Community Building

Community Building is the approach that we take to improve the wellbeing of people in the North Shore North Shore CDC is highly active in el Punto – a vibrant, settlement neighborhood outside of Downtown Salem – and beyond through our Community Building work.  We participate in community wide planning, advocacy and support to marginalized community members primarily in el Punto to advocate for the needs of a community to continue to thrive.  We engage the community in making decisions by elevating their voices to be at the forefront of decisions that will affect their neighborhood.

Our programs are funded in part by the City of Salem, City of Peabody, Department of Planning and Community Development, and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender or gender identity, familial status, disability, ancestry, age, marital status, public assistance, sexual orientation, veteran history/ military status or generic information.

PROGRAMS

ESPACIO/COMMUNITY CENTER:

Espacio is a community center built in 2017 featuring art from the Punto Urban Art Museum with program and event space as well as kitchen amenities for residents and program partners. At Espacio, we hold classes, workshops, and trainings as well as provide space to community members to hold private events. 

To learn more about Espacio, click the visit Espacio link below.

SMALL BUSINESS TECHNICAL SUPPORT:

North Shore CDC’s Small Business Technical Support Program provides free one-on-one consulting and technical assistance services primarily to immigrant-, women- and minority-owned businesses. These services also include industry-specific workshops, training and focus groups. Through this program, Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs have the opportunity to test out a brick and mortar through the Retail Incubator Space.

NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING + ADVOCACY

Our organization is ‘by-and-for’ not ‘on’ the community, we are rooted in advocacy with staff who reflect the rich diversity of identities and experiences that inform and support our work. We do this work through:

  • Advocacy
  • Ensure follow-through 
  • Determination

We provide equitable access to organizing activities where resident know and feel they belong, they matter and that we listen to them  which allows us to elevate the power of their voices. We do this work through: 

  • Partnership
  • Organizing
  • Empowerment

OTHER SERVICES / PROGRAMS

FAMILY SUCCESS PROGRAM:

The Family Success Program (FSP) is a Hub of resources and pathways for families and individuals in the neighborhood – home to a coordinated set of services that promote economic self-sufficiency and a catalyst for commercial investment in the North Shore. The HUB serves as a base for a wide range of existing classes and services, with the intention of providing greater opportunities for low-income residents and families. It will also serve the dual role of providing residents with 1on1 coaching strategies and mapping out alternative solutions that ensure we are meeting resident needs.

COMMUNITY EVENTS + ACTIVITIES

Build Days are annual volunteer days when volunteers from around the North Shore work in collaboration with YouthBuild North Shore students to complete construction projects in Beverly and Peabody. Recent Build Days have included projects ranging from interior painting of affordable housing buildings to landscaping projects and fence repair.

COMMUNITY INVESTMENT

DIGITAL EQUITY

Digital Equity (DE) is a condition in which all individuals and communities have the information technology capacity needed for full participation in our society, democracy, and economy. DE is necessary for civic and cultural participation, employment, lifelong learning, and access to essential services. Studies have shown that the populations most impacted by a lack of DE are non-white, low-income, and senior communities, which is why this work is pivotal to our work as an organization striving to foster thriving and equitable communities. There are three core pillars of DE, which are internet access, devices, and literacy.

RESIDENT AMBASSADORS

North Shore CDC partners with strong community leaders in the Point neighborhood through our Resident Ambassador program, who have passion for supporting their community and want to strengthen their Leadership Development Skills.  Resident Ambassadors work closely with North Shore CDC’s Community Building team to provide outreach and engage residents through developing unique community based programming, connecting residents to city services and evaluating the community to identify areas of needed revitalization.  This programs seeks to empower residents for higher levels of leadership, volunteerism, role modeling and community membership. Ambassadors help increase resident engagement and leadership throughout the community in support of our mission, increasing participation and engagement in the community.