Afterthoughts

On November 11, 2013, Encore.org announced that I was being recognized as a 2013 Purpose Prize fellow. The Purpose Prize is the country’s only large-scale investment in social entrepreneurs and other creative problem solvers in the second half of life. According to ENCORE.org “Purpose Prize fellows are using their passion and experience to help solve some of society’s toughest problems … They represent a growing wave of people in their 60s and beyond who are using their know-how to change the world, while shifting perceptions of what is possible in this stage of life.”

http://www.encore.org/narendra-p-sharma

I am humbled by this recognition. I also realize that it is really a tribute to the many individuals who have made the Neighborhood Outreach Connection (NOC) successful. And as I look beyond ego and emotion, I realize that this recognition is not the purpose of my involvement in community service.

Lasting inner peace and happiness come from our connection with people and nature … helping people who are in need, those who are vulnerable, and those who are suffering from poverty, social injustice, and not having the choices that many of us had from the outset or have now. Each day I aspire to do good and the greatest feeling is when you help others achieve happiness and love. Yesterday, a mother told me proudly that her daughter who is attending NOC’ after school program got three awards in school … there was a smile on the daughter’s face when I congratulated her. There are many other examples like this family who are trying to get ahead in life. This is my purpose … touching the lives of people.

For the past three year, NOC has provided valuable services through its Program Center located with the Bluffton House Apartment complex. Unlike the Program Center at the Oaks on Hilton Head, which operates out of three apartments that are owned by NOC, the Bluffton House Program Center uses one community social service apartment and one rental apartment. Such an arrangement relies heavily on a good working relationship with the apartment complex owners.

Bluffton House is now under new ownership and management, and sadly, NOC has been informed  that it must vacate one apartment by August 31, 2013, and the other apartment by November 30, 2013, when NOC’s lease expires on that unit. NOC acknowledges  the rent concessions it has received on these two apartments from the new company,  Apsen Management of West Srpingfield, Massachusetts, and appreciates the company’s recognition that NOC is providing valuable support to the community in Bluffton House Apartments through its mission and outreach programs relating to education, health care, and workforce development. But Aspen’s decision to ask NOC to leave Bluffton House fails to take these social benefits into consideration. Rather, it is driven by the company’s financial considerations, specifically the loss of revenue resulting from not renting these two apartments, a loss of $20,000 to $25,000 per annum.

There are three important considerations:

• First, the consequences of NOC’s moving out of Bluffton House in the middle of the school year will be significant and costly to more than 200 children and families living in the Bluffton House complex. Pre-schoolers will no longer have access to a Program Center with their mother/guardians where they acquire learning skills and competencies to enter school. Elementary and middle school children will no longer receive homework support and tutoring, nor will they have access to computers and internet, so that they can master skills and acquire knowledge in math, language arts, and information. The combined effect of this will be that these children will continue to fall behind, and fail to meet school standards, remain in school, and graduate on time. When children do not participate in summer learning, such as that provided by NOC, they lose the equivalent of two months of learning acquired in the previous academic year. In addition, parents (mainly mothers), who are constrained by transportation and time, will no longer be able to walk to the Program Center and learn English.  Most people in this neighborhood lack health insurance and access to health care; without health screenings the quality of life diminishes immensely.
• Second, NOC wants to build on the gains of past years that have been made in Bluffton House. More than 300 children (reflecting the dynamic transition of the neighborhood) have benefited through the education programs, which have shown positive impact as reported by the Beaufort County School District based on standardized test scores. In fact, Bluffton House students have made higher scores when compared to their peers in the school district. There are numerous stories of success and progress through various interventions of NOC and its partners. In health care, NOC has over the past three years screened more than 500 individuals living in Bluffton House. These individuals lack access to health insurance or continued health care. Through its social events and periodic public safety workshops, NOC has fostered stability and a sense of community in this neighborhood. NOC’s strong presence in the neighborhood and its connection with people are a strong deterrent to crime.   NOC has also been a “connector” by bringing in other service providers (e.g., local schools, library, church groups, government service providers, and NGOs) and local volunteers. Through its reputation and results, NOC has portrayed a positive image for the owners and management team of Bluffton House. NOC’s presence in the neighborhood also attracts families who will bring stability and cohesiveness to the neighborhood. We want to build on this momentum and Aspen Management can be an important partner in this endeavor.
• Third, Aspen has asked us to look at other options outside of Bluffton House. We have completed this task and have found no feasible solution. Unlike the school system and other service providers, NOC cannot transport these children to another neighborhood. We do not have the capacity to add a transportation system since our development approach is based on a strong presence within neighborhoods and our connections with people. The location of our Program Center within the neighborhood is highly critical to our success.

We know that there must be a solution to this dilemma, and we are committed to finding an answer. The Greater Bluffton community wants us to find a solution and remain in Bluffton House. The gains we have made in Bluffton House benefit, both directly and indirectly, the local community at large. To this end, we will continue to pursue a satisfactory solution that does not compromise the interests of the families living in Bluffton House.

NOC’s Business Model: Highly Relevant for Empowering People

As it embarks on its next five years, Neighborhood Outreach Connection (NOC) is proud of its accomplishments and development approach to help people in need in local low-income neighborhoods. NOC intends to build on this strong foundation to fight poverty and empower people to improve their quality of life. People who are empowered will achieve independence, self-reliance, and dignity, also they will contribute to the local economy.

