to go
hungry.
Our part of the
solution:
1: A Local Food Kitchen: To be at another location.
2: Holiday & Eating
Events at the Blue Building - rare and special scheduling = 3 hrs weekly
3: BBQ & Events - may be at other locations
4: Food Gift Cards from Local Supermarkets - rare and by
appointments = 1 man hour hr weekly
5: Pantries - 3 hrs per week
16 events = 1 1/3 per
month
Eating Events = 2 cooks 2 servers x 4 events x 8 hours
= 128 man hours = 4 events = 42 hours
monthly or 10 man hours weekly
BBQ = 2 cooks and 2 servers x 4 events x 8 hours =
Gift Card = 2 Personnel for about 4 times per year x 2 hours =
Panties calls for a full time of 8 x 8 hours x 4 per year =
21 1/3 man hours per month or 5 man hours per week.
4: Criminal Recidivism:
A) Requires 35 man
hours weekly
B) Require approx 12
hrs of building occupancy:
The lack of economic opportunities, mental illness, bad
moral fiber, greed, the lack of education drastically reducing options to
succeed or participate in society, institutionalization due to incarceration,
prejudices often sanctioned by the government due to criminal convictions,
often closing doors normally open to most people in America, lack of direction
from being forced into the criminal system at a young age, often many of our
youth got into the criminal system and have never devised a plan for themselves
to address their life's situation and future that is realistic and obtainable,
based on determination, skills and their willingness to learn new things after
losing time.
Our part of the
solution:
1: Group and Individual Counseling - 4 hrs per week
2: Topic & Group Discussions - 3 hrs per week
3: Benefits Assistance - Helping people find help for other
resources - by appointments
4: Priority in getting into the Entrepreneurs Business Plan
Course -
5: Priority in getting into the Entrepreneurs Business
Incubator
6: Volunteerism to bring forth community engagement
7: Twelve Step Fellowships - 3 hrs per week
8: Referrals to other agencies - by appointments
We will need about 2 maintenance personnel for about 6
events weekly or 2 x 3 hrs x 6 events = 36 man hours weekly.
5: Our Poor
Performing Economy:
A) Requires 5 man
hours weekly
B) Require approx 7
hrs of building occupancy:
When the rest of the country is in a state of a recession
the black communities across our nation often are in a state of local economic
depression. Here in the Southside
Redevelopment Area of Avon Park for example, black owned businesses are
struggling, they are being condemned one after another and/or closed down for
long periods of time until they are eventually condemned and they are often
located on historical properties, that should qualify them for grants to be
renovated for the good of our community.
The Southside Redevelopment Area of Avon Park and neighborhoods like this one across our nation
often experience redlining practices and therefore cannot attract financial
support from private industry, while government grants come with conditions
they cannot afford and therefore cannot participate in these grant programs. Many businesses here in the Southside
District are behind on their taxes and are in serious need for building
repairs.
Meanwhile here on South Delaney Avenue, we anticipate
gaining a CDBG grant for over $700,000, to rebuild the streets, roads and
sewage, but doing very little if anything for the local businesses. I fear with our current CRA legislation, the
businesses that are now on South Delaney Avenue needing help with renovations,
will become an even worst eye saw to the city and be put in more immanent
danger of being condemned, due an improvement and this would be bad for
community.
