Community Collaborations
CHEER uses a holistic approach to helping the community to address priority concerns. These concerns are frequently far reaching and complicated. They often cannot be addressed using a single approach by a single actor or player. This is particularly true in trying to improve health. The drivers of good health outcomes can be found in housing conditions, neighborhood quality, economic and educational opportunity. Public health and health care providers must rely on partnerships, alliances and collaborations to make a serious impact in improving health. Consequently CHEER participates in multiple alliances and uses a “collective impact” framework to address complex multi-disciplinary concerns. Here are some of our current connections we use to leverage community improvement.
Long Branch Partners
The Long Branch Partners is a network of service providers that provide direct service to the Long Branch community. The network includes government, nonprofit service providers, and community members. The group meets quarterly to share information about services, and needs, and has a Facebook groups page where members can share information, make requests and offer services. If you want to join click on this link. The Long Branch Partners also hosts the Long Branch Emergency Preparedness Committee.
Fair Development Coalition
The Fair Development Coalition (FDC) is a grassroots advocacy organization developed under the auspices of Casa de Maryland’s Department of Politics, Communications, and Community Development Initiatives. The FDC is composed of members of the community, labor unions, faith-based organizations, non-profits, businesses, educational institutions, and neighborhood and business associations. Fundamentally, the FDC believes in addressing social and economic inequities in transportation and infrastructure development through the active involvement of coalition members. Since its creation in 2010, the FDC has grown to nearly 40 diverse partners representing local, regional and national partners.
In 2011, the FDC commissioned "The International Corridor: Portrait of the Threatened Small Business Community,” a study developed “to better understand the challenges and risks facing the area’s small business owners by collecting demographic information, measuring concerns regarding potential development-induced displacement, and identifying small business owners who are vulnerable to displacement.” The study highlights the business community’s long-standing and strong foundations in the communities they serve as well as concerns about rent increases and displacement that could result with the construction of the Purple Line. The study also notes the lack of information about the Purple Line provided to the communities where construction will have the greatest impact. In 2012 the FDC held a Human Rights Fair Development March. More than 100 community members participated in an effort to collectively voice the community's concerns. The study also developed specific recommendations that, if enacted, could guarantee the continued viability and growth of small businesses within the International Corridor.
In 2013, the FDC officially launched the Purple Line Community COMPACT Campaign to advocate for the Purple Line’s creation. Since then, the FDC hosted a meeting with federal stakeholders from the Partnership of Sustainable Communities bringing together representatives from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Transportation, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The FCD also co-hosted a meeting with Governor Martin O'Malley, bringing key stakeholders from both state and counties to discuss the Purple Line and equity concerns. Lastly, in 2014, the FDC met with numerous elected and government officials and successfully secured support for the Purple Line Community COMPACT. With the 2015 inauguration of Governor Hogan, who had in the past expressed disapproval of building the Purple Line, the future of the Line became uncertain. Nevertheless, the FDC will continue to work toward the goal of helping to develop a mass transit alternative that will benefit and serve all the communities and businesses within the International Corridor.