There are few stabilizing forces like the power of community.
Winds blow, change comes, and time inevitably moves forward. Yet, when all else is shaken, community remains the foundation of our society. In times like these, community builders are worth celebrating.
Clinton Hill Community Action (CHCA) is a bedrock institution in Newark’s historic Clinton Hill neighborhood. Located on Chadwick Avenue between West Runyon and West Bigelow streets, CHCA’s footprint extends deeply into the heart of Newark’s South Ward. Founded in 2019, and led by Executive Director Khaatim Sherrer El, CHCA believes in a resident-led approach to community building. By working alongside neighbors, CHCA engages and mobilizes residents to be part of actions that lead to sustained progress.
CHCA’s signature campaign is Beat the Blight – a resident led initiative that was birthed in response to complaints about the number of vacant, abandoned properties located around the neighborhood. Each year, in the spring and fall, CHCA organizes with neighborhood residents to cleanup and beautify long blighted areas of the neighborhood. During each cycle, their goal is to address at least 20 vacant and abandoned properties and, in doing so, change the narrative about the Clinton Hill neighborhood.
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Be it preserving and sharing Clinton Hill history through its Neighborhood History Project, or organizing Concerned Citizens meetings, CHCA has built trust, amplified community voice, and turned collaboration into action for a stronger, more equitable Clinton Hill. CHCA’s success is a reminder to us all that the ties that bind us are far greater than the issues that may divide us. From Avon Avenue to Hawthorne Avenue, and South 19th Street down to Bergen Street, CHCA is demonstrating that community building is an ongoing act of love and resilience.
Schumann Fund began its support of Clinton Hill Community Action in October of 2021 with a $50,000 grant for general operating support. Since then, Schumann Fund has continued to invest in CHCA’s mission, most recently awarding another $50,000 to advance affordable and healthy housing in the Clinton Hill neighborhood. CHCA’s work aligns closely with the Schumann Fund’s program priority of affordable homes and healthy communities and is furthered through our community power-building strategy.
“At Clinton Hill Community Action, we believe community power starts with the people who live here. Through our efforts to ignite civic engagement and build resident leadership, neighbors are stepping forward to lead change, support one another, and strengthen the South Ward. Whether it’s Ms. Brenda, President of Seniors in Action, organizing seniors to make our neighborhood more age-friendly, Mr. Arnie Pinnix helping document our shared history, Devon Henry speaking up for small landlords and tenants knowing their rights, or Idrissa Wilson and Emma Warren leading through our Concerned Citizens meetings, we’re seeing everyday people become the driving force behind real progress. This is what resilience looks like, with neighbors lifting each other up and building something lasting together.”
-Khaatim Sherrer El, Executive Director