And with the Highlands County Industrial Development
Authority Economic Development Commission or IDA-EDC in the process of bringing
economic growth into Highlands
County
Our part of the
solution:
1: Find funding to support the redevelopment of the SRA -
done in upstairs office
2: Assist in the development of business plans for all
existing businesses in the Southside Redevelopment Agency. - done in upstairs
office
3: Design a general business model for the whole SRA and a 5-10
year projection on developments in this area. A business district has to be
defined and its services should be complementary if possible. - done in upstairs
office
4: Advertise and promote the SRA - done in upstairs office
5: Entrepreneurs Business Plan Course - 4 hrs per week
6: Entrepreneurs Business Incubator - 8 hrs per week - We
would like to expand this program in another location, to add more hours of
operation and more computer workstations to accommodate these entrepreneurs. And therefore expand the course at the Blue Building
Maintenance on this is a straight 5 hours per week for one
maintenance personnel = 1 x 5 = 5 man hours
6: Community
Activities:
A) Requires 42 man
hours
B) Require approx 14
hrs of building occupancy:
At the National Community Network, INC. we realize all work
and no play is a cocktail for disaster. Even
poor people deserve some recreational activities that are safe and community
and/or family oriented. We will not only sponsor community activities, but will
attempt to make our fund raising events as fun and as exciting as possible.
Our part of the
solution:
1: Fund raising events. - planned upstairs and carried out
at other places and at HQ
a) Year end fund raising events - S/A
b) Special and specific need events - S/A
c) Emergency fund raising events - S/A
2: The Weekly 50+ Senior Citizen Recreational Spot: Food, Cable Television and DVD, Games,
Prizes, Discussions, Computers, all to entertain our community's senior
citizens at least once per week to bring them together for a social
interactions.
3: Organized Youth Sport events - These events would be
co-sponsored by both government for their venues and Sponsorship and Grants
would be needed to carryout these functions.
3 tournaments per year lasting about 8 weeks each: = 2
personnel 2 hrs per week in preparation. = 4 man hours
a) Basketball
b) Baseball
4: Concerts & Stage Show Events Sponsored by the
government, South Florida State College, Foundation Grants and Private Philanthropist, for the
presentation of events to a general public audience. S/A
Plan one major show or presentation per year, around the
holiday season. = 2 personnel 2 hrs per week in preparation of event and
promotions = 4 man hours per week
4: Well organized sports tournaments for the youth,
co-sponsored by, the City of Avon Park,
Big Corporations, Local Businesses and other non profits. S/A.
5: Parties, dances and/or get together meetings for our
youth and for people of all ages, to bring our community together and in unity
in preparation to succeed at what is ahead of us. S/A
2 parties per year = 2 personnel 2 hrs per week in
preparation = 4 man hours weekly.
7: Homelessness and
Housing Issues:
A) Requires 18 man
hours
B) Require approx 6
hrs of building occupancy:
Our part of the
solution:
We realize that where there is a need to designate a
community as slum or plight, to assign tax revenues to this area to attack
these problems, there is going to be an effect that will be obvious to
recognize and not totally solved by government on the people in the community
at hand. People will fall short on their utilities, rent payments and other
upkeep expenses and will need a quick and decisive response from the charitable community.
And help should be within the center of our community, which is where we
are located.
a) Help pay bills & Issue out household Supplies - 6 hrs
per week or less
b) Refer people to other services to include Avon Park
Housing Authority - by appointment
c) Assist in housing searches or make a computer and other
communications accessible to our clients. - by appointment
d) Help people find grants to repair their homes and help
them apply for these grants. - by appointment
e) Other services if deemed to have a good chance for
success at being helpful.
3 maintenance personnel can do all services for 3 hours per
day 2 times per week = 3x3x2= 18 man hours.
The Program Design:
The National
Community Network, INC.
Operation Solution and Response is a long term initiative
whose main focus will be on designated areas in Avon Park , FL
The Eagle Fellowship, is not a separate entity from the NCN,
but is a board assigned by the Board of Directors of the NCN, to address these
community issues. The NCN will facilitate their meetings at the Blue Building
The Oversight Committee, is not a separate entity from the
NCN, but is a board assigned by the Board of Directors of the NCN, to address
these community issues. The NCN will facilitate their meetings at the Blue Building
The Board of Local Clergy, is not a separate entity from the
NCN, but is a board assigned by the Board of Directors of the NCN, to address
these community issues. The NCN will facilitate their meetings at the Blue Building
The PTS Movement
"Prison to the Streets
Who is Prison to the Streets Movement?
