Reynoldstown Revitalization Corporation
Resources for Residents and Communities of Georgia (RRC) is a nonprofit 501 C (3)nonprofit community development corporation founded in 1989 as Reynoldstown Revitalization Corporation with the initial mission of revitalizing the Reynoldstown community in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. RRC CREATES sustainable communities through knowledge sharing, community building, housing and economic opportunities with residents at the center of our effort. Since it was founded in 1989, RRC has expanded to offer its holistic model and services to other communities across the Metro Atlanta area. RRC currently has four primary business lines: Housing Development; Property Management, Community Building, and the HomeOwnership Center.
Misson and Vision
RRC's mission is to create sustainable communities through knowledge sharing, community building, housing and economic opportunities with residents at the center of our effort. The RRC way is a unique, holistic approach to community development that supports residents as well as the physical and spiritual components of community. This can be achieved by providing affordable housing, rehabilitation of existing housing, assisting existing businesses and new businesses, supporting community associations, providing financial and homebuyer education, encouraging positive out-of-school activities for youth, etc. RRC seeks to upgrade living conditions in communities, but most importantly empower the residents to achieve these goals themselves through organizing and human capacity building. RRC seeks to restore neighborhoods to a family of communities supported by and supportive of their neighbors, while developing a model for others to follow. RRC also seeks to create self-sufficienct communities.
History
The Reynoldstown Civic Improvement League (RCIL) was organized in 1952 under a program sponsored by the Atlanta University School of Social Work and the Atlanta Urban League. This was during the time when the city was segregated and voting rights were denied to African Americans. The main objective of the League was to involve the community in the political and voting process. The first goal of the League was to get all the residents registered to vote. The second was to get youth to participate In character building activities. The organization met monthly on a local level but also met various times with other local leagues to discuss projects, activities and/or strategies. Every third Sunday all of the local leagues met with coordinators from Atlanta University and the Urban League. Early league activities in the neighborhood included: 1) motivating interest in public issues, 2) sponsoring programs to enlighten the residents, 3) increasing voter registration and 4) petitioning the Atlanta Board of Education to construct an elementary school in the community. As an outcome of 4), property was purchased and the I.P. Reynolds School was constructed and opened in 1958. This was a great boost to the neighborhood because it served as an enhancement to curtail school dropout and as a neighborhood center for functions. After a period of inactivity, the League was reorganized as the Reynoldstown Civic Improvement League and chartered in June 1974. The reorganized League was under the leadership of Mrs. Mattie Griffin. Activities during this period included 1) installation of streetlights for added security, 2) traffic light installed at Moreland Avenue and Wylie Street, 3) secured Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) bus services to the neighborhood, 4) school crosswalks and safety zones placed at streets leading to I.P. Reynolds School, and 5) petitioning for improved police protection. Under the leadership of Mr. Young Hughley Sr., the League 1) secured funds to build a neighborhood park and recreation center, 2) sought housing for community functions, 3) operated a “thrift store,” 4) sponsored the Reynoldstown Community Festival, 5) published a neighborhood newsletter, and 6) sponsored a clean up campaign. Other past presidents were Mrs. Corrine E. Lang, Mr. James R. Hightower and Mr. Lewis Holmes Sr. Other important events included lobbying to curtail the toll road by the Georgia Department of Transportation, which would have been built through Reynoldstown, leveling many of its homes and destroying the neighborhood; filing suit against MARTA to curtail widening of streets and destroying several houses; lobbying for the Reynoldstown MARTA station; and, as an ongoing process, working with the C.S.X. Railroad project to monitor the purchase of property for this project.
The Reynoldstown Revitalization Corporation (RRC) is an outgrowth of the Civic Improvement League. In the late 1980s, the League was considering becoming a Community Development Corporation (CDC) to receive available monies for technical assistance and operating funds for neighborhood redevelopment. The League asked Young Hughley Sr.’s son, Young Hughley Jr., to research the feasibility of becoming such an organization. After visiting similar groups in other parts of the country with Hattie Dorsey of the Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership (ANDP), Young Hughley Jr. recommended that the new organization take a holistic approach. His recommendation was that the organization should be involved with more than just housing, and address economic development, leadership development and the overall health of the neighborhood—everything that makes up a vigorous community. Thereafter, Young Hughley Jr. was asked to head the organization, and he continues in that role today.
See also
Citizens Development Corps
References
CAULEY, H.M. "An affordable neighborhood with easy access to downtown." Atlanta Journal Constitution 7/25/04 23 Jun 2008 <http://www.ajc.com/search/content/ajchomefinder/newsinclude/content/0704/25neighb.html>.
Reynoldstown Revitalization Corporation, Reynoldstown Revitalization Corporation. 23 Jun 2008 <http://rrc.reynoldstown.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1>.