About Our Board of Directors
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A New Paradigm for Rebuilding Our Communities
At the Circle of Hope Ministries, we (the Board of Directors) recognize that a community is much more than physical structures incorporated within a specifically defined geographical area. A community is defined by its people, their political and religious institutions, their history, common objectives, shared values and sense of connectedness. To address most of the issues currently plaguing our communities and neighborhoods, we must engage in an innovative approach to facilitate a collective response to meet our present challenges. In many of our communities, one of our most immediate concerns is that of escalating levels of violent crimes, but to effectively address the problem of increased criminal activity, we must deal with the realities of other systemic social ills that contribute to civil disorder and human degradation. The Word of Gods says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish . . . ". (Proverbs 29:18). God has graced Pastor Dortch with a vision to restore a sense of security within our communities, to re-create a sense of shared responsibility for one another's well-being, to bridge the racial, ethnic and generational divide and to stem the tide of alcohol and drug abuse and to reduce criminal activity. The challenge appears daunting, but through our unshakable faith, our collective intelligence and determined resolve, we can rise to the occasion.
The Vision
Identifying Major Stakeholders: Most problems that engulf our communities are interconnected and viable solutions can only be realized and ascertained by forging a partnership among major stakeholders: community residents, charitable organizations, religious institutions, governmental entities, business leaders, educators and law enforcement officials.
The Role of community Residents: The cornerstone for strengthening our communities is its residents. The challenge is to mobilize residents as a voluntary corps of neighbors helping neighbors as agents for change. Every resident is can be both a co-producer and beneficiary of needed services and desirable outcomes. Regardless of financial, social or educational status, everyone can make a positive contribution in strengthening our communities. The concept is retro in nature. There was a time in our history, when we had strong, safe, and healthy communities that were based on a co-dependency among neighbors. In times past, neighbors were like extended family members, who were trusted, respected and relied upon when help was needed.