The PTS Movement meaning "prison to the streets
movement," is a movement of men and women who were once a part of the
prison system as inmates, who are committed to doing what is right for self and
community. Using our artistic skills as
writers, producers, performers, actors and the many arts, we channel these
energies towards our youth and young adults in an attempt to teach them not to
do wrong based on our past experiences.
We do this through music and films and other means multimedia. We believe that "a wise man will learn
from the mistakes of others." We feel through our past misfortunes which
sent us to prison and present agenda of "building a better
community," we can be a springboard for positive change in our communities
nationwide. Because who better than us to reach out to them?
The PTS Movement: The purpose of the PTS Movement is to organize the people we serve and to create a united voice through our guidance and to create a network that collectively and cooperatively works together on social and economic issues, to find solutions and carry them out thereby fulfilling the mission of the NCN "building a better community." And to build better character from among and within our fellowship, because we realize we are stronger when united and together our body is the
The PTS Movement, who are committed to building a better
community. What goes on in those
meetings is closed to the public and stays within this group, thereby creating
an environment of trust and integrity. Also
note that many of the members of the PTS Movement hold religious titles such as
Minister, Reverend, Rabbi and Apostle allowing us to congregate with other
felons in doing what we understand is the work of God. And many members of the
PTS Movement are the creators of our music library, developed through donations
by artist and writers. We hope through
proper exploitation we will be able to raise substantial funding thru records
sales, copyrights and royalties income, from these donated artistic works.
The Oversight
Committee:
The oversight committee can consist of 4 to 12 board members
which will include the chairman of the board.
They will meet twice per month or more if special meetings are
scheduled.
1) The purpose of this committee is to act as a watchdog
over government spending that effects local community.
2) To advocate for more spending in communities it serves
and design, advocate and implement plans to redevelop these communities.
3) Attracting philanthropists to support "Operation
Solution & Response." Organize the community to address the agenda for
the redevelopment and economic growth of their community. And other duties as
determined necessary.
The Board of Local
Clergy:
The board of local clergy is a religious group who addresses
and focuses on economic and social issues and solutions. As we put God first in
our decision making processes, we are all bound to leave our religious doctrine
out of the process, making the fellowship spiritual and not religious,
therefore making it a coalition of religious persons for improving social and
economic issues in poor communities.
The BOC will meet on the first floor of our headquarters
once per month or more often if a special meeting is scheduled. Our decisions
and ideas are often exploited by the National Community Network, INC. The idea
is to create a coalition of religious persons, who purpose of congregation is
to deal with the community situations needing to be addressed. We believe in most matters of legitimate
concerns, we can find the funding to carryout corrective actions, if we get our
local clergy to join in a cooperative effort.
If the BOC endorses a program, activity or event, we believe
our 501 3 c will be to of great advance for all parties involved. Thereby creating revenue circulation, jobs
and social benefit to our community. The
Board of Clergy is a key component to our recruitment of people who just want to
give back to the community. We need as many tore givers as possible. We think it is imperative that we reach out
and offer inclusion to the religious community, though we are not a religious
organization.
The HIV/AIDS &
Human Rights Consortium:
Because this section of our organization is mainly about
communicating information to people for the purpose of social change and
accountability, this will always be of a nationwide scope. Currently we are
focusing on the East Coast and West Coast, mainly California, New York City ,
Florida and North Carolina, we plan to expand our services to other areas as
well.
It is our goal to inform to develop leaders via multimedia
who will recruit people and form active blocks that will understand the concept
of unity based on needs. Thereby
bringing together people who are different but for common causes. It doesn't
matter if you are black or white, straight or gay, educated or uneducated, rich
or poor, clean or dirty, drug free or active, God fearing or agnostic, it really
doesn't matter. What matters is that until their is equal justice for all,
there will never be peace of earth. And
we are peace makers!
