What an amazing turnout for our Westside Story event at TechSquare Labs on October 2! Atlanta community leaders, nonprofits, sponsors, and TechBridge board members showed up in force to celebrate community collaboration disrupting the cycle of generational poverty in Atlanta’s historic Westside neighborhoods. We also launched a crowdfunding effort aimed at helping a special local nonprofit.
Crowdfunding
Raising Expectations Co-founders Maria Armstrong and Tangee Allen showcased the work that their nonprofit is doing on the Westside to empower youth in crises by raising academic, social, and civic expectations to facilitate high school graduation and post-secondary plans.
Raising Expectations is our crowdfunding beneficiary, and we want to rally all of you to help them reach their goal of raising $10,000 for a technology transformation to be delivered by TechBridge. For those who weren’t able to join us, you still have the opportunity to help. Feel free to share with your colleagues and friends to reach this goal. Fundraising has ended for this project.
Our Vision Forward
The success of the Westside is essential to the growth of our city. With the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium as the backdrop, the Westside of Atlanta is experiencing rapid transformation, yet with 60% of children in Westside neighborhoods living in poverty, the area is still ripe for improvement.
Westside Future Fund and other community partners′ investments can expand the capacity of organizations supporting residents and families in these communities. TechBridge feels grateful to have assisted a number of organizations working to transform Atlanta’s Westside. We are truly excited about our partnership with the Atlanta Regional Commission and Westside Future Fund to create a Westside community dashboard. This dashboard will help realize a vision for the future of the neighborhoods of Atlanta’s Westside, particularly around four impact areas: mixed-income communities, safety and security, cradle to career education, and community health and wellness.
In addition, we are dreaming big for the future of these communities and developing a concept to directly support residents and families. This will come in the form of a technology training program to support Atlantans ages 18 – 24 and ensure that they have the skills needed for middle-income employment. Partners in this work include Georgia Tech, Atlanta Housing Authority, Oakwood Development, CodeStart, and various Atlanta-based employers, all of whom are eager to support our next generation together.
A Show of Support
Monday’s event featured an exciting mix of attendees. Attending were Community leaders including Atlanta mayoral candidate and Atlanta City Council President Ceasar Mitchell, Blank Foundation representative Angela Blank, Atlanta Community Food Bank founder Bill Bolling, Westside Future Fund Executive Director John Ahmann, Georgia Tech Director of Community Relations Christopher Burke, and Inclusion + Equity partner Rodney Sampson. They were joined by TechBridge board members, staff, super volunteers, nonprofit partners, and representatives from organizations working on the Westside. These organizations included Invest Atlanta, Urban Asset Builders, Wright Now Solutions, and United Way of Greater Atlanta.
We are so excited to have you join us on our journey to truly make an impact and support the nonprofits who work so hard on the frontlines of community change. And remember, one easy way to make a difference is to make a donation to help Raising Expectations meet its crowdfunding goal. Fundraising had ended for this project.
