March 20, 2023

Impact Newsletter: Women of the Westside (March 2023)

Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum & Her Work to Address Inequity

This Women’s History Month, we’re spotlighting visionary leaders in our Westside community both past and present – including Westside Future Fund Board Chair and life-long educator Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum.

When she first arrived in Atlanta in 2002, Tatum stepped into a critical role for the success of the City. She was named President of Spelman College – a leading educational institution for Black women not only here in Atlanta but around the world.

WFF Board Member Helen Smith Calls the Westside “A Very Special Place”

A native woman of the Westside, Helen Smith Price has a unique passion for the community. Her grandparents, father and his 10 siblings were all born and raised on the Westside, and she recalls it as a place during her childhood where Black residents felt truly equal, safe and protected in the days leading up to the Civil Rights Movement. In honor of Women’s History Month, Price takes a moment to talk about her personal history in our Westside community.

For Price, a deep passion for the Westside is rooted both in her personal history and its role advancing Black excellence and culture.

Thank You, Women of the Board

In honor of Women’s History Month, we are honoring key women leaders from our community, both past and present, including many of our very own hard-working board members.

“I am incredibly grateful for the many visionary women civic and business leaders who form our Board,” said John Ahmann, president and CEO of Westside Future Fund. “Their leadership as Women of the Westside and commitment to the equitable revitalization of the four historic Westside neighborhoods are essential in our mission to transform our community into one Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would be proud to call home.”

Thank you, Women of the Westside board members:

Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, President Emerita, Spelman College
Stacy Apter, The Coca-Cola Company
Kathleen S. Farrell, Truist Inc.
Shawntel Hebert Clark, Vanderlande Industries Inc.
Virginia Hepner, Retired, Wachovia Bank
Susan Somersille Johnson, Prudential Financial
Lee Kuschel, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Penny McPhee, Retired, The Arthur Blank Family Foundation
Helen Smith Price, Retired, The Coca-Cola Company
Sylvia Russell, Retired, AT&T Georgia
Beverly Thomas, Retired, Kaiser Permanente
Kathy Waller, Ex-Officio, Atlanta Committee for Progress
Dr. Eloisa Klementich, Ex-Officio, Invest Atlanta

Women-Led Panel Talks Anti-Violence, Youth Empowerment

To honor Women’s History Month, community members and business leaders came together for a women-led panel and discussion about youth anti-violence at the Westside Future Fund (WFF) Transform Westside Summit on Friday, March 17.

Meet the Panel

An all-woman panel took the stage to discuss youth anti-violence and how their organizations present options that steer these youth in the right direction. Panelists included:

Tangee Allen, Co-Founder, Raising Expectations
Maria Armstrong, Co-Founder, Raising Expectations
Kanesha “KaCey” Venning, Co-Founder, HEY! Helping Empower Youth
Dr. Danielle Sweat Whylly, Ph.D., Community Outreach Specialist, U.S. Attorney’s Office of Northern District of Georgia
Moderator Ebony Ford, Director of Community Building and Engagement, Quest CDC

Powerful Testimony

The most powerful moment of the Summit happened when co-moderator Benjamin Earley, Westside Correspondent at Redclay-Hill and a fourth generation Westside resident, shared his testimony with tears streaming down his face. (The video contains audio with potentially disturbing language.)

Watch the Full Summit

Home on the Westside

Buying Blight and Beautifying the Westside

During the first half of the 20th century, the historic Westside was a bustling middle-class Black community with manicured neighborhoods – but as socioeconomic inequities set in, so did neglect.

Over the years, many properties on the Westside became vacant, abandoned and blighted, leaving rotting shells of former homes engulfed in overgrown vegetation. The unsightly nature of the situation pushed out families, and drew in crime.

Lee Harrop, vice president of Real Estate Development at Westside Future Fund (WFF), says it’s a cycle that without intervention will only get worse, which is why the organization is working to purchase as much of the blighted property as possible to help beautify and sustain the community.

A Big Year on the Horizon

Westside Future Fund’s (WFF) Home on the Westside program is set to complete 45 affordable homes in the community by the end of 2023.

