Northfield LDC

visit our site at-  http://www.portrichmond.net/nldc/

About Northfield Community LDC:
Northfield Community Local Development Corporation was founded in 1978 by the merchants, property owners and residents of Port Richmond, Staten Island for the purpose of community improvement and advocacy.   Our mission is to improve the quality of life within the community through the development of affordable housing, improvement of the existing housing stock, energy conservation in buildings, and support of economic development.

Through a holistic approach to community development, Northfield’s programs positively affect all aspects of our clients’ lives:   each individual component may moderately and temporarily improve their existence, but when combined with other programs and referrals, the net result is increased economic viability and opportunity for the individual, their family and the community as a whole.

Programs
Northfield Community LDC offers a wide variety of programs and services, all with the goal of improving the quality of life of Staten Islanders in Port Richmond, the North Shore and Island-wide.

Our Economic and Community Development department partners with local businesses and civic organizations to promote and grow Port Richmond's small businesses and to provide support for start-up and expansion to local entrepreneurs.   This department also focuses on quality of life issues such as graffiti abatement and holiday and other civic events such as Family Day and Port Richmond's annual Veterans Day observation to bolster community spirit and increase sales in the commercial district.

Helping community members from young children to seniors to develop the skills to achieve financial independence is the focus of our Financial Literacy department.   Through individual counseling and workshops in English and Spanish, as well as a "Train the Teachers" program in Staten Island high schools, we empower Staten Islanders to create budgets, to save, invest, and to build their futures on solid financial footing.

First-time homebuyers are among those who turn to our Housing department for guidance and assistance.   We provide individual counseling, educational programs on the process of buying a house and sponsor programs that assist qualified low-to-moderate income homebuyers with down payments and closing costs.   Our Housing department also provides foreclosure intervention to help people to remain in their homes.

Sed de Saber ("Thirst for Knowledge") is a unique and innovative program that utilizes an interactive, self-paced, and take-home format to provide multi-sensory English language learning designed specifically for the Hispanic adult.  The initial curriculum is aimed at workers in the food service and hospitality industry and a curriculum for workers in the homebuilding industry is set to launch in the spring of 2007. This program uses a portable system similar to the Leap Pad learning system for children.  A valuable feature is a built in microphone which allows learners to record and play back their voices, comparing their pronunciation against a model which enables students to perfect their pronunciation in privacy, increasing their confidence in speaking English.
We act as a clearinghouse to connect seniors with the services available to them through our Senior Services department.   Our staff conducts intake interviews and needs assessments and help seniors to obtain assistance with transportation, medical needs, safe housing, and meals.

Weatherization and energy efficiency services have been an important part of Northfield LDC since 1983.   Our Weatherization department provides weatherization, energy conservation and emergency home repair services through state programs such as WAP (the Weatherization Assistance Program), WRAP (Weatherization Referral and Packaging Program, and RESTORE (Residential Emergency Services to Offer Repairs to the Elderly).

We also act as a clearinghouse to distribute information about community events and resources in Spanish and English and translate informational materials for community events into Spanish.  A notary public is on staff to assist community members, and VITA tax volunteers are available during tax season to assist with tax preparation. Our ESL class is one of several educational programs offered at Northfield that proves to be very beneficial.    If you have any further questions about Northfield Community LDC and its programs, feel free to contact us at: (718) 442-7351.

http://www.portrichmond.net/nldc/