South-End, Enjoy The Ride! "This Is What Democracy Looks Like"

CDTA AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS ANNOUNCE LAUNCH OF LARGEST SERVICE CHANGE IN AUTHORITY’S HISTORY
http://www.cdta.org/news_detail.php?id=153&no_redirect=true

"As community based organization in the South-End of Albany, AVillage is very happy to partner with CDTA on the new route restructuring process,” said A Village President Willie White. “We are pleased with our new #100 route which will provide consistent and reliable access to the hospitals to get to work and to appointments. We hope that this relationship will last long into the future.” Route 100 will connect Morton Avenue and South Albany neighborhoods to hospitals and their jobs.

 

Supports Occupy ALBANY!

AVillage Fully Supports Occupy ALBANY!!! We want Jobs!!!!!! We want Livable Communities and Much More! Now Go Tell That!

The People will Speak!!! and The Politicians will Listen!
It's Our Time To Stand Up and Fight....And Fight we Will.

Bus Trip To Washington DC

AVillage's Sucess Story, Our Bus Trip To Washington DC, to see the Dr. King Memorial.WOW!!! When the children are happy, we are happy! Our Children Had a Great Time.

 

 

Our Children's Garden' Grand Opening

"Our Children's Garden" Grand Opening!! This was a fun filled day of joy and happyness, plenty of food!

Our guests included MAYOR JERRY JENNINGS, THE HONORABLE CAROLYN McLaughlin, THE HONORABLE LUCILLE McKNIGHT, THE HONORABLE PAUL TONKO, THE HONORABLE BARBARA SMITH, THE HONORABLE LESTER FREEMAN, THE HONORABLE DOMINICK CASOLARO, HABITAT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MIKE JACOBSON, CITY PLANNER KATIE BRONSON AND MANY MORE.

The kids have done a wonderfula job cleaning up this trash filled vacant lot. You won;t believe it! You ave to see it! All are welcome. Please come out and support our children

AUGUST 11TH AT 5:30PM, 43 CATHERINE STREET... "OUR RIBBON CUTTING"

THANKS, AVillage..., Inc. and Grand Street Community Arts. "A Collaborative Effort" In our Community. Our destiny is not written for us, but by us.

 

AVillage's South-End Farmers Market

Wow! what a great time we had at our "First Annual Farmers Market". It was wonderful!A great success! The entire team pulled together and made it all happen.

We would like to thank "Soul Fire Farm" Leah Penniman and husband, also "Emmett" their son who spent the "First Dollar" at AVillage's first "South-End farmers market". For their participation, when we work together, the outcome is always good.

Benita you're the best! Ms. Clara and Ms. Bessie, "My Girls" I love your spirit. I would like to give a special thanks to our "Students" who participated in our program, Devon, Nasir and Shantell for their hard work and for listening very intently to directions...They are great! Cynthia London, Tammy, Cathy, Ruth, Joe, Amanda and friend, and Noelene , you guys made it happen. Rana and Roscoe also stopped by...Now, we can not forget the other Important people, Our Customers!! we must give them a big shout-out, the people of our community...Thank you, for all your support!

Now before I forget, I would like to Invite you to come out and support our "Students every Saturday, your support means the world to our children. " Benita Law-Diao is doing a great job teaching them the overall operation of a Farmers Market...how to count money, organize and sell the Vegetables.

AVillage will operate a farmers market in the South-End for the next 8-10 weeks, our location is on the corner of Morton Avenue and Eagle Street...please give us a call if you have any questions or special requests, we'll try our best to fill your request...AVillage (518)859-4305, our start time is 11:00am-2:00pm.

Our Vegetables are always FRESH!...Today, we had Broccoli, Cauliflower, summer and winter Squash, Mint, Collards, Potatoes, Parsley, Fresh Eggs, Chard, Green and Purple Lettuce, Corn, Wax Beans, Sweet Peas, Basil, Kale, Lemon Thyme Cookies, and "The Best Tea In The World" "Island Tea" made with a secret recipe...By "Wellington Farm"...Our thanks also goes out to "Barber's Farm:" for their support, also a special thanks goes out to Albany Housing Authority for all their wonderful help, thank you. I will sign off now, but Please join us next Saturday at 2:00pm...Hope to see you there.