The plans include 33 rental units across five multi-family properties and 12 single family homes. All of the properties are located within the English Avenue and Vine City neighborhoods, including several single family homes on the blocks surrounding Kathryn Johnston Memorial Park.

T. Dallas Smith Named Chair-elect, Danny Shoy Joins Board of Directors

Earlier this month, Westside Future Fund announced the election of T. Dallas Smith, founder and CEO of T. Dallas Smith & Company, as chair-elect (pictured top), and the appointment of Danny Shoy, managing director of youth development and Westside Atlanta for The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, as a member of its Board of Directors (pictured bottom). Their combined experience and extensive community involvement will support the organization’s mission to revitalize the Westside.

Black Homeownership on the Rise in Atlanta

According to new data from Zillow, Black-owned homeownership rates jumped during COVID – increasing by nearly five percent, the most of any race. Odetta MacLeish-White, director of Georgia Initiatives for the Center for Community Progress, says thanks to programs like Westside Future Fund’s Anti-Displacement Tax Fund, homeowners have the resources needed to stay in their homes for the foreseeable future.

Meet Alesha Bell

Revitalizing our community is a team effort, one that relies heavily on the support of our many incredible volunteers. To thank them for their hard work and dedication, we shine a light on people who actively support our mission.

This month, we’re spotlighting Alesha Bell, a Westside local committed to helping transform our community for the better. See what inspires her to give her time as a volunteer for Westside Future Fund.

Volunteer Opportunities

Come and join our Volunteers Corps this April as we celebrate National Volunteer Month through service in our Westside community. Sign up today to help transform the Westside into a community that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would be proud to call home!

Fun and Games with Seniors – April 12 from 10am to 12pm

Come out for a morning of fun and games at the New Horizon Senior Center. Volunteers are needed to serve snacks and lead games with the seniors. We will play games like BINGO, The Price is Right and more. Sign up here.

February 20, 2023

Impact Newsletter: Westside History is Black History that Made American History (February 2023)

Westside History is Black History that Made American History

During #BlackHistoryMonth, we are highlighting some of the places, people and events that form the rich history of our neighborhoods — English Avenue, Vine City, Ashview Heights and Atlanta University Center (AUC). Take a moment to dive into the rich history of our Westside communities.

English Avenue History

Vine City History

AUC History

Ashview Heights History

Around Town

Taking a Trip Down the Streets of the Westside

While exploring the historic Westside, you’ll find Black history that made American history on nearly every block — including the streets you’re driving on. There are several streets in the community named after nationally prominent Black leaders from Atlanta, each of whom contributed to advancing civil rights and democracy for all Americans. While some names are more well known than others, each of them have made history worth knowing.

In honor of Black History Month, we are taking a trip down some of these iconic streets to learn more about their namesakes.

Rebuilding Black Main Street

In celebration of Black History Month, community members and business leaders came together at the Westside Future Fund (WFF) Transform Westside Summit on Friday, February 17, to learn about revitalization efforts of Atlanta’s Black Main Street on the historic Westside.

Panelists discussed the importance of Black History Month, the rich history of the Westside and active work to revitalize Martin Luther King Jr. Drive as Atlanta’s Black Main Street – a once bustling gathering spot for Black leaders and visionaries through the 20th century.

Reverend Leroy Wright of First Thessalonians Missionary Baptist Church kicked off the event with the devotion. Dr. Candy Tate, founding president of Culture Center International, moderated the discussion.

Annette Abernathy, President of Ralph David Abernathy III Foundation
Reverend Dr. Herman “Skip” Mason Jr, Historian and Senior Pastor of Historic West Mitchell Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
Jay Scott, Founder of Greenrock Partners.

Watch the Full Summit

Home on the Westside

In December of 2022, Steven Wilson became one of our newest Home on the Westside homeowners when he moved into 850 Proctor Street in the English Avenue neighborhood near Kathyrn Johnson Memorial Park. For Wilson, buying a home in the community where he was raised is special.

“The process for Home on the Westside was surprisingly simple, and it made me feel really at ease. I ended up with a wonderful home in a wonderful neighborhood back where I grew up…and I’m feeling like I’m back home again,” said Wilson.

