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Since 2002, CTA has been working with low-to-moderate income (LMI) communities to assist minority residents in transform their neighborhood. During the pandemic, LMI communities have been systematically excluded from equitable access to resources in a disaster.
Our nonprofit is an African American led organization with the expertise, experience, and relationships needed to engage historically marginalized communities, during a disaster.
CTA partnered with local non-profits, State & Federal Agencies, and NC State & UNC Chapel Hill to volunteer our community design and facilitating services to provide rebuilding recommendations and planning strategies as part of Long Term Recovery Disaster Relief for Princeville, NC.
Incorporated in 1885, Princeville was established by freed blacks in 1865. Located along the Tar River, Princeville experienced devastating impact from hurricanes severe flooding, destroying homes and business. CTA primarily focused on Freedom Hill and the journey that many enslaved African’s traveled to be sold from Shiloh Landing into the Tarboro, NC. Our intent was to embrace the truth of the communities history while fostering a new community. Freedom Hill serves as the potential site for the rise of a new black church of which the people’s faith and belief gave them strength. A short distance from the new black church is the location of Tar River bank where African American’s were baptized. It was our honor to participate in such a historic event that witnessed several community design scenarios and resident discussions.
CTA was awarded by the LISC Vaccine Access Fund to provide over 1,000 free rides for unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people to travel to vaccination sites where they will be able to receive their COVID-19 shot in the Goldsboro area. The purpose of this partnership is to support the vaccination of people who live in low-income communities that were hit hard by the pandemic and are dealing with very low vaccination rates.
The max cost of each individual ride that we are able to provide is $17. If you are unvaccinated and do not have transportation to receive your COVID-19 shot, please click on the link below and it will take you to a simple form that you must complete before we book your ride!
CTA in collaboration with three local non-profit 501 (c)(3) organizations, Little Washington Growing Group, Rebuilding Broken Places, and Little Warriors Christian Academy, are working in the rural community of Wayne County to conduct community outreach in minority black and brown neighborhoods. Our goal is to increase the vaccination rates by 14% from an average of 28% to 42% of which 68.5% are African Americans 16 years and older. The Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) reaches 93%, which potentially causes negative effects on communities from external stress on human health.
Many of these stresses are heightened during the hurricane season from natural or human caused disasters, which also trigger social and economic loss. Increasing the vaccination rates reduces the SVI, making a healthier community to live, work and socialize.
CTA was selected and approved (Remote & Extended Learning Site grantee) as part of 116 statewide organizations to implement our remote learning sites during the pandemic. We served an estimated 450 students over an eight-month period, employing more than 62 full and part time jobs, and partnered with local black churches and local government to bring needy services to most vulnerable families with children in grades Pre K-12.
The students benefited from being in a safe learning space, received free nutritional breakfast, lunch and pm snacks, high speed broadband internet access, caring staffing, meeting friends to build their social and emotional development, academic enrichment in math & reading, STEM education with a strong focus on community gardening, and explored careers from A to Z to imagine who they could become and learn about different career paths.
CTA in collaboration with the 2nd Episcopal District’s African Methodist Episcopal Church’s Hope Centers (St. Matthew AMEC & St. Stephens AMEC) for Disaster Readiness secured 30 high seat toilets for minority black and brown persons. St. Matthew AMEC Hope Center in Wake County received 15 toilets, targeting seniors 65 years and over. CTA secured a generous emergency grant from “the Fund for the Triangle Community Foundation” for the installation of the toilets and new water connection hoses. St. Stephens AMEC Hope Center in New Hanover County received the remaining 15 toilets and raised 100% of the in-kind labor costs to install their new toilets, of which the church volunteers were willing participants to serve the community.
CTA has been awarded funding from Band-NC to continue our efforts to bridge the digital divide and leave no child or family behind. The cost for accessible high speed internet services during the pandemic is a costly expense that forces many black and brown families to make a conscious decision to go without internet services in order to pay rent, electric, gas, or water bills. Yes, 95% of our participants have cellular access to the internet, of which these devices are not only too small for children to actively participate with virtual in-school activities but are also incompatible with submission of in school assignments.
Our services provide black and brown families with children a stipend to access high speed internet services, a laptop to adequately navigate the many apps and access their in-school activities and builds the entire family with digital literacy courses intended to help increase parents understanding of how this technology works.