Roots & Dreams And Mustard Seeds Inc

EMPOWERING VULNERABLE COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN PITTSFIELD, MA THROUGH WORKER CO-OP AND CO-OP HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, FOOD JUSTICE/FOOD SOVEREIGNTY PROGRAMMING, TRANSPORTATION ACCESS, AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMING RELATED TO SOLIDARITY ECONOMY INITIATIVES.

SUBSIDIZED TRANSPORTATION FOR LOW INCOME PEOPLE PROVIDED BY A DEDICATED GROUP OF MEN AND WOMEN WHO LOOK TO EVENTUALLY CREATE A WORKER CO-OP FROM THIS NOT FOR PROFIT INITIATIVE. THE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM PROVIDES CRITICAL RIDES FOR VULNERABLE PEOPLE NEEDING TO GET TO WORK AS WELL AS THOSE NEEDING ACCESS TO SOCIAL SERVICE AND THERAPEUTIC PROGRAMMING. AS TWO OF OUR DRIVERS HAD DISABILITIES THEMSELVES, THE PRECARIOUSNESS OF THE PANDEMIC CAUSED THE THE PROGRAM TO CLOSE FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR, RE-OPENING MAY, 2021. WHILE CLOSED, IT RELIED ON DONATIONS TO COVER TRANSPORT LIABILITIES INCLUDING CREDIT CARD DEBT, VAN PAYMENTS, AND INSURANCE AND UTILITY COSTS. WHILE THE TRANSPORT PROGRAM IS NOW APPLYING FOR GRANTS THIS FISCAL YEAR, IT DID NOT RECEIVE ANY GRANTS IN THE 2020/2021 YEAR AS IT WAS CLOSED UNTIL MAY. PROGRAM FEES RESTARTED ONCE IT RE-OPENED.

WE'VE HAD A LONG STANDING GOAL OF MODELING A COMMUNITY OWNED AND RUN COMMUNITY CENTER HERE IN PITTSFIELD, MA, WHERE WE AS COMMUNITY MEMBERS WOULD CO-SHARE THE RUNNING OF THE BUILDING, CREATING AND DESIGNING ITS PROGRAMMING. THE BUILDING WOULD ALSO SERVE AS A CENTER FOR RUNNING OUR CURRENT PROGRAMMING TO BETTER CARRY OUT OUR MISSION. THIS WAS MOVED TO THE NEXT STAGE WHEN A LOCAL DONOR INTERCEDED TO CARRY THIS GOAL TO THE NEXT LEVEL WITH A DONATION OF $225,000 SPECIFIC TO THE PURCHASE OF A COMMUNITY BUILDING. WE WENT UNDER CONTRACT FOR THE BUILDING IN JULY, DEPOSITING THE FIRST $15,000 DOWN-PAYMENT IN AUGUST, AND PAID THE REMAINING $210,000 ALONG WITH AN ADDITIONAL $3,461.50 FOR CLOSING COSTS FOR A TOTAL OF $228,461.50. WHILE REHAB IS STILL NEEDED BEFORE WE CAN MOVE IN, WE DO IN FACT, OWN THE BUILDING AND WE ARE SEARCHING OUT GRANTS FOR IT'S REHAB! MEANWHILE WE HAVE AN INTERIM SPACE DONATED TO US TO RUN DAILY PROGRAMMING WHICH READILY SHOWS DONORS HOW WE WILL USE THE SPACE WE OWN, ONCE IT IS REHABBED FROM A FORMER BAR/RESTAURANT TO A COMMUNITY RUN CENTER.

