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By Jean Feroldi
Charlottesville Tomorrow
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
On June 4, 2010, the
Center for Nonprofit Excellence
(CNE) sponsored a First Fridays reception with an introduction to the Charlottesville Civic Action 2010 competition. Twelve finalists were invited to participate in a two-month exhibition at the
Charlottesville Community Design Center
(CCDC) drawing attention to their efforts to improve and strengthen the Charlottesville community.
 Charlottesville Civic Action 2010 presentation in City Space |
During the Friday reception, each non-profit gave a brief presentation highlighting the mission of their organization and future actions they plan to take improving the community.
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“What we hope to do is inspire the non-profits who are part of this exhibit tonight, as well as everybody else in this community, to think about collaboration and to think about the ways we can to work together to strengthen our community,” said CNE’s Executive Director, Cristine Nardi.
The twelve selected non-profits represented a diverse scope of civic interests, including green initiatives, minority groups, and organizations working for the disabled or elderly.
One contributor, Vince Caristo of the
Alliance for Community Choice in Transportation
(ACCT), is using the program to promote public transit and other transportation alternatives in the Charlottesville community through a program called “CicloVILLE.”
CicloVILLE, a concept which originated in
Bogot
á
,
Colombia, is a regular car- free event which involves opening many streets in the city for only human- powered transportation or socialization.
“Increasing opportunities for walking, bicycling, and public transit will strengthen our community in ways far beyond the very important benefits of public health and the environment,” Caristo said.
Caristo and ACCT hope the CicloVILLE initiative will help popularize and promote environmentally- friendly modes of transportation and motivate city leaders to recognize the value of multi- transport corridors in Charlottesville.
 This poster was designed by student Erin Chilton with Clay Caricofe |
Their plan is to introduce a program which will increase the desire to create a lively and active outdoor community much like the downtown mall.
CicloVille is just one example of an idea for community improvement proposed by the Charlottesville Civic Action 2010 campaign. Other organizations working to act for a cooperative Charlottesville community included the
Public Housing Association of Residents
and the
Jefferson School African American Heritage Center
.
After wrapping up the exhibit, CNE and CCDC will hold a public forum on Tuesday, July 27 to engage community leaders and the selected organizations in a discussion about the vision for positive community change in Charlottesville in the next decade.
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