As for strengthening diversity and interaction between neighbors, VECA communicates through a monthly newsletter, has numerous committees on which blacks and whites work together, and hosts several social events throughout the year. Indeed, V-E has been held up as a model of racial integration, winning awards as well as grant money from numerous sources. Yet model or not, perceptions of racism still rear their heads, and VECA recently formed an ad hoc committee on racism to address the issue, while also looking at ways to further improve the organization - from boosting communications to drawing new volunteers. That s what attracted me to the neighborhood, says Gary Gilbert, VECA s paid executive director since 1998 who has degrees in community development. That to me is the key.
Neighborhoods start going down when people don t care and lose interest.
Hazel Jackson, who is in her second year as VECA president and has lived in the area since 1988, sees the need to wake people up, shake them up, get their attention about VECA and what it does. She adds, We have lots of the same people who ve been involved for a long time, and they re getting burned out. We need more new volunteers. Certainly all volunteer-based organizations have their high and low periods in terms of participation, and sometimes new energy comes from outside sources. People were tired.