For the past decade, Richmond’s Virginia Community Voice (VACV) has been a blueprint for how organizations can drive equitable community engagement, amplify citizens’ voices and foster radical healing in their own backyards.
VACV’s work centers on creating and implementing equitable processes for addressing community needs by empowering residents to identify challenges in their own neighborhoods and collaborating with local government, banks, developers and other organizations on possible solutions.
“This model of community engagement – how you bring voices that have been historically marginalized to the center of decision making – was something that hasn’t really been done before,” said Lea Whitehurst-Gibson, executive director for VACV.
This framework eventually became VACV’s The Blueprint Model, a four-step process organizations can use to create equitable community engagement by amplifying citizen voices and implementing a human-centered approach to community organizing. VACV now offers workshops, educational training and coaching services for organizations looking to implement the Blueprint Model in their communities.
Amplifying the voices of Southside Richmond residents
VACV was originally affiliated with Charlottesville-based nonprofit Thriving Cities Group from 2016-2018 as a strategic program called RVA Thrives, whose community engagement initiatives focussed on racial equity in neighborhoods along the Richmond Highway corridor on the southside of the city.
The Southside area, which mainly consists of Black communities, was annexed by the city of Richmond decades ago, leaving residents out of decision-making conversations. Historic redlining has also hindered investment in remedying community needs, such as affordable housing shortages.
“It felt important that we help elevate and amplify the voices of the neighbors on the Southside,” Whitehurst-Gibson said.
VACV became its own nonprofit in 2019 and RVA Thrives now houses VACV’s community organizing and engagement work, which includes a leadership academy, youth development programs and working groups focused on green initiatives and affordable housing efforts.
To craft a truly equitable community engagement apparatus, VACV knew it had to help remove financial barriers for residents who wanted to participate in community organizing work. Whitehurst-Gibson had the innovative idea of paying community members $20 per hour for contributing their ideas and time towards bettering the future of their communities.
“We’ve seen people be deeply engaged in the work and feel like they have ownership when they walk into a room or into our meetings,” Whitehurst-Gibson said.
Fostering radical healing for residents and staff
The organization’s latest project is the Southside Richmond Center for Rest & Healing, a space that will provide both physical health programming and mental health services in a safe and inclusive environment.
The project, which started during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, plans to take a groundbreaking approach to holistic community healing. VACV is now in the process of defining the priority programs and services the center will offer to community members.
Whitehurst-Gibson feels as though it is important to provide the same holistic support to her staff to ensure that everyone is engaged equitably and provided the resources to excel in their work.
“We were trying to create a different kind of organization that is human centered,” Whitehurst-Gibson said. “One that focuses on making sure that we are not only engaging with the community in an equitable way, but we are also engaging with our team in an equitable way.”
To support staff wellness, VACV covers healthcare premiums in full, offers retreats and quarterly rest breaks and gives generous parental leave.
Fighting for equitable communities amid federal funding cuts
As VACV continues to take innovative approaches to lifting up the voices of their community members, it is facing new challenges in the form of federal funding cuts. VACV recently lost a $350,000 Environment Protection Agency grant through the Green and Healthy Homes Initiative for the work the organization has been doing to plant trees, create green spaces and teach children about the environment.
“We were finally getting to a place where we were going to see dollars invested in this community and it was just snatched away without any reasoning or understanding,” Whitehurst-Gibson said. “It takes a long time for organizations to get to the point where they can apply for grants and it’s been deeply painful dealing with the reality of this.”
What’s worse is it was a reimbursement grant, which means VACV paid for costs up front with the understanding that they would be reimbursed. VACV had invested about $100,000 worth into this work when they were notified they would no longer receive the grant. However, Whitehurst-Gibson and her dedicated staff aren’t giving up.
“We are undeterred. We are always going to meet our agreements with the community,” Whitehurst-Gibson said. “We are in community with each other and we aren’t going to abandon it.”
Kaitlyn Ridel is a Contributing Writer.
Photo courtesy of Virginia Community Voice.
