Community Empowerment (CE)

.NET Communities

CE currently operates at 3 sites with 2 additional sites planned to open in FY05:

• Edgewood Terrace: Edgewood Terrace, in Washington DC, is a mixed-income, 792 apartment community that is wired in-home for high-speed Internet access. CE has worked with the residents to form Edgewood Technology Advisory Board (eTAB), which includes 20% of the Edgewood community. www.edgenet.org
  
• Stewartown Homes: Stewartown Homes is a 94 townhouse, fully subsidized, housing community in Gaithersburg, MD. CE has helped develop the Stewartown.Net Users Group (SNUG, Inc.) Over 50% of the Stewartown Homes community has membership in SNUG, Inc. www.stewartown.net
  
• Park Montgomery: Park Montgomery is a 146 unit high-rise apartment building in Silver Spring, MD. CE has provided resident leadership training to the residents of Park Montgomery. They recently formed ParkMNet and have filed for incorporation. Membership of ParkMNet represents 30% of the apartment community. www.parkmnet.org
  

Resident Governance

CE works with all resident groups located at sites to generate and build community-based organizations that advance the goals of the community.

Edgewood Terrace:
CE has built capacity of eTAB (Edgewood Technology Advisory Board) and the 635 Senior Resident’s Council, as well as maintained a positive relationship with the existing Edgewood Terrace I Resident Association (ETIRA). Membership in these resident groups represents about 25% of the 792-apartment community.

Benefits of eTAB membership include:

• Access to a free network thin client computer system
• A code for their partnership with PerScholas, Inc., which provides refurbished computers for $249
• Membership to Government Printing Office Federal Credit Union (GPOFCU)
• Financial Literacy Courses and Free Financial Check Ups provided by Citibank
• Small Business Classes
  

Stewartown Homes:
CE has guided SNUG, Inc. (Stewartown.Net Users Group) through the installation of permanent officers, creation of a legal incorporation, and the formation of its own partnership with SunTrust Bank. SunTrust and SNUG, Inc. signed an MOU providing the Stewartown Community with financial literacy for adults and children, as well as banking services for residents. Membership in SNUG, Inc. represents more than 50% of the 94- townhouse community.

Benefits of a SNUG, Inc. membership include:

• Access to a free network thin client computer system
• A code for their partnership with PerScholas, Inc., which provides refurbished computers for $249
• Adult Financial Literacy Courses and free banking services provided by SunTrust
• Youth Financial Literacy Courses
  

Park Montgomery:
CE has conducted leadership training for residents who are currently organizing for incorporation and will continue to do outreach as the technology reaches more homes. Membership in ParkMNet, Inc. represents about 30% of the 146- apartment community. They are in the process of pursuing a bank partnership to accomplish their financial literacy goals.

EdgeNet, Stewartown.Net, and ParkMNet Funding Partners

• US Department of Housing and Urban Development
• US Department of Commerce - Technology Opportunities Program
• Montgomery County, Maryland – Housing and Community Affairs
• Microsoft
• Citibank

For more information about CPDC’s Community Empowerment programs, how you can help or get involved, please contact CPDC.