The Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition is known for its outstanding membership driven, social justice community organizing. The mission of the NWBCCC is to build power through relational organizing and issue campaigns that recruit and train individual and institutional members; energize institutions, win concrete victories that improve material conditions for community members, and change public and private policies that affect the Northwest Bronx. NWBCCC wins policy change on housing, economic development, education, immigration, and other issues of concern to its members. NWBCCC has strong presence in national organizing networks, including the Gamaliel Foundation, the National Training and Information Center (National People's Action), and the Center for Community Change.

We want a neighborhood where engaged local grassroots community leadership are able to effectively win policy demands through negotiating with elected officials and other power brokers and transfer leadership skills to local residents in order to build a model for responsible community and youth development. We want an active citizenry that ensures democracy, and a local government that provides basic human needs like quality housing and education, healthcare, jobs with dignity, and a clean and healthy environment.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2008- 2009

1. Creating an increased media presence and marketing strategy for the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance that is working toward a Community Benefits Agreement, Labor Peace Agreement and Project Labor Agreement with the Related Companies, the designated developer of the Kingsbridge Armory. KARA has a website, a Facebook and twitter page, and has consistently been in the mainstream press with a core group of leaders who have been making the case for living wage jobs and 2000 seats at the Kingsbridge Armory.
2. Being the major organizing force in the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance that effectively pressured the NY City Council to vote against the proposal of the developer Related Companies because they did not include a binding Community Benefits Agreement with living wage jobs, first source local hiring, protection of the right of retail workers to join a union without fear or intimidation, community and recreation space, and the exclusion of a supermarket or a big box grocery store. This is the first time that Mayor Bloomberg has lost a full council vote for one of his development initiatives. The vote was 45-to-1, with one abstention.
3. Our weatherization program received an increase due to federal stimulus funds that will allow us to triple the number of units served by the program. The NWBCCC celebrates with the Center for Working Families the passage of GREEN JOBS/GREEN HOMES NY: A policy blueprint for mass-scale greening of New York State, signed into law by Governor Patterson on October 13, 2009 Green Jobs/Green Homes NY (GJ/GH NY) is a blueprint for an unprecedented statewide initiative to retrofit one million homes in five years. The program will make New York homes energy efficient, lower fossil fuel emissions, and combat climate change. It will save households an average of 30-40% of energy consumption, create around 60,000 quality green job-years and obviate the need to site new power plants.
5. The outreach division of the Weatherization program established a Green Jobs Training roundtable working with local organizations like Sustainable South Bronx, The Point, and Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice. The roundtable hopes to host a green jobs conference in the summer of 2010.
6. In Oct. 2009, Bronx leaders of the NWBCCC met with officials of the Federal Reserve in order to seek reform of the Community Reinvestment Act.
7. Graduating a class at the Leadership Institute High School and improving parent participation and involvement, as well as student engagement in course work.
8. Starting a Student Success Center at the Leadership Institute High School
9. Recruiting hundreds of new leaders and members, and particularly clergy including twenty-four Affiliated Organizations (congregations, neighborhood associations, unions and schools).
10. Establishing a Leadership Council of 40 leaders who make up a new decision making body of the organization. .
11. In Oct. 2009, we held a meeting with 1200 participants where Senator Espada, a staunch opponent of legislation to stop and regulate vacancy decontrol made a commitment to support the legislation over landlords' interests. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz and mayoral candidate Bill Thompson announced unwavering support for the demands of the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance including living wage jobs and schools built at the site of the armory.
12. Receiving a commitment from the DoE to keep the Individual Pathways alternative high school open for one more year when it was slated to close in 2008.
13. Releasing the publication, "Improving Schools through Youth Leadership and Community Action," by the Annenberg Institute for School Reform.
14. Releasing the publication, "Art and Organizing, a Teaching Case on the Work of Sistas and Brothas United." By the Council of Alumni for Social Enterprise.”
15. Releasing "A Boom for Whom, How the Resurgence of the Bronx is Leaving Residents Behind" in July 2008 in conjunction with the Community Development Project of the Urban Justice Center.
16. Creating a clergy caucus with 20 affiliated congregations and 40 more relationships with other congregations in the area.
17. In March 2009, the Department of Education announced plans to build a 600 seat K-8 school on Webster Avenue just North of 204th St. in the Northwest Bronx.
18. As part of an initiative to increase support for weatherization work, expand the job base in the Northwest Bronx for young men of color in particular and develop a revenue producing program, the NWBCCC has been having strategic meetings with our local allies that began this summer to create a Bronx wide Green Jobs Initiative. Collectively, with the coordination provided by the NWBCCC Weatherization Program, these groups created a Bronx Green Workforce Development Roundtable to ensure Bronx organizations are coordinating to provide local residents with access and support to green job training, placement, career support, and even starting small green businesses that would be run by Bronx residents.