MAIN STREET COALITION

The transformation of Houston’s Main Street into a signature Boulevard impacts a multitude of entities with distinct agendas. WALIPP convened an open forum at Rice University. City, County, Metro and development entities with interests along Main Street came together. The Mayor, Main Street Coalition Chair, E. D. Wulfe and Peter Brown shared the vision for Main Street, announcing a competition for architectural firms across the nation to submit ideas for implementing the vision. WALIPP facilitated the forum and all entities bought into the concept, committing to support its implementation.

OLIVEWOOD CEMETERY CLEAN-UP

WALIPP pulled together some 500 volunteers from churches, synagogues, and the general community to clean up the historical Olivewood Cemetery. Since that time we have incorporated it so it has an owner, a 501(c)(3) called Olivewood, Inc., and we are now working to infuse some funds into it for ongoing care.

PASS IT ON MENTORING/TUTORING

Audrey Lawson conceived of a program targeting African American males, the most endangered species in our community. College men pass on tutoring and mentoring skills to high school boys, who mentor middle school boys, who act as mentors and tutors to elementary school boys. Its pilot run included 30 boys. Project Coordinator Davetta Mills, did an outstanding job of facilitating the program and soliciting support dollars.

This program, the brain-child of Mrs. Audrey Lawson, operates on the principle that a boy will learn more from a ‘peer-plus’ (a boy a little older than himself) than he will learn from parents and from educational institutions. It has excelled in academic tutoring, its central thrust. But above and beyond the academic tutoring, the boys have been introduced to a whole spectrum of experiences:

• They networked with other young people in the Mayor’s Youth Conference
• They attended the reception for the Metro CEO
• They engaged in seminars for test-taking, careers, health and wellness
• They studied Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
• They attended the Harlem Renaissance Exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts
• They attended theatre at HSPV A and the Rodeo and Livestock Show
• They did community service by helping to clean up an old abandoned cemetery
• They did their religious duty by attending Wednesday Bible study
• They honed their reading skills by reading a book a month
• They engaged in political activity by attending a town hall meeting, and by helping in the campaign of Lawrence Marshall, a candidate for HISD School Board
• Ms. Mills worked out permission for them to attend a prayer rally put on by President Bill Clinton

Kudoes go to the four levels of boys and their parents.

WOMEN ON THE MOVE

The Women’s Guild of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church worked with WALIPP to host a luncheon for women in shelters. The partnership solicited clothing from successful women throughout the community to be given to women who were (a) drug and alcohol-free, (b) not on probation for a felony, (c) willing to work toward a G. E. D. or a professional certificate, and (d) willing to take a job and be reliable employees. A luncheon, workshop and fashion show was held and included representatives from companies and institutions that might consider the women for training and employment. The women were given tips on interviewing and job-search. Surplus clothing was donated by WALIPP to individuals and shelters in need.

EDWIN REED CDC WORKSHOP

WALIPP hosted Edwin Reed, Chief Financial Officer of Allen A. M. E: Church of Jamaica, NY, a guru of faith-based community development and moving force of one of the nation’s largest neighborhood revitalization projects. Reed came to speak to a WALIPP-gathered audience of local CDC’s (Community Development Corporations) at Texas Southern University.