Mission Statement
Building communities that enrich lives in response to God’s love
Six Elements of a Healthy Neighborhood
ZION Development seeks to get out ahead of the problems and pain in a neighborhood by putting into place the Six Elements of a Healthy Neighborhood. These Elements will strengthen a neighborhood and help prevent the problems which might otherwise arise. Our strategy is to develop projects in the Midtown neighborhood which will be or become self-sufficient and which will make the neighborhood more economically sustainable. In this way, gifts and donations from individuals and corporations can be used to help develop new projects and programs.
Health
ZION Development believes that to contribute to and enjoy our neighborhoods, neighbors must be healthy, both physically and mentally. That means that neighbors must have good information about getting and staying healthy and it means they must also have access to quality health care that is affordable. Healthy neighborhoods also have a variety of recreational resources – parks, bike paths, sidewalks and walking paths, and recreation centers.
ZION role: Walter D. Williams Wellness Program at Longwood Gardens; Keith Creek Greenway
Meaningful Work
We believe people must be given the opportunity to earn a living in a way that fulfills them. Neighbors who work are self-sufficient and provide the best example to children who see their commitment to providing for their families.
ZION role: Grand Apartments front desk clerks
Faith & Moral Values
ZION Development maintains these collaborative relationships with other faith-oriented organizations very intentionally. A neighborhood, indeed, every community, needs spiritual power and a loving direction to keep it health and focused on what is important and truly helpful.
ZION role: Chaplain Bertie Holmgren
Housing
Many people would say that housing is the most essential element to a strong and healthy neighborhood. Indeed, the appearance of the neighborhood itself is almost always most dependent on the condition and design of its housing. Over the last 30+ years, ZION has developed over 160 units of housing of all kinds – single-family and multifamily, rental and owner-occupied – all in the Midtown neighborhood.
ZION role: Numerous properties rehabilitated
Education
Education is essential preparation of young minds and bodies for all of the other five elements. Highly effective education will prepare children and young adults not only for self-sufficiency but also for lives of service to and appreciation of others. Education is vital to the health of a neighborhood because high-performing, high profile schools can be a wonderful point of pride. Education is also a valuable and powerful economic engine for a neighborhood. Schools bring ito the neighborhood teachers, staff, and administrators with generally high levels of education.
ZION role: Helped to start the CICS-Patriots Charter School (now the Jackson Charter School)
Supportive Social Relationships
Supportive Social Relationships help make neighborhoods safer because the neighbors know each other and look out for each other. They watch each other’s children. They loan their lawn mowers. They shovel more than just their own sidewalk. We were created to live in loving community with each other.
ZION role: Encouraging people to move into Midtown; recruiting board members from the neighborhood