The Volunteer
Redevelopment Workforce:
This is a group of volunteers at different capacities, from
assistance in advocating pro community issues, by just being in attendance to
support us at places we speak, when we want to voice our position concerning
community issues, to actual hands on volunteerism and labor in doing community
work and service.
The Food Kitchen
and Food Services:
We will serve meals out of our headquarters location, hold
BBQ's and other eating events in the Southside Redevelopment Area, give out
food pantries for special events and certain holidays and give out gift cards
for food during special events and holidays. We will attempt to open a full
time food kitchen to expand our services elsewhere in the future.
The Network
Newsletter:
The purpose of our newsletter is to promote our community,
attract investment into our community, inform the community about relevant and
contemporary issues, inform the community about what is going on in Highlands County
and Avon Park
The National Community
Network Website:
We will maintain our corporate website and will keep it up
to date. One form of technology that we
will implement that is different from many websites, is that we will on
occasion have our documents posted as mp-3 files, so that people can listen to
us instead of reading what we have to say. We think this will attract some of
the people we are trying to reach out to, by making it easier for people who do
not like to read and in some cases cannot read well due to a disability and/or
illiteracy which in our opinion is one form of a disability that has crippled
our community for generations and some people simply cannot see and are blind
and should be included in our forum and be informed as well about the community.
The National Community Network
Computer Workstation
Center
Four Computers connected to one wireless printer and receive
WiFi signals from our router upstairs. The computers are available to clients,
however due to tight scheduling unless it is program associated there is limit
availability because staff also relies on these computers to assist in the
performance of project oriented tasks.
General Needs and
Capital Improvements:
We need a one time grant for: a) one air conditioning 3 ton
condenser for our central AC unit already installed downstairs and b) two12,000
BTU window unit upstairs, a one time grant to put c) a fence around our
property to reduce loitering and prevent crime on our property a safety issue and d) a one time grant to
paint our building blue and e) funding to carryout our operations to include
utilities and salaries where necessary though we heavily depend on volunteers. Though we operate with a team of volunteers,
we realize we need to find funding to pay them in the future if we are to grow
as well.
Public Benefit from
this Project:
Operation Solution and Response is designed to serve the
entire population of our community, through structural, economic and social redevelopment,
however our targeted audiences are the disadvantaged young adults between the
ages of 18 to 35+, our younger children, our senior citizens and the
underserved population or in other words people simply needing help.
When we say disadvantaged young adults, we are describing
the young adult population who are often chronically unemployed often due to
several factors such as the lack of education and job skills, criminal records,
the lack of networks and connections, their residing in redlining districts, lack
of direction, hopelessness as well as other personal issues, to include their psyche
(mindset) in some cases as the result of being in a slum area too long, economic
related stress and trauma. Because many
poor people experience traumas too, but simply have no medical coverage,
especially in places like Florida
We believe that the young disadvantage adults are the
centerpieces of the redevelopment of any poor community and its future growth. And they are the centerpiece to the
redevelopment of the Southside Redevelopment Area of Avon Park, FL. If we do not address their problems and their
issues, how can we help those we call our children who are strongly influenced
by them, if not under the care and supervision of our young adults? Because in reality our children we are
talking about our their children, who are often disadvantaged young adults.
The disadvantage young adults are often the parents of today's
troubled children and is next in line to lead our community. We are hopeless without them because we
cannot help our children without the support of the children's parents unless
we resort to mass institutionalizing, which we do when they grow up anyway,
when we send them to prison, because we failed them as children.
