Umoja Village Progress Report
May 2, 2022
Umoja Village is a resource management and advocacy 501(c)3 organization of Blacks and African Americans united to leverage its own gifts, talents, and resources to impact positive change in the lives of those typically exposed to inequities in the areas of everyday living to include education, healthcare, finance/banking, legal/justice system, entrepreneurship, housing, and more. Umoja Village is an umbrella organization that unites Black/African American businesses, churches, organizations, sororities/fraternities, and individuals to impact change through external partnerships and the development of alliances with those who understand the need to serve the underrepresented, underserved, marginalized, and those impacted by the negative effects of prejudice, bias, and systemic racism. Umoja Village does not dismiss any other race or culture. Umoja Village recognizes that the greatest way to defeat ignorance, hatred, and racism is by encouraging unity and a display of love in action and by holding ourselves, elected officials, and community leaders accountable for establishing and maintaining inclusive policies, procedures, and practices.
Umoja Village Lifetime Visits
Umoja Village Traffic Sources
The following are just a few actions that Umoja Village has accomplished since the organization's inception (June 2020) in order to demonstrate its love for its people and the general population:
NOTE: Not necessarily in order of importance.
1. Development of the first Umoja Village Action Plan (and a subsequent update) of the Umoja Village Action Plan, which initiated vital conversations with Aiken County elected officials and community leaders regarding race relations, systemic racism, and accountability that have led to life-transformative policies, procedures, and programs to positively impact change in the lives of the underrepresented, marginalized, due to systemic racism and inequities in the areas of the legal/justice system, education, housing, healthcare, banking/finance, entrepreneurship, and more.
2. Through our strong community engagement and unification efforts, we were able to galvanize its "membership" to vote and impact change in the November 2020 elections.
3. Provide weekly texts to share information on employment activities, empowerment workshops, and other community engagement information (i.e. redistricting, grant funding, topics at city/county councils, etc.)
4. Facilitated unification efforts of Black/African American organizations, churches, sororities/fraternities, businesses, etc. to encourage collaborative partnerships and less fragmentation and increase utilization of resources efficiently and effectively.
5. Developed and maintain a Black/African American business directory, which is available on our website for public viewing. Refer to website analytics.
Umoja Village Top Searched Pages
Umoja Village Lifetime Business Directory Views
6. Established a network of Black/African American general contractors and subcontractors to connect them to bid opportunities. We also took them through the setup to bid for government contracts.
7. Developed and maintain a Community Calendar on our website. Refer to website analytics.
Umoja Village Top Searched Pages
Umoja Village Community Calendar Lifetime Views
8. Receive and disposition a minimum of 10 referral requests each week (40-50 calls, text messages, Facebook messages, visits, and emails) to include and not limited to:
*Connection to financial management assistance to raise credit scores
*Personal issues involving the local school district and students
*Request for summer programs for youth
*Assistance with employment to include resume development to job referrals
*Referral of a formerly incarcerated African American man with housing and counseling services
*Referrals and assistance with legal issues to include application for pardons, personal lawsuits, etc.
*Connecting business owners with key decision-makers in order to achieve positive business results.
*Connected several businesses, churches, and organizations with grant writers or other funding opportunities, which ultimately led to them successfully receiving funds (i.e. PPP programs, personal/business loans, etc.)
9. Selected as a Unite Us Community Champion to help our area become more effective and efficient with connecting clients to resources.
10. Created the Umoja Village Funding Allocation Process as a professional and accountable approach of disseminating funds to those organizations identified within our crime prevention plan.
11. Development of the Umoja Village Rebuilding The Foundation Action Plan for Crime Prevention. Implemented several aspects of the plan to include: the distribution of $26,000.00 invested in those youth mentorship organizations that are making positive differences in the lives of our at-risk youth but needed more financial support to accomplish their goals.
*SuccessTeam, Young Men's Leadership Academy
*Aiken Warriors AAU, facility rental March through May
*NAACP Aiken Youth Council, Leadership Development Conference
*Choices: A Lifetime Development, LLC., college scholarships to high school students
*Fall In Love with Literacy, Arrington Weston's book fair for students at Schofield Middle School
*Hankinson Boxing Gym, facility/equipment/national competition
*Carolina Vipers AAU Athletic Program, basketball program for at-risk youth
*Education Matters, symposium for youth and adults
12. Opened the Umoja Village Resource Center 4th quarter of 2021 to provide services to the community by appointment.
13. Coordinated and executed the first Umoja Village Black History Month Community Celebration at the Lessie B. Price Center. Sold out seating with over 200 attendees paid for in significant portions by local African American businesses.
14. Collaborated with other organizations to present empowerment workshops, seminars:
*The Aiken Links, two webinars on Economic Prosperity and homeownership
*Clemson University and The Imani Group, four COVID-19 educational workshops
*Education Matters "Will Automation Take My Job" symposium
*WAAW Shout 94.7 FM and the Aiken County NAACP (voter registration drives)
15. Received a Partner In Progress Award by the South Carolina Democratic Party in March 2022.
16. Beneficiary of monthly collections as deemed Umoja Village Sunday every 4th Sunday at the Greater Faith Fellowship Church in Aiken.
17. Hired first paid employee, Mrs. Cynthia Green (official start date May 2, 2022), which will enable Umoja Village to operate the Umoja Village Resource Center with regular business hours, starting May 24, 2022.
18. The Umoja Village board approved the hiring of "traveling educators" (listed in the crime prevention plan as a vetted pool of resources) who will be paid and dispatched to the youth mentoring organizations to assist youth with academics.
19. In partnership with The Imani Group to provide a job training + employment program for formerly incarcerated individuals and those who need a second chance. Umoja Village has signed an MOA to underwrite this program and to provide subsequent holistic support services to those individuals by connecting them to the resources they need to be successful and productive citizens in Aiken County and the CSRA. Investment by Umoja Village will be roughly $7,000, in 2022, which would cover two cohorts of 30 scholars each class.
20. According to recent crime statistics in Aiken, our area has experienced a reduction in general crime over the past nearly three years and is currently at zero for violent crime (murder) among juveniles and adults.