GEMS Youth Development Program is one of the seven organizations to receive a grant. They will receive $2,500 to support the Diamonds and Pearls Step Teams, seen here performing at the Capital City Book Fair.

Trenton, November 21, 2015

The Trenton Historic Development Collaborative (THDC), in partnership with I Am Trenton Community Foundation and Isles, Inc., is pleased to announce the recipients of its Fall 2015 round of funding under the THDC Small Grants Program. THDC small grants support grassroots community development projects in the neighborhood bordered by West State Street, Willow Street, Hermitage Avenue, and Bellevue and Rutherford Avenues.

Seven projects selected through a competitive application process will receive a total of $13,500. Awards in this round range from $500 to $2,500. Projects range from an achievement program for high school students run by NAACP-Trenton, to senior citizen outreach organized by Energetic Citizens Helping Others, to two initiatives focused on criminal record expungement.  A complete list of funded projects is included below.

The small grants program was established in 2014 by the THDC, a coalition of stakeholders convened by Shiloh Community Development Corporation in 2006 to revitalize their neighborhood through a resident-driven plan. Recognizing that small, grassroots groups do significant work, but lack access to traditional funding sources, the THDC Small Grants Program was established with support from Isles, Inc. through New Jersey’s Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit Program as part of implementing the neighborhood plan while building grantees’ capacity in the process. 

To set up the program, Isles, on behalf of the THDC, partnered with I Am Trenton Community Foundation. I Am Trenton was established in 2007 to make Trenton even better through community engagement, building pride in our city and community-focused giving. I Am Trenton brought its expertise with grant-making to the program and with this funding round, a total of more than $48,000 has now been distributed to more than 20 projects in the THDC neighborhood since the partnership initiative launched in November, 2014. 

Grantees will receive their checks at an awards ceremony on Saturday, November 21st, at 10 a.m. in the Carver Center. The Carver Center, located at 40 Fowler Street, has served as a social center for the community since its construction in the early 1900’s.

Please direct inquiries to:
Dan Fatton, Past President, I Am Trenton Community Foundation
(908) 303-4546 or [email protected] 
John J. Korp, Director of Planning and Development at Isles, Inc.
(609) 341-4729 or [email protected]

THDC Small Grants Program — Fall 2015 Awards

• A Better Way: Trenton Clean Slate Initiative
  To support criminal record expungements and subsequent related services to fifteen ex-offenders in the THDC neighborhood.
• I Am Real Talk: West Trenton Community Clean-up
  To engage youth in cleaning sections of the THDC neighborhood in effort to rid the community of waste.
• GEMS Youth Development Program: Youth Programs
  To continue an arts and academic program that uplifts and builds cognitive, socio-emotional and physical development through stepping, dancing, and mentoring for both boys and girls.
• Energetic Citizens Helping Others (ECHO): Senior Outreach 
  To support outreach to seniors who reside in the THDC Neighborhood with ECHO’s Monthly Newsletter and opportunities to become engaged, informed, independent, alerted to potential fraudulent consumer practices and scams.  
• My Eternal Family: Expungement Relief
  To support a community event for THDC residents to learn the status of expungement eligibility immediately. Eligible stakeholders will be paired up with a free attorney who will assist with their paperwork.
• NAACP Trenton Branch: ACT-SO
  To support an achievement program designed to recruit, stimulate, and encourage high academic and cultural achievement among African-American high school students, culminating in local and national competitions.  
• Vocational and Service Training (VAST): Learning & Integrated Vocational Experience (L.I.V.E.)
  To support VAST’s GED training, which combines training and computer work with relevant out of classroom activities for 25 THDC students. 