And we feel many of the answers we are searching for are
within the senior citizens in our community. Only good things can happen by
giving them a day which we call at the Blue Building
What Operation Solution and Response offers to the community
is hope through networking. OSR offers
the community a constant flow of information, social services support when in
need, community unity thru community activities and community leadership by
getting involved and by molding our leaders of tomorrow. The idea behind
Operation Solution & Response is that with the understanding that most poor
communities in America
It is our goal to make disadvantaged young adults who we
feel are a misunderstood population, understood and accepted by those whose
doors are shut or closed to them. We
want to be a pathway and a conduit to close
the chasms that prevents these disadvantage young adults from gaining
opportunities in furthering their education, employment and even intercommunity
social engagements with the rest of the Avon
Park , the State of Florida ,
America and world, which is
realistic with today's cyber technology for even the poor in America America
We believe our program can reduce crime and prevent recidivism, because we plan to attract the
leaders of tomorrow into our movement for social and economic redevelopment. We
understand the posse (gang) mentality of our youth today. We know that there a very few leaders and a
host of followers. And one of the main problems
in poor communities like ours in Avon Park
and in Highlands County
Once Operation Solution and Response is fully functional, we
will act as a center of resources and information within the Southside
Redevelopment Area . By focusing on our
young disadvantage adults, while serving our children as their caretakers,
senior citizens and the underserved in our community, we will offer a
comprehensive program that can truly make a difference.
And the goal is for these plans to develop into autonomous
operations that will continue to operate until they are no longer needed. We
must design a platform to create achievers in our community. Because achievements are so important in
building up someone's self esteem, which will allow personal growth, which will
transcend into community improvements.
And self worth is the beginning of self sustaining independence. We want to restore hope in our community,
which is something many of our potential clients never knew, many never knew
hope in these tough economic times.
Investments and Costs to Run Operation:
A) 3 Ton Condenser and installation; $2,000 at most
B) Two Window units for upstairs 12,000 BTU = $599 each at most or $1,200
C) 5-8 folding tables = $300 at most or less
D) 24 Folding Chairs = $30 each = $720
E) 4 Computer Stations refurbished computers with desk for each computer. We will get software from Techsoup.org. 1 Wireless printer, 4 WIFI dongles and assistance moving excess property to storage and storage costs.
4 Computers and Monitors = $2,000 at most
4 Desks = $400 at most
Miscellaneous Furniture: $400 Filing and storage and so forth
WIFI Dongles = $30 each = $120
Printer = $200
Software: We will set aside $1,000 for the purchase of software.
Utilities:
Comcast (phone, internet and basic cable TV) = $115 + Downstairs a television connection = $50 = $165 per month
Gas: projected costs about $125 if we cook often.
Water: $80 - $100 per month
Electricity: $80-$600 per month
Outside Location Storage will be about $60 per month or $720 annually.
Estimated Operational Overhead Costs: $152,000:
We need an investment of about $10,000 to become fully operational.
Annual Operations Costs = $12,600 + Insurance
Value of labor per year = $130,000 per year
The closing:
In closing, we want to so our gratitude, by describing the backbone of our operation. Our workforce of volunteers:
The Volunteer Workforce Strategy:
It is our goal to operate at 100% volunteer capacity for the first year, after which we will readdress our economic position. It is our goal to operate at no more than 50% volunteer capacity in the future and for most paid positions to be part time positions, until we can afford full time personnel.
The strength of the National Community Network, INC., is our volunteers. The spirit of our network is in the heart of mankind. We are able to carryout our services, because of professionals whose services fall under our purposes and the caring individual volunteers.
Our strategy to convert some of these voluntary positions into paying positions is to tabulate all the hours worked by each volunteer weekly at a pay rate of about an average of about $15 per hour. This is probably more than we will actually be able to pay our volunteers next year who become paid employees. However our goal is to create living wage position for our employees.
By doing this it increases our revenue for the fiscal year. By increasing our revenue, when we go after larger grants that might help us create salary positions and therefore be able to get more money by having a larger budget the previous year. Because many Foundation Grants give you a grant based on a percentage of your previous budget. So in reality our employees will create their own jobs, by demonstrating a demand for their labor. Our job is simply to manage and manipulate their activities in a way as to create productivity. Productivity is the key to economic growth, which merely organized movements producing a positive outcome.