Morton Avenue "Beautification Project"

Thanks to all who came to help us beaitifying our community!

Asking For "Garbage Cans" In The South-End!

Have you ever wondered why there is no "Garbage Cans" In the South-End??? So some people just throw their trash on the Side-Walks or the Streets...What's wrong with this picture?? Why don't we have "Garbage Cans"?? I took a stroll Down Delaware Avenue, Lark Street and Madison Avenue...They have Solar garbage cans!!! Wow! and we have nothing in the South-End...Stay tuned for AVillage's Update!!!

This is unacceptable...We've asked for them repeatedly, with no results!...We were suppose to get them on April 30th...Today is May 27th...This is a Holiday Week-End, there will be trash all over our Streets and Side-Walks... AVillage will once again fight for garbage cans in the South-End...Stay Tuned.

AVillage Community Clean-Up

We like to clean-up our Communities. It was a reat accomplishment!

 

South End Earth Day Community Clean-Up

AVillage..., Inc. and Grand Street Community Arts, Inc. came together to clean our community...Thanks to all who came out to help!! The Parents of the South-End are great! we love our community!!! It's only the beginning...The South-End is the place to be...Keep your eyes and ears open, you will see and hear more from "The South-End" in the near future!!

Residents help clean up South End
http://albany.twcnews.com/content/news/541807/residents-help-clean-up-south-end/?r=5444191946

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Residents in Albany's South End area are celebrating Earth Day one week later by cleaning up all around the neighborhood.

Both children and adults stepped up to help create new gardens, clean up the streets and vacant lots, and restore Rainbow Park. The park is the only place for kids to play since there is no community center in the area.

Cleaning up and painting Rainbow Park is one of a half dozen projects that neighbors and volunteers tackled on Saturday morning. Workshops were also held to learn about the environment.

At the end of the day, a celebration barbeque was held with music from local musicians.

AVillage..., Inc. is The Accountability Team

For too long we have been silent in our communities. Our elected officials need to hear from us! This very thing will happen on the 2nd. of May, at 5:30pm. AVillage would like to Invite you to attend a meeting to discuss the summer jobs program. The budget of last year program was one Million dollars. This year it is 1/2 of that! our children will only have 12hrs. per week this year!!! There's something wrong with this picture!!

It's Time To let them(Elected Officials) hear from US!! Please attend this very important meeting...This meeting will be held in the Common Council Chamber...Hope to see you there. AVillage..., Inc. (The Accountability Team).
We (AVillage)try our very best to do the right thing. We will not standby and let our communities be overlooked and without the resources our children/community deserve. We will fight the Powers-To-Be..."Peacefully, of cource"!

Voters Registration Drives

AVillage, Inc. Statement of correction...:"Let it be known" that AVillage is an open door Organization, when it comes to an invitation to speak at our meetings...Everyone is welcome! we are not an organization that supports "political campaigns" having said that, we will go out and organize our community! our plan is to do a "Citywide Voters Registration Drive"

AVillage..., Inc., " by law, organizations exempted from Tax under 501(c)3 may not participate in or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office. 501(c)3's can organize their community through Voters Registration Drives, which is what AVillage will do!

People of AVillage

You are looking at AVillage, people who has and always will care about their community, I believe I speak for all of us when I say that we will make a difference in our community.

You are looking at AVillage, people who are committed to the Struggle, you are looking at AVillage, people who will ask you to become a part of this Movement/Struggle, you are looking at "Dedication" to our children future.

I would like for you to also know that there more of us that's not featured in this photo...AVillage, Inc. Committed to the up-lifting of our community.

Togather We Can

After a long fight and many sleepless nights, AVillage, Inc. and Partners has "Won" the fight to get a "Bus" up Morton Avenue Hill! we Just left a meeting with The Executive Director of CDTA, he looked us in the eyes and said that "You will get your bus"...It just goes to show, if you stand up for what you believe in, the sky is the limit as to what we as a community can do when we come together!

The People Have Spoken!! An Example of a "Community/People coming together"
We can get the resources that our Communities deserves, only if we work together!

CDTA route would serve South End
http://www.timesunion.com/opinion/article/CDTA-route-would-serve-South-End-639937.php

AVillage, Inc., joined by Westminster Presbyterian Church, Trinity Institution-Homer Perkins Center, Inc., and Grand Street Community Arts, presented the CDTA board not only with a petition signed by more than 1,200 people, but also with the results of a transportation questionnaire.