OUR WORKER CO-OP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM INCLUDES THREE WORKER CO-OPS IN DEVELOPMENT. AT 31 PARTICIPANTS, ALL MEMBERS ARE AT OR BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL WITH 28 MEMBERS BEING PEOPLE OF COLOR. INCLUDED IS ROSE & COLE'S TRANSPORT, BERKSHIRE SEAMSTRESSES NOW CALLED MAGGIE SADOWAY IMMIGRANT COOPERATIVE, AND GUSTITOS BORICUAS. ALL PARTICIPANTS HAVE COMPLETED THE FIRST STAGES OF CO-OP BUSINESS TRAINING (ASSESS, FEASIBILITY, AND PART OF IMPLEMENTATION/GOVERNANCE) AND ARE OPERATING WITH FIDUCIARY (US OR ANOTHER ORGANIZATION). MEMBERS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH IMPLEMENTATION/GOVERNANCE, SUSTAINABILITY AND GROWTH PHASES OF DEVELOPMENT. THE MAJORITY OF OUR FUNDING IS THOUGH A SUBCONTRACT WITH COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE WHICH IS DERIVED FROM A USDA GRANT FOR SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED GROUPS. CDI TRAINS OUR VOLUNTEER CO-OP DEVELOPMENT STAFF THROUGH A TRAIN THE TRAINERS PROGRAM SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE HANDS ON SUPPORT ALL THE WHILE CDI ALSO INTERACTS WITH OUR GROUPS FOR ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. CO-OP HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IS STILL IN IT'S VERY EARLY STAGES. WITH LIMITED EQUITY CO-OP HOUSING AS OUR GOAL, A DIMINISHING LEASE THAT ACTS AS AN EQUITY BUILDER FOR FAMILIES LIVING IN MULTIFAMILY RESIDENCES IS A HOPEFUL PROSPECT. WE HAVE 18 FAMILIES ON THE WAITING LIST, FIVE OF WHOM HAVE IMPROVED THEIR CREDIT SCORES FROM A POOR RATING TO AVERAGE OR EVEN GOOD, AS THEY PREPARE TO CO-OWN/CO-MANAGE THEIR SHARED HOUSING WE ARE OUTREACHING TO LOCAL DONORS FOR SUPPORT AROUND THE INITIAL START-UP COSTS AS TRADITIONAL CO-OP HOUSING DEMANDS A 20% DOWN-PAYMENT, A DIFFICULT BARRIER FOR OUR FAMILIES. THE CO-OP HOUSING PROJECT IS STILL COMPLETELY VOLUNTEER RUN.

COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING INCLUDES MERCADO DE VIDA, WEEKLY FOOD JUSTICE AND FOOD SOVEREIGNTY OUTREACH, CORAZONIDOS, 4X'S WEEKLY BI-LINGUAL YOUTH SUMMER CAMP HELD AT TWO OF OUR PARKS AND TWO OF OUR HOUSING PROJECTS AND FRONTERAS COMUNES, A BI-LINGUAL SOCIAL JUSTICE ART MAGAZINE PRODUCED BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS 1X YEARLY. DURING THIS PAST SCHOOL YEAR, CORAZONIDOS ALSO RAN AS A 1X'S WEEKLY DROP IN CENTER WHILE THE CORONAVIRUS WAS STILL ACTIVE, THOUGH IT LOOKS FORWARD TO AGAIN BEING APART OF THE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM IN TWO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN OUR MOST IMPOVERISHED NEIGHBORHOODS, WESTSIDE AND MORNINGSIDE IN THE 2022/2023 SCHOOL YEAR. DURING IT'S MOST PRODUCTIVE SUMMER SESSION, CORAZONIDOS SERVED 71 DIFFERENT YOUTH LIVING IN IMPOVERISHED NEIGHBORHOODS. IN THE 2020/2021 FISCAL YEAR, MERCADO DE VIDA WAS VITAL TO OUR COMMUNITY DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC, DELIVERING 600 LBS OF ORGANIC FRUIT AND VEGGIES TO OUR MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITY MEMBERS BY DELIVERY AND PICK-UP. IT SERVED 97 DIFFERENT FAMILIES DURING THE YEAR. DURING THE SPRING AND SUMMER, WITH THE SUPPORT OF LOCAL FARMS, MERCADO DE VIDA ALSO DELIVERED STARTER VEGGIE AND HERB PLANTS, SO THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS COULD GROW FOOD ON THEIR PORCH OR IN THEIR YARD. FRONTERAS COMUNES, DESPARTES/AWAKENINGS, OUR BI-LINGUAL MAGAZINE CREATED BY MEMBERS, WAS RELEASED IN MAY, 2021 WITH THE SUPPORT OF A LOCAL GRASSROOTS GRANT. BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, WE RECEIVED ADDITIONAL FUNDING OF $5000 (A GRANT) FROM THE FISH FOUNDATION THAT SUPPORTED OUR MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS WITH DIRECT AID FOR UTILITY, CAR, RENT, AND OTHER RELATED PANDEMIC EMERGENCIES.