He joins three Proctor Street Home on the Westside homeowners with two more closing on their new homes in March. Check out his home buying journey.

In the News

SaportaReport Shines a Spotlight on our First Year at 970 Jefferson Street

With our partner the Food Well Alliance, our first full year at 970 Jefferson St. has been a huge success. With the leadership of the Food Well Alliance, we’ve brought together 19 like minded nonprofits and small businesses under one roof with an affordable workspace that ensures that our community organizations can continue to thrive on the Westside.

Offering Lessons on Building Communities

Following our January 17 Summit, the SaportaReport recapped all of the incredible work we are doing to revitalize our community. We are incredibly grateful for this recognition of the hard work and dedication of our team, our supporters and our volunteers.

A Big Surprise for Graduating Seniors on the Westside

Seniors at Booker T. Washington High School received a big surprise earlier this month when it was announced that The Home Depot Foundation would provide a $56,000 scholarship to the graduating class in coordination with the Westside Future Fund.

Historic St. Mark AME Church Gains Landmark Designation

Just this week, St. Mark AME Church was designated a historic landmark by the City of Atlanta’s Urban Design Commission. Located in English Avenue, the church opened in 1895 and long served as a place of prayer and gathering for the local Black community.

Forging Pathways of Success for Westside Residents

In 2013, AT&T Georgia President Sylvia Russell decided it was time to retire. After more than 20 years of hard work and dedication with the telecom corporation, it was time to embark on a new mission. Russell considered having a relaxing, care-free retirement, but when she looked around Atlanta she said to herself ‘there’s still work to be done.’ That’s when she discovered Westside Future Fund (WFF).

Meet Nosha Harwell

This month, we honor Nosha Harwell. See what inspires him to give her time as a volunteer for Westside Future Fund.

Q: How did you first hear about the Westside Future Fund?
A: I met John Ahmann while he was jogging on the Beltline and I was giving out hand sanitizer via my company Pureneed at the beginning of COVID. He asked me how much my sanitizer was and I told him it was free. Then he asked me “how much will 50 bottles be, I would like to give them to the homeless.” I was shocked and excited at the same time. I only had 48 bottles and bottled the last two while he was standing there. That’s when I found out all about Westside Future Fund, and the rest was history. Ever since then I have made it my business to pay it forward by volunteering.

Q: What is your favorite part of serving with the WFF Volunteer Corp?
A: My favorite part of serving with the WFF Volunteer Corps is being a part of something bigger than myself. WFF brings different people together to work as a team. I enjoy getting out of the house, meeting my neighbors, setting goals, and accomplishing them.

Q: What inspires you about this service opportunity?
A: It’s the feeling you get from helping others that keeps me coming back. Knowing I have the power to change lives and service the community means a lot to me. Being a part of the rebuilding and development of the historic Westside inspires me.

Q: What do you want others to know about the Westside Future Fund and why it’s so important?
A: WFF has put smiles on many faces. They are like angels sent from heaven, and they need everyone’s help rebuilding underdeveloped communities like the Westside of Atlanta. Our community can count WFF, they provide us with hope. It’s important that communities have leadership like this organization to move toward a brighter future.

January 20, 2023

Impact Newsletter: New Year, Same Mission (January 2023)

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Impact Newsletter
JANUARY 2023 ISSUE

Westside Future Fund is a nonprofit formed by Atlanta’s public, private and philanthropic partners who believe in the future of Atlanta’s Westside and are committed to helping Historic Westside neighborhoods revitalize and develop into a community Dr. King would be proud to call home.

A Day of Service Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Dr. King

More than 900 volunteers gathered to celebrate the legacy and impact of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the community. The MLK Day of Service brought together those who are committed to the mission of Westside Future Fund (WFF) – to revitalize the historic Westside and build a community that Dr. King would be proud to call home.

Our volunteer corps facilitated eight service projects throughout the historic Westside neighborhoods served by WFF including schools, museums, and community resource centers. Volunteers completed tasks like organizing, painting, cleaning, planting and repairing. Their efforts helped beautify and breathe life into each space while also building community with each other.

