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Southwest Neighborhood Assembly, Inc. Annual Report  2003 - 2004

History Task Force Annual Report

The plans and written materials for the SW Heritage Walk have been prepared and are ready to be fabricated into street signs.  The delay has been the responsibility of the Department of Transportation which has the contract to do the work.  DC Cultural Tourism is promising a terrific celebration to mark the opening of the Trail, which is promised for this Autumn.  

The Photo exhibit in the Waterside Mall is still up for viewing and will remain until construction begins for a new beginning for our Mall.  Many people are still enjoying the pictures and if you have not seen it, you are invited to do so. 

Margaret Feldman, Chair.

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SWNA Scholarship Committee Annual Report

This is the 29th year of the SWNA Scholarship program.  Over the past twenty-nine years, the community-supported fund has helped 200 neighborhood youth achieve their educational goals by providing grants for college.  These grants of financial support may help to defray the costs of tuition, purchase text books, supplement work-study programs, pay for a trip home when a student is feeling homesick, provide for small necessities, or even supplement the student's diet with the occasional pizza.  The program started by residents of River Park Cooperative was picked up by the SWNA and expanded.  It now stands as a unique example of neighborhood support for the youth in southwest.

Scholarship Committee members are all volunteers who devote many hours to this community effort that includes the solicitation of funds, fund raising such as yard sales, review of applications, and personal student interviews conducted by Henry Evans, Herbert Holmes, and past recipient, David Wormack.  This past year, the Committee included: Dale Maclver, Henry Evans, Herbert Holmes, and Barbara Murray, Chair.  A total of $8,500 was awarded with individual student awards ranging from $400 to $1,000.

The Students –

Because of the varied housing and income levels of southwest, our scholarship recipients come from public housing, subsidized housing (Section 8), and middle-income residences.

Scholarship recipients for year 2003:

• Danielle Flythe  (River Park Friends), Syracuse University

• Wayne Mack, McDaniel College

• Dontria M. Brawner, Penn State University

• Fatoumata Bah, New York University

• Enoch Long, Temple University

• Alan Clipper, North Carolina Wesleyan College

• John Thompson, Winthrop University

• Keith Thompson, Virginia State University

• Melony Hawkins, University of Maryland

• Eugenia S. Norde, North Carolina A & T University

Annual Report for The Southwester

I.      Finances –  Eleven monthly issues were put out in 2003.  Revenue from advertising totaled $17,721.50, under the guidance of Susan Fischer, advertising coordinator.

Cost of producing was $21,297.50.

Bank balance on Dec. 31, 2003 was $263.59.

II.     Volunteer writers –  By-lines were given to the following volunteers who wrote stories for The Southwester (listed in chronological order of first appearance during the year):

Carole Early, Barbara Ehrlich, Maurice Boyd, Susan Carpenter, B.K. Lunde, Ron McBee, Sarah Livingston, Jean Macdonald, Ray Williams, Naomi Monk, Alvin Hudgens, Gregory G. Gibson, William Bell, Thelma D. Jones, Stehen M. Nanney, Dale MacIver, Mark Clark, Robert Crane, Wallace Babington, Dr. Jerelyn Smith, Perry Klein.

III.    Help from many others plus District of Columbia agencies –  Many stories are based on information volunteered by members of organizations and agencies with dealings in Near Southwest.

IV.     Distribution –  Volunteers helping with distribution include Herb Holmes, Maurice Boyd, Jackie Matthews, Carlos Rodriguez, Judy Wise, Susan Fischer and many others in individual housing complexes.

Dale MacIver and Carole Early, Joint editors

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SWNA Southwest DC Web Project (www.swdc.org)

The Southwest D.C. Web-site (www.swdc.org) was created five years ago to provide a resource for information for residents of Southwest, and to show people not living in Southwest the many things our community has to offer.

In Fall 2003, the Web-site was completely redesigned to give it a new look and to improve its usefulness for day-to-day use.  For example, the home page now has up-to-date local weather information and also direct links to past issues of The Southwester.  It is also easy to search the site by name or topic.  It has sections on: About SWDC, Residents, Businesses, Attractions and Community Leaders.  There are many useful links to our local government representatives, to theatres and other attractions, and to the many museums in the area.

The newly-designed Web-site has been averaging around 46 visits a day, at least triple the number the old site had been receiving.  If you haven’t seen www.swdc.org  give it a try, and tell your friends!

Thanks are due Eda Robinson of InterComp 2000 for her excellent pro bono work in redesigning the Web-site, and to Sherry Klein, Web-master for maintaining it.

Perry Klein

Youth Activities Task Force Annual Report

This year the YAFT has sponsored several new programs as well as continuing old ones.

Safe Sitters, a national organization which trains and certifies baby sitters, is now a YATF program with Thelma Jones and Anita Sands, certified instructors, conducting classes for SW youth.  These classes are held throughout the year and cost YATF about $450.

A one- time program has been a seminar for Bowen Elementary School 6th graders on the life and contributions of our former neighbor, Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.  This was a grant of $1200.by a grant from the D.C. Humanities Council and the World Bank -IMF African American Association, coordinated by YATF’s Thelma Jones.

A group of girls met for “In the Know” discussions and fun, led by YATF’s Delmar Weather, at the King Greenleaf Center.  They had a “graduation party” in February.

YATF works closely with both King Greenleaf and Randall Recreation Centers.  We sponsored athletic programs, and have donated needed sports supplies and books to Randall, led by Director Zakiya Brown. We were able to give her a donated TV and spent a little more than $1100 for Randall programs.  At the request of Marcus Ellis, King Greenleaf Director, YATF purchased a new pool table for $800, which is proving a very popular activity.  We also funded some campers at K-G.  The YATF was able to ask the Cavaliers for help in assembling the table and fixing the new basketball hoop.

The Police Boys and Girls Club, headed by Alvin Hudgens, has received YATF funds of about $1600 for sponsorship of both football and basketball teams.

YATF is assisting Arena Stage’s Laura Zam, Educational Director, with SW youth who have written and acted in Voices of Now.   Beryl Rice has been representing YATF.  This is a continuing program in 2004.  We helped send some of these young actors to see a professional play, Crowns at Arena.

Tae Kwon Do classes have continued with Black Belt Master Philip Baroody.  In January 2003 there was an awards ceremony for the students with trophies donated by Master Robert Chung, whose academy also sent our classes beautiful Christmas presents in 2003.  A group of students were taken in June to the Smithsonian to see Master Jhoon Rhee perform. A volunteer dance instructor now works with girls after the TKD class and three other volunteer come regularly to help as well as several parents.  This is the most expensive program we sponsor, about $6500, paid in part by small grants and several donations.

An informal bowling activity is sponsored by YATF member Dale MacIver.

YATF is pleased with the increased cooperation of all SW organizations involved in SW youth programs, and continues to search for more participation by the community.  Articles in the Southwester have helped raise awareness of our activities.  We are also very please that after many delays the work on the new King Greenleaf Center is under way!

We held two mail solicitations this year, and have two grant proposals pending.  We can use donations all year around to continue our activities.

YATF Members: Jean Macdonald, Chair, Rick Bardach, Zakiya Brown, Marcus Ellis, Rhonda Hamilton, Ida Hernandez, Maria Hernandez, Herbert Holmes, Alvin Hudgens, Che Lopez. Dale MacIver, Lenora Moragne, Sylvia Morris, Kiera Proctor, Beryl Rice, Gina Santos, Delmar Weathers, Niles White, Eve Wilkens, Emma Wright.

This entire report in PDF format     2002-2003 Report