Posts in 'Black Justice Fund'

Core to SRC’s work is a dedication to power-building within Norristown’s Black community. Creating true change does not come without a core of confident, empowered leaders cultivated from within the city. Opportunities for leadership development need to be accessible and unintimidating; residents need to be able to envision themselves as changemakers. 

The heart of our work is our staff of Street Captains, formerly incarcerated individuals who now serve as community organizers. Street Captains serve as culturally credible messengers of our mission, going door to door to speak with residents and learn about their needs. Street Captains close the gaps in public services by rolling up their sleeves to help residents with their property, connecting them to resources, and empowering them to effectively champion their own concerns. They are essential to our overarching goals of fostering cleaner, safer, and more resilient neighborhoods, all while reducing recidivism and incarceration rates for those at risk of becoming justice involved. Grant funds will go towards covering part of the salary of an additional Street Captain, helping us provide meaningful employment to formerly incarcerated individuals who are uplifting the Norristown community.

STRIVE maintains a strategic and intentional partnership with Pottstown Middle School (PMS) specifically and generally with the Pottstown Area School District. As STRIVE began to implement its signature program Created For Greatness (CFG) with middle school youth, the success illuminated the need for more mentorship programs, increased community involvement, and investment in cultivating the next generation of youth leaders. With investments from the school district and other community partnerships, STRIVE’s leadership team created a robust organizational structure that empowers youth to take control of their futures. STRIVE is currently providing programming during the academic year and summer months to support youth during time out of school. Funding will provide mission-critical support to the entire organization supporting Pottstown youth through a critically important time in their development. 

Our innovative YouthBuild Social Justice Program (YouthBuild) is a transformative, 9- week leadership program, designed to equip 11–18 years youth with the tools to tackle racism, and exclusion. YouthBuild is not a traditional diversity program. The curriculum, based on the Southern Poverty Law Center's social justice standards - Identity, Diversity, Justice, and Action - consists of didactic, collaborative, and action-based learning. The program's design focuses on safe spaces where students can honestly engage, deeply reflect, and build leadership skills to combat bias, bullying, micro-aggression, and injustice in their schools and communities. It leverages youth voices not just for personal growth during an important developmental stage, but also as a foundation for understanding their rights and responsibilities, and a catalyst for individual power building and community transformation. Our unique approach combines socio-emotional and leadership development, personal storytelling grounded in lived experiences, power building, and action to produce a new generation of informed civic leaders equipped to build a just, inclusive, compassionate, and safe communities. 

We have built trust and influence in our community by identifying challenges and addressing the needs of those we serve and are expanding our reach and efforts to uplift underserved communities through various initiatives. As a COVID-19 vaccine provider during the pandemic, we provided education, vaccines, PPE, and rapid test kits to underserved communities. During Montgomery County’s ARPA grant process in 2023, we encouraged and supported AAPI organizations to apply for funding, hosting informational sessions with the county and providing language support. Noticing gaps in services for the Vietnamese community, we partnered with the Vietnamese Association for the Aging in Philadelphia & Suburbs to help build leadership and capacity. This funding supported events and preventive health education programs, like wellness walks and seminars, to promote physical and mental well-being of their seniors. As a direct outcome of the AAPI Community Strengths and Needs Assessment, we are launching a Youth Leadership Institute this summer and developing youth mental health outreach programs. The Jaisohn Wellness Community Plaza will enable us to expand our services and support even more people soon. 

To advocate for the Asian American community in Montgomery County with a stronger voice, we formed the Asian American Coalition for Health and Human Services (AACHHS), which includes Indian, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Filipino, Bengali, Pakistani, and Nepali community organizations. AACHHS has been instrumental in guiding discussions on how our members can support the diverse Asian American communities. By analyzing the results of our two-year AAPI Needs Assessment, the group identified Children, Youth and Family Programs as its initial focus and established the Mental Health for Youth and Family Committee and the Leadership Development Committee. We are now working on disseminating our findings to local care providers. 

Theatre Horizon builds community power by engaging Montgomery County residents not as spectators, but as co-creators in both artmaking and decision-making. Now in our third decade, we’ve become a trusted hub where community-led storytelling and professional regional theatre intersect—spotlighting residents and amplifying their voices on and off the stage. We use the transformative power of storytelling to foster empathy and to create an inclusive home for artists, audiences, and students alike. At Theatre Horizon, we believe in the power of gathering; that we are co-creators of a better reality; that we are always evolving; and that progress requires accountability. 

This project will bring forward the voice and vision of Black elders in Montgomery County. Funding will support the gathering and sharing of stories from African American seniors. and sharing Community Hero directly addresses the historical exclusion of Black leaders and Black community-serving organizations from tackling the challenges and opportunities facing Montgomery County residents. In particular, communities of color are often left behind in the mental health conversation. And we know that Black elders are typically the least engaged by the systems they rely on. Community Hero is directly addressing this challenge. 

The KB Foundation believes that youth should be empowered to use their voices and lived experiences to advocate for change, especially when it comes to services directly impacting them. We will use these funds to develop a Youth Leadership Council (YLC) comprised of 10 youth from Norristown Area Public Schools. The impact of the proposed project will be a sustainable, annual convening of youth who are civically engaged and well prepared to become the community leaders of the future. 

ACLAMO empowers Latino and immigrant clients in Montgomery County by providing integrated, bilingual services in education, health, legal navigation, and crisis response. With support from the Dr. Frank E. Boston Justice Fund, we will create Comunidad Unida: Caminos de Esperanza (United Community: Paths to Hope), equipping families with critical legal resources to protect themselves and their children. These trusted resources will reduce vulnerability and ensure families are prepared, informed and empowered.

Pottstown Community Action (PCA) is committed to power-building, positive storytelling, and community-rooted leadership development. Our work is guided by the belief that the people most impacted by injustice must be at the forefront of shaping solutions. As a resident-driven and minority-led initiative, we build platforms for BIPOC residents, low-income families, and long-term tenants to be heard, seen, and equipped to lead. We know that uplifting real voices transforms the way institutions respond and we ensure those stories guide program design, resource allocation, and strategic partnerships. 

This initiative is especially critical now, as local data shows widening health gaps across Pottstown Borough. PCA’s Health Equity and Resident Empowerment Initiative is more than a program, it is a pathway for historically silenced communities to reclaim health, agency, and visibility. By investing in leadership, lifting lived experience, and connecting care to culture, we are creating a model of responsive, resident-led transformation in Pottstown, concentrating on one underserved block at a time.