Isles is pleased to announce the addition of three new Trustees, elected at its June Board Meeting. Marty Johnson, Isles’ President and CEO, says, “As part of a long range strategic plan, Isles has expanded our board of trustees from 15 to 20 leaders. The trustees guide and support Isles, while also representing those we serve throughout the region. We are honored to work alongside them.” Our new Trustees include:

Steven P. Goodell is a partner at Herbert Van Ness Cayci & Goodell, concentrating his practice in the areas of municipal law, litigation in all courts, zoning and land use. Mr. Goodell received his A.B. from Bucknell University, with honors, and his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law. He is admitted to the bars of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the District Court for the District of New Jersey, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Goodell, a former Mercer County assistant prosecutor, is active in various community and professional organizations. He is also a trustee of the New Jersey Institute of Local Government Attorneys. Mr. Goodell served as Chair of the Isles Board of Trustees from January 2010 to December 2013.

Ronald B. Stark is an accounting and finance professional who has held executive level positions with several area companies, including NRG Energy, Pegasus Communications, and Berlitz International, and began his career as an auditor with Deloitte & Touche. He most recently served as NRG’s VP, Chief Accounting Officer with responsibility for directing all financial accounting and reporting activities company-wide. Ron is a certified public accountant and received his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Hofstra University and his J.D. from Rutgers School of Law in Newark.
 

Jacquelyn León, MPH is a Program Analyst at the New Jersey Department of Education. In this role, Ms. León works to catalogue “what works” in the area of school preparedness. She provides direct technical assistance and training to equip school administrators with the knowledge and tools to develop a high-quality emergency operations plan and the skills to exercise their plans to assess readiness during an emergency. Prior to joining the Department, Ms. León consulted with various agencies focused on positive youth development. Ms. León is a resident of Trenton.

The 20th Isles Youth Institute Commencement Ceremony took place on Tuesday, June 23, 2015, at 10:30 AM at The Hibernian Club in Hamilton Square, NJ. Commencement included an awards ceremony, speeches from founder and CEO Marty Johnson, students, and keynote speaker Reverend Darrell Armstrong.  Families, teachers, friends, and other supporters attended.

The commencement ceremony represented a year’s worth of academic and job training for students at Isles Youth Institute (IYI), an alternative school that emphasizes leadership development and civic engagement for students who have dropped out of traditional high school. Students at IYI participate in afterschool activities and volunteer extensively in the community. Staff works with students to help them apply to college and pursue employment.

“You have to send yourself a message, that when the world sends you negative messages you have to counter those messages with positive messages,” said Reverend Armstrong, in his address to this year’s graduates. “When the world tells you no, you have to be able to tell yourself yes. When the world tells you that you can’t, you have to be able to tell yourself yes, I can. “

 “Once you have earned your diploma, it is only the first step. I have already completed the first step. My next step will be college and hopefully beyond,” says Anibal Croux, a 2015 graduate.

This year’s graduates have a lot to look forward to. Members of the class of 2015 plan to continue their studies in college, attend nursing school and pursue careers in construction and the military.

“The same thing that has gotten you through this experience has to be the same sense of being that will get you through the next level of experience,” Reverend Armstrong encouraged the new graduates.

“Our students have worked hard, overcome seemingly unsurmountable obstacles and have proven to be resilient young people,” notes Stacy Felder, Director of Isles Youth Institute. “We wish them well as they continue on their path to success. Onward and upward!”

On April 19, an inspiring leader and friend, Louise Rolling, passed away. How lucky we are to stand on the shoulders of such great people who make this work possible! We shared these words at her service on Tuesday:

Louise and James Rolling came by our office in 1990, under the guise of wanting to create a community garden on Dunham Street. What they really wanted however, was something far more audacious – the cleanup of the contaminated old Magic Marker building.

At first, we thought it would take too long –over 10 years – to accomplish that. How frustrating would it be for the civic group to spend that much time on such a complex process? Where would the millions of dollars come from? Louise and James were so thoughtful, so connected to their community, and so persistent, that we joined forces with them. And what an honor it was to work alongside them, and eventually, to succeed with them on many fronts.

Louise was the quiet, but fiercely determined half of the Rolling team. We will miss her dearly and we will always be grateful for her leadership, friendship, and love. 

created by Christie Jiang, Princeton Class of 2017