Short Term Success:
1: The setup of our system of communications to include our website, email newsletter, blogs and so forth.
2: Finding and recruiting the needed personnel to carryout "Operation Solution and Response."
3: Setting up the program design which consist of a) The role of the National
Community Network, The Board of Clergy, The Eagle Fellowship, the Volunteer
Redevelopment Workforce, do some Food Services - free meals and so forth, setup
the newsletter, website, setup computer stations and get the needed capital
investment necessary to make our headquarters fully functional.
4: By fiscal year 2016-17 have about 50% paid employee
capacity, by creating a demand for their labor as a result of their
volunteerism.
Long Term Success:
Once we succeeded in our short term goals, our long term goal will be create an autonomous system of operations, thereby creating a community that will no longer require these services. The long term goal is to eliminate, blight and slum communities and thereby removing the effects of poverty which is a plight community.
Success Monitored by:
1: We will keep a record of all donations from outside sources, to include grants and cash gifts. And we will keep a record of all charitable services we render to the community and our clients. This is not a direct measure of our successes, but a measure of our community activities, which so far has been limited. Records of revenue verse expenses and the size of our budget is sign of our activity levels.
2: Secondly, we will measure how much is cost us out of pocket, to continue to keep our door open and run our programs. A sign of success will be our ability to operate without the need of key staff member contributions. I think it is enough that we are an all volunteer organization at this time and should not have to fund all our work.
3: Early on, we will measure our successes by the amount of people we serve and the size of our budget in combination. Because we believe m any of our potential clients, are being underserved by local charities, due to the lack of knowledge as to what is available to them. So getting services to underserved populations is a measure of success.
4: As time passes however, we will start to measure our successes based on the property value of our communities of services, the crime rates, the illiteracy rates, the average income and rate of unemployment. Basally we will measure our successes based on local statistics on economics and social development in the areas we operate within.
Examples of Success:
1: A disadvantage young adult at age 31 years old, with 2 children ages 13 and 11, finds herself short on money to meet her bills. The 2 children are performing poorly in school and the home seems to be dysfunctional. The father's of these children are both convicted felons, without any marketable skills and therefore often miss payments of child support and do not take part in these children lives. They all reside in the Southside Redevelopment Area of Avon Park, FL., which has been determined blight, plight and slum.
A: As a result of Operation Solution and Response, immediately she is assisted with money to make her bills.
B: Her children receive assistance with books and supplies and even clothing for school.
C: They all receive access to information relevant to building better live for themselves and therefore building a better community.
The Key: When a person is hungry and not acting properly, first you must feed their hunger, so that they can pay attention to you. The key is what do you tell them once you gain their attention. The bottom line is most poor people simply want a better life and often do not know how to go about crating the environment to produce the fruits they want to harvest.
2: A business is behind on their taxes, struggling to make end meets, let alone making profits: The business needs renovations, because it is beginning to look blight. The business needs investment capital to expand it business as well.
A: Though advocacy and simply making things going on become knowledge that can be used the local businesses. We will make funding both government and private made know to our local businesses.
B: Though our program, we will promote that our local Avon Park Community Redevelopment Agency fulfill their obligation to expand business in the Southside Redevelopment Area and help our business owners with funding to create business plans for each business and a business model for the future development of the Southside Redevelopment Area of Avon Park, FL.
C: We plan to sponsor a petition to request that the Avon Park CRA and City Council agree to sell a municipal bond for the amount of $150,000 over 10 years, to use the money to renovate as opposed to demolish properties needing renovations. This will be use to match the current historical facade grant now available. The bond will be based on the legalization of medical marijuana in the State of
D: The business receives renovations through government and private grants, making it property more valuable and able to function at a higher profit margin. Even as we are in a redlining district, investment capital is found at competitive interest rates. The business turns a profit for several years, paying all its back taxes, further renovates its property, creates living wages for its workers and owners and crime is reduced in the area due to land owner contributions to community, because they cause to protect their investment worth protecting.