A Morton Avenue bus will roll in the South End
http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/A-Morton-Avenue-bus-will-roll-in-the-South-End-1029356.php

After two years of leaflets, petitions, neighborhood meetings, lobbying politicians and twice crashing CDTA's board meeting, residents of the South End have been assured that they'll get their long-awaited Morton Avenue bus.

"We've been on Cloud 9 since we got word. We're going to have a party," said Willie White, executive director of AVillage Inc.

"This took a lot of effort by a lot of people, but we stood up for something we believed in," White said. "This is a victory for the South End. When we join forces as a community, the sky's the limit."

The Love of Our Children

I really love my Grand-babies. They've bought me so much joy. I don't know how I could live without them. They have really changed my perspective on life. I believe that they have made me understand and appreciate the love that we should give too all Kids. I truly want to share this with other Kids in our communities. My Grand-babies are just a joy to be around, the love that I have for them is unmeasurable, why can't this love be extended.

The work that AVillage is doing will touch a lot of children in our community. AVillage believes that we are all extended Parents. This summer will be a tell-tell story for AVillage, we are building a Stage on a "Vacant Lot" on the corner of 4th Avenue and Elizabeth Street. We will bring Kids from all areas of the City to explore their talent. Our Kids are very talented and we will challenge their energy, we are also doing a farmers Market where we will create a Entrepreneurship Program, which gives the Kids a chance to learn how to do business and be responsible for their own bank accounts.

We are excited about our spring/summer Months, we have so many programs that we want to do, and so many that we will do.  We have secured funding for our Stage and some programs, but we are still looking for funding for other programs. We will not let money stop us from doing the things that we want to do, altho money will help us, but not stop us.

We are working with a Farmer for our Farmers Market. Fred and Carolyn Wellington of "Wellington Farms" in Schoharie Co. who are very committed to the well being of the children in our communities. So please pray for our programs and the success of our organization. Thank You, AVillage..., Inc.

Helping our Children help themselves...AVillage, Inc. and The PTA

Hello all, tonight AVillage will attend the Giffen's PTA, please join us to support our very own, "Vivian D. Kornegay" who will be running for President of the PTA, AVillage is very happy to have had Vivian as one of our most dedicated members for a long time, we know that her dedication is where it needs to be.

Our children and Parents will be blessed to have Vivian at the helm of the PTA.  Also, your support tonight would be highly appreciated by all, so please come out and join us for this great cause, our children need our support.

Education Is The Key!  5:00pm Tonight at Giffen Elementary School...hope to see you there. AVillage, Inc. 518-859-4305 or avillage5@aol.com, thanks.

AVillage Is The Change That We've Been Waiting For

I'm so happy with the Members of AVillage. We had a our weekly meeting on last night. Ordinary People coming together with the motivation and Inspiration to make change and change we will make. We have so much that we are working on and we are no ways tired! we are working on updating our website, please take a minute to visit our website and get ready to be Inspired, http://www.avillageworks.org/

Your help is very much "required" in order for this change to happen, please keep in mind that our children are also your responsibility, "We are the change that we've been waiting for" Barack Obama, our destiny is not written for Us but by Us!, It's up to Us to bring change to our own Communities, if we wait for someone else to do it, change will never come...Let's walk together...AVillage, Inc.

Get Real!

I sit here and read some of the messages that people are writing on Facebook, and it breaks my heart to hear the quotes, scriptures, messages and other post. You would think that we have it all together but still I go out in the community and see the same things happening to our children. What are we doing wrong? Where's the answer?

My biggest discuss is that people are quoting the Bible as if they are really living it! "Stop It" my suggestion is that you live it and then quote it! are we doing it for other people to think that we are people of God? "Action Speaks louder than Words"!!! I am beginning to hate Face book...People are not Real! it's all a Show!!! Let's get real people!

AVillage Supports The Needed

AVillage..., Inc. "In the true spirit of AVillage" Members rallied to support a Senior Community Member who recently got out of the hospital. This morning, 6 AVillage Members arrived at her home with flowers, baked goods, cleaning supplies and love. AVillage respects it's elders, and we believe that they should never feel alone or be in need of food or support.