Building Back the Block

After decades of neglect in English Avenue, a cluster of multi-family housing properties are finding new life. Just a block from Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway at the corner of Echo Street and Fox Street, Westside Future Fund acquired three multi-family housing complexes and is now renovating them as affordable housing units.

Two of the buildings were tenant occupied at purchase, and the third building was in desperate need of repair. Those repairs are underway and the building is currently in the framing stage. Once complete, it will house seven new units in addition to the 23 units in the existing two buildings – made possible thanks to acquisition and renovation financing funding from the WFF Impact Fund, charitable donors, and Invest Atlanta for providing the acquisition and renovation financing funding.

Recapping a Year of Success

This morning, we joined together for our Transform Westside Summit and listened as five of our team members highlighted the organization’s 2022 achievements and talked about their collective work revitalizing our community. The Summit kicked off with a devotion from Darryl Lesure, Senior Principal Lead at Chick-Fil-A Corporate. Westside resident Benjamin Early moderated the event.

Tameka Askew, Home on the Westside Manager
Rachel Carey, Chief Real Estate Officer
Charles Forde, Director of Project Finance
Raquel Hudson, Director of Programs
Derrick Jordan, Real Estate Development Contractor

Watch the Full Summit

Home on the Westside

New Year, New Home

This past holiday season was something special for Steven, Jarrett, and Mila. In the final month of 2022, the three became new homeowners when they closed on Westside Future Fund (WFF) homes in English Avenue.

Each celebrated their closings with a ceremonious contract signing alongside members of the WFF team.

The purchases were made possible by the Home on the Westside program, an initiative to promote community retention by providing financing support to help lower the cost of homeownership.

What’s in Store for the Future of the Westside

In December 2022, the Atlanta Business Chronicle published its Westside Market Report, a comprehensive look at transformational work being done here in our community.

Meet Rani Strivastava

Revitalizing the Westside is a team effort, one that relies heavily on the support of our many incredible volunteers. To thank them for their hard work and dedication, we will shine a light on people who actively support our mission.

This month, we recognize Rani Shrivastava. A few years ago, Rani embarked on a personal mission to collect books for Westside children and families – all out of the kindness of her heart and a drive to make a difference. See how Rani started volunteering with us.

Q: How did you first hear about the Westside Future Fund?
A: I was talking with my mother about wanting to support schools in Atlanta, but I didn’t know what to do. Later that same day, my mother’s friend mentioned that Westside Future Fund may be a good place to get involved. I went to the website and found what I was looking for – an organization that could help children’s education in my hometown.

Q: What is your favorite part of serving with the WFF Volunteer Corp?
A: Being able to serve my community is my favorite part of working with the WFF Volunteer Corp. WFF is so well organized and impactful here in Atlanta. Helping build my community is such a rewarding experience and observing the impact my efforts have made make it all the better.

Q: What inspires you about this service opportunity?
A: Reading has always been a passion of mine, and that gave me the idea to collect books and donate them to WFF. I was happy to foster a child’s love for reading. I collected books ranging from picture books to chapter books and novels, too.

Q: What do you want others to know about the Westside Future Fund?
A: WFF is invigorating a large part of our Atlanta metro community. So many Atlantans are proud to be associated with Dr. King, and WFF helps make Atlanta a city he would be proud of.

December 20, 2022

Impact Newsletter: Giving the Gift of Home (December 2022)

Impact Newsletter
DECEMBER 2022 ISSUE

A New Place to Call Home

There’s no gift quite like the gift of home!

We congratulate Home on the Westside’s latest homeowners, Steven, Dorojen, DiAuna, and Mila – four families with connections to the neighborhood moving into quality, affordable single-family homes developed by WFF in historic English Avenue. They are all excited to close on homes as part of their holiday celebrations!

Developed on formerly blighted, vacant land, you can find one of our newest homes on Meldrum Street. It is a two-story, three bedroom, 2.5 bath home with a porch. Head a few blocks southwest to Proctor Street, and you’ll find three new two-story homes, each with two bedrooms and 1.5 baths. They are just across the street from Kathryn Johnston Memorial Park.

As these four new homeowners celebrate new beginnings, we remain committed to help Westside residents live in the place they love by connecting them with the right housing support and strengthening the community they call home.