Thank you for you time:
By: Rev. Frank Paul Jones - President and CEO - Chairman
The National Community Network, INC.
Potential Funders:
Local and Community Funders in Highlands County
The first year due our previous lack of revenue, we will go
after as many local charities as possible thru the retail establishment located
on State Highway 27 and then venture out to bigger charities and foundation
grants, once we establish a fiscal year with substantial revenue through the
services of our volunteer redevelopment workforce.
How cars are donated to charities. We wouldn't benefit from
this specific program, but this is an incentive to do a search on car
donations.
Community Improvement Projects
Home Improvements
Food and School Supplies for children and Families in need
Building communities and disaster relief
Education
Youth, homelessness and hunger
Hunger Relief
Education and community initiatives
Local Charities
Youth Charities , Healthcare and Hunger Relief
Financial support for Charities
13: Honda
Donations
Youth, Education and Technology
14: GM Foundation
Education, environment and energy and community development
15: JC Penny
Health and Welfare, Education, Arts and Culture
16: The Avon Park CRA: The CRA is supposed to be committed to the
redevelopment of the Southside Redevelopment Area of Avon Park. The program we
want to assist in is the Business Expansion program. Read the Avon Park
Redevelopment Plan for further information
We have until June 30th 2014 to apply for a foundation
Grant. We must apply 6 months in advance for major sponsorships and can ask for
Grassroots Gift Card Donations at anytime.
Sponsorships - Plan 6
months in advance
Foundation Grant - Deadline June 30th 2014
Grassroots Gift Card Donations - Directed at Store Director
Hunger Relief &
Healthy Eating: We will give away
Free Meals thru donations from Wal-Mart. We will select a predetermined amount
of food events for the year and use Wal-Mart to stock the food. We can go after local grants which are $250
to $2,500 and we should go after the high end of $2,500, thinking in terms of
each event costing an average of $500 or about a total of about 5 eating events
per calendar year sponsored by Wal-Mart. Other Wal-Mart initiatives are below.
The Community Services Block Grant Program (CSBG)
provides federal funds to designated local governments and non-profit
agencies called Community Action Agencies to assist eligible low-income
households in attaining the skills, knowledge and motivation necessary to
achieve self sufficiency. The agencies may provide a variety of
antipoverty services such as emergency health, food, housing, day care,
transportation assistance; housing counseling; financial management assistance;
nutrition programs including federal surplus food distribution, community
gardening projects, food banks, job counseling, placement and training
services, and homeless prevention programs.
Ninety percent of the Community Services Block Grant program
funds are allocated to the state's existing network of Community Action
Agencies. This is a formula based grant and is not competitive.
1: Omidyar Network:
When we come up with big ideas I think we should write them a proposal. They
fund major projects all over the world.
Omidyar
Network is an investment firm established in 2004 by eBay founder Pierre
Omidyar and his wife Pam. To date, Omidyar Network has committed more than
$290 million to for-profit
companies and nonprofit organizations that foster economic
advancement and encourage individual participation across multiple investment
areas, including microfinance, property
rights, government transparency and social
media.
They are a philanthropic investment firm. The Omidyar Network has 5 initiatives, which
are hyperlinked below to check for further information. I think we want to do
business with the Omidyar Network and they have no entrepreneurship programs in
the United States
They capital intermediaries and technology companies that
provide entrepreneurs with Financial Services, Business Development Assistance
and Technical Support. I think this is our fit in with them, if can provide
services for entrepreneurs with a program to, if our program creates
opportunities for people to improve their lives and make powerful lasting
contributions to our community.
(e) Property Rights:
The Gates Foundation might support our AIDS anthem idea, as
a means of AIDS prevention and awareness.
Maybe we will have to come up with politically correct lyrics. Like the Magic Johnson Foundation the Gates
Foundation serves where his factories or stores are at. The AIDS program is a global initiative.
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