SitemapThose looking to improve their small business, start their own enterprise or learn about neighborhood development may want to attend the North Flint Reinvestment Corporation’s economic empowerment summit.
The fourth annual summit takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sept. 27 at Foss Avenue Baptist Church, 1159 E. Foss Ave.
Cost for the event is $25 and features breakfast, lunch, workshop materials and a gift bag.
The theme for the summit is the “Empowering families and neighborhoods through micro business enterprise and resident engagement” and will feature Ian Beriston of the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation.
Reginald Flynn, president of the North Flint Reinvestment Corp. and pastor at Foss Avenue Baptist, said he visited Youngstown a couple of months ago during a trip with a contingent of Flint officials.
“They’re going into very distressed areas and having success,” Flynn said of Youngstown’s development staff. “I see a lot of similarities with Youngstown and the city of Flint.
“(Beriston) has a level of expertise in neighborhood development that is phenomenal and we’re looking to replicate that.”
Flynn hopes to attract 300 people to the event.
There will be seven different workshops available and the one hosted by FirstMerit Bank’s Lysa Davis on the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 should be especially useful to black and Hispanic business owners and entrepreneurs, Flynn said.
The act, he said, ensure that financial institutions provide capital and financial services to low-income communities where they operate.
“This year’s summit is extremely important, with so many residents desiring to see our neighborhoods developed,” Flynn said. “What we’re excited about is what transpired in Civic Park and we’re hoping to see similar developments in other neighborhoods.”
Flynn was referring to last week’s announcement that $2.6 million in federal funds will be used to knock down 225 blighted homes in one of the nation’s first subdivisions.
Call 787-9019 or visit northflintreinvestmentcorp.com for more information.
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