Focus on the Future

We are grateful for the success we’ve had this year, and we’re hopeful about new opportunities in 2023. When you give to Westside Future Fund this holiday season, you’re helping us support community retention and empowering legacy residents with access to quality, affordable housing to rent, buy or retain.

Donor opportunities for 2023:

220 Sunset Avenue: Once home to Reverend Maynard Jackson, Sr., and his family, this home was once part of a thriving middle class Black neighborhood, but years of neglect have left it in desperate need of repair. To ensure that the bountiful history of the property is preserved, Westside Future Fund is moving forward with extensive restoration work and will have the property added to the National Register of Historic Places. Once completed, the reimagined property will serve as affordable housing for researchers and graduate students who are affiliated with the Atlanta University Center.It will stand as a landmark for years to come.

Yellow Store: The Yellow Store at 500 James P. Brawley Drive NW stands as a reminder of the corridor’s commercial past, and it will be restored by Westside Future Fund to serve the neighborhood for generations to come. Your gift will help us offer entrepreneurs the chance to apply their vision to a unique historical building at a vital intersection within the English Avenue community.

By supporting Home on the Westside, you are:

Removing blight: WFF targets the purchase of vacant, overgrown lots or abandoned homes for redevelopment. We need financial support to help clear the lots, keep them maintained, and properly secure vacant homes until they can be redeveloped.
Helping disrupt the displacement of legacy homeowners due to rising property taxes via the Anti-Displacement Tax Fund.

Your Giving Matters

We’re breaking ground next year in English Avenue on three new multifamily properties that will add 83 rental units for our Home on the Westside program.

We’re also hosting five ribbon cuttings in 2023 on five renovated multifamily properties in English Avenue, adding 33 rental units to Home on the Westside.

We’ll invite you to join our future celebrations, so look for details in our newsletter and social media channels!

Residents Round-Up

As part of Home on the Westside this year, Westside Future Fund placed several families in affordable rental single-family homes in historic English Avenue.

Ladonna Jackson has been in her home for two years, and having a place to call her own feels even more special during the holiday season.

Monnica Taylor joins Ladonna Jackson in English Avenue and says,

Volunteer Spotlight

Meet Thomas McCarron

Our mission to revitalize the Westside is powered by the giving hearts of our amazing volunteers throughout the year. This month, we honor Thomas McCarron, a committed member of the Westside Future Fund (WFF) Volunteer Corps. See what inspires him to help us make a difference in the community.

MLK Day Volunteer Event – January 23, 2022

Let’s kick off 2023 with a big turnout for our first volunteer event of the new year! Join us for our annual Martin L. King Holiday Day of Service as we continue to make the Westside a community Dr. King would be proud to call home. Register today.

November 20, 2022

Impact Newsletter: Thankful for Our Community (November 2022)

Impact Newsletter
NOVEMBER 2022 ISSUE

Saving Sunset on the Westside

The Westside has a rich legacy of historic homes and heartfelt stories on every block, and 220 Sunset Avenue in Vine City is a prime example. Once home to Reverend Maynard Jackson, Sr., and his family, this home was once part of a thriving middle class Black neighborhood, but years of neglect have left it in desperate need of repair.

Thanks to Westside Future Fund, the five-unit building, purchased from The King Center in January 2020, will be revitalized in the coming months, and it will be added to the National Register of Historic Places. Learn more about the famous family who once called this place home.

Summit Highlights Education on the Westside

Dozens gathered together on Friday, November 4 to hear from Booker T. Washington High School Principal William C. Wade. Wade discussed the consistent improvement of the school system thanks to community investments.

The devotion was delivered by Victoria Bambo, facilitator, partnership liaison, and executive assistant to the principal at Booker T. Washington High School. Westside native Benjamin Early moderated the discussion.

Watch the full summit.

Save your seat for our November 18 Summit!

A Taste of Community

Staff, tenants and friends gathered at the 970 Jefferson Street warehouse on the afternoon of November 3 for a chili cook off hosted by the Food Well Alliance. The special event brought dozens together to see which organization could dazzle the most taste buds while introducing some of the newcomers to the business warehouse.

