Riviera Beach CDC Sponsors Suncoast Community High School’s Garden Program

Posted on April 9, 2021 by Robin Williams

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Riviera Beach CDC Sponsors Suncoast Community High School’s Garden Program

Suncoast Community High School has a garden program that is in need of gloves and handheld shoves that are not able to be shared as much as before due to COVID-19 and the Riviera Beach CDC has donated funds to help. The Riviera Beach Community Development Corporation (RBCDC) supports a robust community garden program since 2015, primary located in LMI areas, areas of high food insecurity and/or food deserts. These areas are especially vulnerable to outside stresses. Additionally, at the onset of the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic and few restrictions, we are as a nation experiencing growing food insecurity.

“Riviera Beach CDC is so pleased to provide this modest donation to assist our local students in learning how to grow healthy, wholesome, organic food with their own hands.” said Annetta Jenkins, Executive Director. We want our young people to know how to utilize the local resources and grow their own gardens in their own backyards. The Riviera Beach CDC supports local programs such as these to bring education to the area and to our young leaders of tomorrow.

The Riviera Beach CDC operates within the redevelopment area of Riviera Beach as established by the City Council and the City of Riviera Beach to acquire, rehabilitate, and operate affordable housing for families of modest means and the elderly to live safely and in sanitary conditions. The CDC provides investment capital to low-income communities and individuals and engages in other community development for the purposes of community and neighborhood improvement and increases economic development via increased sustainable business and jobs. For more information, visit rivierabeachcdc.org.

Riviera Beach CDC and BB&T Provide Families with Garden Kit

Posted on March 24, 2021 by Robin Williams

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Riviera Beach CDC and BB&T Partner to Provide Thirty-Five Families with an Expanded Sow and Grow Garden Kit

The Riviera Beach Community Development Corporation (RBCDC) supports a robust community garden program since 2015, primarily located in LMI areas, areas of high food insecurity and/or food deserts. These areas are especially vulnerable to outside stresses. Additionally, at the onset of the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic and few restrictions, we are as a nation experiencing growing food insecurity. Residents have limited access to fresh, wholesome food; grocery shelves are often bare of even essentials, including meat, milk, bread, and fresh produce.

BB&T helped provide with its Lighthouse Project Grant of $2,500 to the RBCDC, an expansion to our gardening outreach to include the Sow and Grow Project, called the “Gardenista” program. The program was able to assist thirty-five families (120 people) with acquiring supplies to create a large raised bed garden with enriched soil for the planting of the seeds and seedlings given to them. This allows these families to learn how easy it to grow your own vegetables and how forgiving some things like tomatoes, lettuces, and pepper are. You will be amazed by how much fun gardening can be, and the pride you take in sharing healthy food nurtured by your own efforts. At home gardening helps people develop more of an interest in learning about their food choices, and how to prepare fresh, healthy food at home.

Riviera Beach CDC Awarded $25,000 Grant to assist in COVID Relief

Posted on March 1, 2021 by Robin Williams

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Riviera Beach CDC Awarded $25,000 from United Way’s Palm Beach County Cares for Non-Profits Grant to Assist in COVID Relief

March 1, 2021, RIVIERA BEACH, FLORIDA – The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners allocated up to $4 million in emergency relief to nonprofit organizations who have been impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19), and contracted with United Way of Palm Beach County to administer distribution of the funds. Qualifying nonprofit organizations were eligible to receive a one-time grant up to $25,000 to help them recover from the negative financial consequences resulting from the coronavirus (COVID-19) if accepted.

The Riviera Beach Community Development Corporation was awarded $25,000 in funds to help with the negative financial consequences resulting from the coronavirus (COVID-19). This grant will allow programming to continue with little changes based on financial fundraising loss due to COVID. United Way also provided hand sanitizer, masks, and other PPE to the RBCDC to provide to residents and program participants in Riviera Beach.

“This generous support allowed RBCDC to continue to provide homebuyer counseling, small business assistance, financial counseling workshops, and rental assistance to our community. We appreciate the partnership and the support from United Way and Palm Beach County,” says Darryl Leonard, RBCDC Chairperson. This grant was made possible through a collaboration between United Way of Palm Beach County and the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners. Funds were available as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act federal stimulus package.

Riviera Beach CDC Awarded $20,000 from BB&T

Posted on March 1, 2021 by Robin Williams

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Riviera Beach CDC Awarded $20,000 from BB&T to Help with Redevelopment Project to Get First Time Homebuyers in Affordable Housing

In 2019, Palm Beach County donated a single-family property to the Riviera Beach CDC. Because this property was donated to us by Palm Beach County, acquisition costs, closing costs, and demolition costs were low and allowed the house to be earmarked for affordable housing for a member of Riviera Beach’s First Time Homebuyers Club. Improving the worst property in the most challenged area of the city, to benefit a very low-income family, will have a ripple effect in the neighborhood.

This property is in the heart of several improvement projects undertaken by the RBCDC and the Riviera Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) including: an award-winning Community Garden, a Linear Park, sidewalk improvements, affordable housing development, owner occupied rehabilitation, many beautification projects, and a community safety initiative that includes SmartWater, cameras, and a Neighborhood Watch Program.

A generous contribution from BB&T of twenty thousand dollars served as a major portion of pre-development costs. RBCDC intends to develop a solar home including new flooring, energy efficient: HVAC, appliances, low VOC paint in/out, porcelain tile, impact windows and doors, solar roof, xeriscape landscaping, sprinkler system/rain barrel, among other items. This is innovative for this area as the buyer will be gaining a new home. They will also receive a free Safety Tool Kit that includes SmartWater, motion lights, the RING doorbell, code-acceptable house numbers, and several 10-year smoke detectors

In our last residential project, BB&T provided all the end loans for our first-time homebuyers. They are a great partner in redevelopment and working with first-time homebuyers in Riviera Beach.