The mission of the Neighborhood Outreach Connection (NOC) is to fight poverty by helping those in need achieve the “American Dream.” NOC’s mission, which places emphasis on the individual, the family, and the community, remains powerful and highly relevant today and together with its business model, it positions NOC strategically to combat two formidable challenges faced locally:

• Poverty is a serious concern in a number of neighborhoods in Beaufort County (affecting more than 14% of the county’s population, especially children and women).
• A significant proportion (35% to 40%) of the new majority in public schools (nearly 11,000 African American and Hispanic students) needs help in order to meet school standards, remain in school, and graduate on time with the right skills and knowledge; most of these students live in low-income neighborhoods.

NOC is generating positive results and will continue to make a significant difference in the lives of many people, especially the children.

• NOC focuses on creating opportunities within distressed neighborhoods on Hilton Head Island and in Greater Bluffton by connecting resources, services, and technology to the people who need them most.
• NOC’s takes assistance directly into these neighborhoods and its strong presence in these neighborhoods allows it to build trust and strong relationships with the people living there.
• NOC’s flagship education program includes pre-school classes and an after-school tutoring program that bring teachers and volunteers into “learning centers” to provide homework help during the school year, as well as a Virtual Summer Learning Program during the summer. Currently more 200 children are enrolled in this program. NOC’s pre-school program, serving more than 40 children, focuses on school readiness.
• NOC is placing special attention on bringing modern technology into the neighborhood – with support from the VanLandingham Rotary Club – to encourage continuous learning among children and adults.
• NOC provides health screenings for hypertension, diabetes, breast cancer, prostate cancer, vision and hearing, and HIV/AIDS, as well as workshops relating to pre-natal care and dental hygiene, reaching more than 1200 people.
• NOC has integrity in the way it conducts business and manages its finances, and it has partnerships with the Beaufort County School District and local schools, Beaufort County Library, Beaufort Memorial Hospital, local churches, and other organizations such as the Rotary Clubs, Lions Club, and Kiwanis.

For more information, visit NOC on  Facebook.

Below are some of my thoughts and priorities for 2013.

The transition from 2012 into 2013 marks neither an end nor a beginning … it is simply part of a continuum of ongoing change. For NOC, this represents an opportunity to grow and progress.

In retrospect, 2012 was an excellent year for NOC.  But our work has just begun and the challenges we face remain formidable if we are to make NOC highly relevant as a local community development organization. We face two formidable challenges that must be addressed because of moral, social, and economic considerations and because of their impact locally.

1. There is a serious level of poverty in a number of neighborhoods in Beaufort County (affecting 14% of the county’s population).
2. A significant proportion (35% to 40%) of the new majority in public schools (nearly 11,000 African American and Hispanic students) needs help in order to meet school standards, remain in school, and graduate on time with the right skills and knowledge; most of these children live in low income neighborhoods.

NOC is moving in the right direction to address these challenges. Clearly, NOC’s strength lies in its mission, business model, and core programs (education, health services, and workforce development), and, more importantly, in its ability to generate results efficiently on the ground. NOC must build on this strength as it moves forward.

To this end, NOC will focus on …

1. growth — targeting programs that have high payoffs and outcome (e.g., pre-school, K through Grade 5, health screenings);
2. continuous positive results to help those who are in need, especially the children;
3. connection with people in targeted neighborhoods by building trust and respect;
4. strategic partnerships with key agencies to leverage resources, services, and knowledge/information to help the poor and those in need; and
5.  integrity in how NOC conducts its business.

In 2013, NOC will continue expanding and improving the quality of its core programs. While education will remain NOC’s flagship program, we will concentrate on the following priorities:

1. Use existing strategic plans for implementation of pre-school, K through Grade 5, 2013 summer program, and ESL programs in Bluffton and HHI; re-introduce middle school program in HHI and Bluffton on a pilot scale.
2. Complete establishment of the VL Rotary supported Virtual Learning Center in Oaks and place more emphasis on technology in order to focus on education goals.
3. Execute 3 to 6 health screenings in HHI and Bluffton and support at least 9 to 12 health workshops relating to health care (including PASO programs), nutrition, dental care, and pre-natal care.
4. Strengthen NOC’s field team by hiring a Program Manager for Bluffton PC and two AmeriCorps members to support field operations.
5. Add 3 new members to NOC’s Board and make NOC’s organization more effective and impact-oriented through a training program and a matrix of responsibilities for Board members.
6. Utilize the $20,000 grant strategically to raise capital ($200,000) linked to NOC’s programming and budgeting for 2013.
7. Establish health services and minority affairs committees to concentrate on strategic plans, policies, performance, and improvement of operations, following the model of the Education Committee; these committees will present their findings to the Board in a timely manner to improve decision making and quality of NOC’s programs.
8. Strengthen NOC’s capabilities for monitoring program impacts by establishing a performance matrix with clearly defined performance indicators (outputs/outcomes) and a database in partnership with the BCSD.
9. Promote NOC’s brand, business model, and results through aggressive marketing, especially in support of fund raising; prepare a new NOC brochure and make Constant Contact fully operational; and use social media (especially Facebook) for networking and informing others.

We are optimistic about NOC’s future and we expect 2013 to be another excellent year with impacts on the lives of many people, especially children in low income neighborhoods.

Happy New Year!