Home on the Westside

Finding Home on the Westside

For N’Dieye Danavall, the Westside had always felt like home, but finding a house in the community that fit her budget wasn’t easy.

When she heard about the Westside Future Fund Home on the Westside opportunity, it seemed too good to be true. Because N’Dieye has lived, worked and attended school in the Westside community, she qualified to apply for one of several homes available through the program. After months of careful planning and preparation with the financial team, she was set to purchase her new home.

The community’s rich history is personal to N’Dieye, and that makes her move even more special. Watch as N’Dieye talks about why she chose to buy her home on the Westside.

Leading in the Community

Last month, Westside Future Fund President and CEO John Ahmann was featured in the Georgia Trend Most Influential Leaders of 2022.

Ahmann is tirelessly committed to supporting the mission of our organization, working day in and day out to ensure that the Westside community has all of the resources necessary to prosper – and his hard work is being recognized. Congratulations, John!

Volunteer Spotlight

Anthony Bellows

Our mission to revitalize the Westside can’t be achieved alone – it relies heavily on the support of our many incredible volunteers. To thank them for their hard work and dedication, we will shine a light on people who actively support our mission.

This month, we honor Anthony Bellows, a committed member of the WFF Volunteer Corps and frequent attendee of our Transform Westside Summit. See what inspires him to come out and make a difference with us in the community.

Q: How did you first hear about the Westside Future Fund?
A: I was searching for volunteer opportunities online when I found the Westside Future Fund. Having grown up here, it seemed like a natural fit.

Q: What is your favorite part of serving with the WFF Volunteer Corp?
A: Definitely being able to volunteer and serve in the neighborhood I grew up in. It’s personal to be able to support the community that’s always supported me.

Q: What inspires you about this service opportunity?
A: The number one inspiration for me is working with volunteers who have the same calling as I do. The people I work with at these volunteer events are what inspire me to come out every time.

Q: What do you want others to know about the Westside Future Fund and why it’s so important?
A: All of the work that the Westside Future Fund is doing is so important, but for me the most important is their efforts to keep the Westside neighborhood affordable to live in with programs like Home on the Westside.

Donor’s Corner

Give the Gift of Home

Over the past few decades, the once-thriving Westside community has experienced decline, and our efforts to equitably revitalize the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement are at the heart of all we do.

As you consider where to invest your gifts for Giving Tuesday (November 29), we hope you will consider helping us give the gift of home to hard working families, entrepreneurs, seniors, veterans and young people who are worthy of quality housing right here in the neighborhoods they love.

Your support makes our mission possible. Thanks in advance for giving so generously to help our neighbors have a safe place to pursue opportunities and thrive!

Give Today

Get Involved

Thanksgiving Meal Delivery (11/22 & 11/23)

Register to help us deliver 1,000+ Thanksgiving meals to families in the historic Westside community. Special thanks to Hudson Grille for preparing these delicious, traditional foods! . Grab your family, friends and coworkers and meet us at 2:30 pm at 351 Moreland Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30307. Meal delivery will last until 6 pm.

Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum & Her Work to Address Inequity

Helen Smith Price Recalls Life on the Westside

Around Town

Home on the Westside

In the News

Volunteer Spotlight

Volunteer Opportunities

Westside History is Black History that Made American History

Around Town

Home on the Westside

In the News

Donor’s Corner

Volunteer Spotlight

Impact Newsletter JANUARY 2023 ISSUE

A Day of Service Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Dr. King

Around Town

Home on the Westside

In the News

Volunteer Spotlight

Meet Rani Strivastava

Impact Newsletter DECEMBER 2022 ISSUE

A New Place to Call Home

Focus on the Future

Residents Round-Up

Volunteer Spotlight

Meet Thomas McCarron

Get Involved

Impact Newsletter NOVEMBER 2022 ISSUE

Saving Sunset on the Westside

Around Town

Home on the Westside

In the News

Volunteer Spotlight

Anthony Bellows

Donor’s Corner

Give the Gift of Home

Get Involved

Stay Informed

Impact Newsletter
JANUARY 2023 ISSUE

Impact Newsletter
DECEMBER 2022 ISSUE

Impact Newsletter
NOVEMBER 2022 ISSUE