Renaissance West Community Initiative (RWCI)
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Mack McDonald, CEO, Renaissance West Community Initiative:
"Renaissance West Community Initiative was founded to break the cycle of generational poverty here in this part of west Charlotte. And we do that with a holistic community approach that focuses on quality housing, and focuses on a cradle to career education continuum."
Dr. Ophelia Garmon-Brown, Chief Community Health & Health Equity Exec, Novant Health:
"It's about the child, the child's family, and all the things that are necessary in terms of the family being successful – housing, jobs, transportation, health care. All of that is critically important and it's happening at Renaissance West!"
Shade' Joseph, Resident of Renaissance West:
"I can honestly say I see the future looking bright. To have Renaissance West here, it gives you a backbone. It gives you stability. And it makes you feel like you're not alone and that you'll always have someone."
Renaissance West Community Initiative (RWCI)
Renaissance West Community Initiative (RWCI) is ending inter-generational poverty through holistic community revitalization. Our Mission is to promote collaborative community centered on: Quality Housing, Education, Health and Wellness, and Opportunity. In 2012, RWCI was established to revitalize a public housing site into a vibrant village - The Renaissance, which completed construction in 2016 with 334 mixed-income housing units. RWCI is the "Community Quarterback" coordinating resources and partnerships.
On-site quality education is a critical pillar of RWCI. Access to early education is key in ultimately creating economic stability for families. The Howard Levine Child Development Center is the first component of our cradle-to-career education continuum, serving children 6 weeks to 5 years-old. Renaissance West STEAM Academy is a Pre-K-8th grade public school in the neighborhood, which also serves as a community center and is open extended hours for program and out-of-school opportunities.
RWCI is a Purpose Built Community, a model proven to transform areas of concentrated urban poverty into positive sustainable neighborhoods. Our Care Coordinators provide wraparound services to residents as they move toward self-sufficiency, including: financial literacy classes, workforce training, health and wellness programs, and skills development.
Renaissance West Community Initiative (RWCI) tackles upward mobility and poverty through a holistic two-generation approach in a place-based setting. We remove barriers to success for hard-working families, focusing on social determinants of health: economic stability, education, neighborhood environment, preventive healthcare access.
Residents face daily challenges of toxic stress, perpetuating conditions where economic mobility is stifled and poverty repeats itself over generations. Located in a Food/Healthcare Desert, 88% of households are headed by young, single mothers, working towards high school diplomas, and advancing careers. Most of our youngest children had no formal early education and 25% arrive with speech and hearing challenges.
RWCI embraces the "Purpose Built Community" model, providing proven solutions:
Mixed-income housing
- Strengthen family through housing stability with two-generation approach\;
- Create environments elevating standard-of-living, while providing affordable housing options.
Cradle-to-career education pipeline
- Child Development Center: low student-teacher ratios prepare children for kindergarten\;
- Pre-K through 8th grade STEAM Academy: successfully proven curriculum for children from high poverty neighborhoods incorporates working with families on social/emotional issues\;
- GED, college prep, workforce development for high school students/adults.
Community health and wellness
- Life Navigators provide case management, helping families determine services needed and goal-setting\;
- Improved healthcare access.
- How do you break the cycle of poverty?
- How do you help children achieve in school when affected by toxic stress?
- How do you help low-income citizens achieve self-sufficiency?
Your vote for Renaissance West Community Initiative helps us address these pressing issues in Charlotte through proven solutions:
- RWCI's Vision: to end inter-generational cycles of poverty through housing stability, quality education, skills-building and workforce development.
- RWCI's onsite education village provides quality education from birth to eighth grade\; wraparound services help children arrive "school-ready," bringing added resources for children from low-income backgrounds.
- RWCI fosters successful career pathways: working with local high schools/colleges to ensure students receive additional supports; providing myriad services for adults to improve their skills and increase incomes.
RWCI is a "Purpose Built Community" leading the revitalization of a former public housing site into a holistic mixed-income neighborhood.
We're in the community every day: identifying residents' needs; bringing in partners that provide resources and strengthen families.
More broadly, RWCI creates pathways to economic mobility and achievement, further impacting future generations in Charlotte's west side.
$20,000 helps RWCI make an impact:
Stabilize and strengthen families;
Build holistic community of wellness\;
End poverty in west Charlotte!
Our contact info:
Phone: 704-335-8227
Email: info@rwci.org
Website address: www.rwci.org