Mount Zion AME Apartments' Resource Center Enjoys Sweet Success and Becomes Tenth Model Center

Information by State  Print version

Florence, SC—In the center of a table in Cynthia Brown's office is a candy dish filled with a variety of goodies. Anyone who knows Brown, the property manager of the Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Apartments and director of the Mount Zion A.M.E. Apartments' Resource Center, knows she is a generous person who is committed to helping residents of all ages achieve their goals. However, when it comes to handing out the sweet treats in her candy dish, Brown does not share them with just anybody.

"To me, the candy dish represents life. Life is filled with rewards, but only for those who earn them. If everyone received life's rewards without working for them, it would diminish the significance of the achievement and the value of the reward," explained Brown.

Brown knows this hard-work-leads-to-sweet-rewards philosophy is an effective one because it is the same one she adopted when she accepted the position of property manager of the Mount Zion A.M.E. Apartments in 1992. At that time, Brown set a goal to transform the struggling property into a community people would be proud to call home and build a valuable resource center for the 310 residents of the Mount Zion A.M.E. Apartments. In 2008, Brown reaped the rewards of her hard work.

Building a Community of Quality

Nearly 16 years ago, Brown joined the team at the Mount Zion A.M.E. Apartments and set in motion a plan that would transform the property. Today, the Mount Zion A.M.E. Apartments, which is managed by Southern Development Management Company, bears little resemblance to the housing complex Brown began managing all those years ago.

Together, Brown and the property's board of directors, management company, and staff have created an empowering environment for residents and formed partnerships with community agencies to provide residents with greater resources. In January 2008, the positive changes that Brown initiated at the property were recognized when it tied for first place in the Outstanding Turnaround of a Troubled Property category of the National Affordable Housing Management Association's (NAHMA's) 2007 Communities of Quality® Awards. The awards acknowledge excellence in the physical, financial, and social condition of federally subsidized properties. Property owners and managers also compete on the basis of the quality of life they offer to residents; the level of resident involvement in community life; and the nature of collaborations with other organizations and agencies that contribute to the betterment of the lives of residents and the larger community.

From Startup to Model Status

In 1995, Brown learned about the Neighborhood Networks Initiative and realized that the transformation of the Mount Zion A.M.E. Apartments would not be complete without the creation of an onsite technology center.

"While we made many improvements to the buildings and grounds, I knew there was more work to be done. Once again, I worked with the board of directors, management company, and staff to create an onsite center that would provide a variety of resources that would help residents obtain employment, gain access to social services, achieve greater academic success, and improve the quality of their lives. The center started out in a four-bedroom apartment. When we outgrew that space in 2002, we built a new 2,200 square-feet center that provides residents with access to five Internet-equipped computers and all kinds of computer-based curricula. Each day, 30 to 50 people walk through our doors to take advantage of what we have to offer," reported Brown.

Since opening the Mount Zion A.M.E. Apartments' Resource Center, Brown has established partnerships with various community agencies to offer residents an array of programs and services. Her community partners include:

	Poynor Adult and Community Education, which offers computer classes and General Educational Development (GED) classes. Currently, five residents are enrolled in the classes that meet every Wednesday for two hours.
	Circle Park Behavioral Services, which implements Guiding Good Choices for parents and the All Stars Program for children. Recently, approximately 15 parents and children completed the 12-week session that provides mentoring, communication, and parenting tips. Brown is busy planning the next session.
	South Carolina Cooperative Extension at Clemson University, which operates the center's 4-H Club for children ages 5 to 19.

Brown also regularly teams with the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Pee Dee Area, which provides breakfast and lunch for center youth during the summer months; the City of Florence Fire, Police, and Sheriff departments, which visit the center to teach children about safety; and the Housing Authority of Florence and East Florence Community, which co-sponsor the center's National Night Out celebration that is held each August. In addition, Brown partnered with the local Sylvan Learning Center to offer a 12-week program for children in the "Leave No Child Behind" initiative, and Select Health/First Choice to provide parenting classes at the center.

"As president of the South Carolina Advancing Community Technology, Inc., which is the South Carolina Neighborhood Networks consortium, I meet many people and potential partners. Also, our consortium members bring new partners to the group. This is one of the most beneficial aspects of being part of a consortium. You increase your contacts and network instantly when you join. Most centers cannot offer all of the programs needed without the support of partners. Our partners not only provide much-needed programs, but they also increase awareness of our center's programs that help residents and community members become self-sufficient. We market the programs our partners are conducting at the center to our residents, and our partners promote their programs to the community. This expands our marketing outreach and brings more people into the center. To me, it is all about getting people in the door so they can see for themselves all of the resources we have to offer and to realize that this is all here for them," explained Brown.

Reaping the Reward for Hard Work

In 2008, the Mount Zion A.M.E. Apartments' Resource Center became the 10th center to achieve Model Center Classification. Brown was presented the center's Model plaque by Neighborhood Networks Director Delores Pruden at the Neighborhood Networks Regional Technical Assistance Workshop (RTAW) that was held in San Francisco in July. When she returned home to South Carolina, she immediately displayed the plaque in a place where everyone visiting the center can see it.

"I am very proud of all we have accomplished and achieved. The center has become a focal point of the property. We show it off every chance we get," Brown went on to conclude. "This center is here for the residents. When we achieved Model status, I was thrilled because it not only rewards our hard work, but it demonstrates to all of our center users that we are here for them and that we are committed to helping them. I love the plaque. In fact, the day Ms. Pruden presented it to me, I took a photo of it on my cell phone and sent it to my family. If it was not so big, I would probably carry it around with me, showing everyone I met. To me, this plaque is just like that candy in the dish on my office table. It is our reward for all of our hard work."

For more information about Neighborhood Networks centers in South Carolina, contact:

Elaine F. Bennett
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Columbia Multifamily Program Center
1835 Assembly Street, 13th Floor
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 253-3925

For more information about the Mount Zion A.M.E. Apartments' Resource Center, contact:

Cynthia A. Brown
Director
Mt. Zion A.M.E. Apartments' Resource Center
619 Ervin Court
Florence, SC 29506-3060
(843) 669-1571