The North Carolina Community Development Initiative

initiative news

Enterprising cDCs
How the Initiative Network is Turning Sustainability into Reality

Auto Parts Store a First in Essex

Thanks to a flexible credit loan from Initiative Capital, Native
Opportunity Way CDC (NOW-CDC) has opened the first auto parts
store in Hollister. Essex Auto and Hardware, an affiliate of the
Bumper to Bumper franchise, is creating jobs in the community
while offering a needed service. The store will enable residents to
support the local economy, since there is no comparable business
within 15 miles, and profits from the store will be reinvested in
the community through programs of the CDC. Hollister is home
to more than half of the North Carolina Haliwa-Saponi Indian
Tribe and has an ongoing need for economic development.

Barry Richardson, Executive Director of NOW-CDC, shared his
excitement about the new business. “We have a beautiful store,
and the people in the community are very supportive.” Mr.
Richardson reported that growth has been steady since the store
opened in September, and “every week it’s getting stronger.”

With Essex Auto firmly on the ground, NOW-CDC has begun to
explore new ways of fostering additional economic development
in their service area. According to Mr. Richardson, a small business incubator is a strong possibility, since “more and more people are looking for a small office.” By listening and responding to
the needs of the community, NOW-CDC is one step closer to
its mission and dream of creating economic self-sufficiency in
eastern Halifax County.

Top Right: On September 29th, Native Opportunity Way CDC held the Grand Opening for Essex Auto and Hardware in Hollister, financed in part by a loan from Initiative Capital.

Bottom Right: Barry Richardson, Executive Director of NOW CDC, shows off the new store.

Above: The Seed Boutique features used merchandise at discounted prices and supports the programs and mission of Passage Home.

Above: Singrid Belcher, who works at All That Fashion,
found her home and her job through Passage Home.

Passage Home Gets Thrifty

In collaboration with two local churches and a local retailer, Initiative grantee Passage Home has launched not one, but two thrift stores in Raleigh. Born out of a partnership with Lincoln Park Holiness Church and St. Francis of Assisi Church, The Mustard Seed Thrift (MST) offers used clothing, housewares, consumer electronics and small furniture at discounted prices. Fueled solely by donated goods and volunteer labor, MST is able to reinvest all proceeds back into the community through the programs and services of Passage Home and its faith partners.

Located just across town, The Seed Boutique is the sister store of MST. Housed within for-profit retailer All That Fashion, “The Seed” enables local residents to take advantage of low-priced clothing and handbags in order to “help people dress for success without having to spend a fortune doing it.”

Singrid Belcher, an employee of All That Fashion and The Seed, is also
a client of Passage Home. After a year living in transitional housing, Ms. Belcher moved into a permanent home last December. While the move increased her stability, she continued to struggle with a long drive to work. “I was working at Hardee's out past Garner, and my case worker said, ‘you need to get a job in Raleigh.’” As a result, Passage Home connected her with Kimberly Cotton, owner of All That Fashion and a graduate of Passage Home herself. “I came to Kimberly and did one interview, and she hired me,” Ms. Belcher said.

Since working in the store, Ms. Belcher has greatly cut down on her commute, leaving her more time at home with her three young boys. And with three years of sobriety under her belt in March, she recognizes that she has much to be thankful for. "I came from drugs, from not having my kids, to now." For Passage Home, sustainability is about more than just the bottom line; it’s about the individual.