Make it stand out

Our programs

Community-led development

PODER Emma believes that the future of the neighborhood should be designed and led by people who live here! In order to support community members’ ability to participate actively in leadership, we are also dedicated to supporting each other as neighbors to ensure that our basic needs are met.

  • This is open to all residents of the Emma neighborhood and the surrounding Erwin School District.  Our membership program is designed to build trusting relationships and an engaged community.  PODER Emma’s Community Outreach Team visits members to distribute mobile home safety materials, including motion detector lights, anti-theft plates, and heat tape.  The outreach team also visits members regularly to share important information and dialogue about community priorities.  Members may also participate in our bulk buying cooperative, which makes organic traditional foods available at an accessible price. 

  • The Neighborhood Council works to make sure that community voices are heard when important decisions are made that affect our community, including planning, zoning, and new development.  The Council also stewards the Neighborhood Planning process and implementation of the Emma Community Plan, to ensure that local government, institutions, and agencies work in alignment with our community’s vision for the future.  In 2018 the first plan was finalized to identify community-based strategies to prevent displacement, and in 2023 we finalized a new Emma Community Plan that focuses on policy and community strategies.

  • What should we know about the services you provide? Better descriptions result in more sales.

Cooperative Development and Lending

Our cooperative development work is centered around the belief that communities have the wisdom and experience needed to create powerful collective solutions to address the structural barriers that we face, and that cooperative development is an important part of creating community power and equity.

PODER Emma provides technical assistance, accompaniment, and lending for the development and sustainability of worker-owned businesses, resident-owned mobile home parks, and community-based real estate investment cooperatives.

  • Our lending is done as a member of Seed Commons, a national community wealth cooperative. Our loan fund has invested over $2,305,000 in community-owned cooperative assets in our neighborhood.

  • There are four cooperatives in our network that engage in peer learning in areas including open book management, coaching supervision, and policy development. 

    These cooperatives are:

  • There are four cooperatives in our network that steward a total of 43 permanently affordable housing units.

  • We own two commercial properties that provide office space to small businesses, and community organizations, as well as a community park.

Programs

  • Community-led Development

    PODER Emma believes that the future of the neighborhood should be designed and led by people who live here! In order to support community members’ ability to participate actively in leadership, we are also dedicated to supporting each other as neighbors to ensure that our basic needs are met.

  • Advanced

    What should we know about the services you provide? Better descriptions result in more sales.

Book Now
 

Cooperative Development and Lending

Our cooperative development work is centered around the belief that communities have the wisdom and experience needed to create powerful collective solutions to address the structural barriers that we face, and that cooperative development is an important part of creating community power and equity.

PODER Emma provides technical assistance, accompaniment, and lending for the development and sustainability of worker-owned businesses, resident-owned mobile home parks, and community-based real estate investment cooperatives.  Our lending is done as a member of Seed Commons, a national community wealth cooperative. Our loan fund has invested over $2,305,000 in community-owned cooperative assets in our neighborhood.

PODER Emma Community Ownership stewards three Cooperative Networks.  These networks provide space for peer learning, shared resources, and leveraging of economic collective power. 

  1. Housing & Real Estate Cooperative Network

There are four cooperatives in our network that steward a total of 43 permanently affordable housing units and two commercial properties that provide office space to small businesses, and community organizations, as well as a community park.

2. Worker Owned Cooperative Network

There are four cooperatives in our network that engage in peer learning in areas including open book management, coaching supervision, and policy development. 

These cooperatives are:

Community-led Development

PODER Emma believes that the future of the neighborhood should be designed and led by people who live here! In order to support community members’ ability to participate actively in leadership, we are also dedicated to supporting each other as neighbors to ensure that our basic needs are met.

Our membership program, neighborhood council and community events provide neighbor to neighbor support and connection

1. PODER EMMA’s membership program:

This is open to all residents of the Emma neighborhood and the surrounding Erwin School District.  Our membership program is designed to build trusting relationships and an engaged community.  PODER Emma’s Community Outreach Team visits members to distribute mobile home safety materials, including motion detector lights, anti-theft plates, and heat tape.  The outreach team also visits members regularly to share important information and dialogue about community priorities.  Members may also participate in our bulk buying cooperative, which makes organic traditional foods available at an accessible price. 

2. Neighborhood Council and Plan:

The Neighborhood Council works to make sure that community voices are heard when important decisions are made that affect our community, including planning, zoning, and new development.  The Council also stewards the Neighborhood Planning process and implementation of the Emma Community Plan, to ensure that local government, institutions, and agencies work in alignment with our community’s vision for the future.  In 2018 the first plan was finalized to identify community-based strategies to prevent displacement, and in 2023 we finalized a new Emma Community Plan that focuses on policy and community strategies.

3. COMMUNITY EVENTS

PODER Emma organizes community events, including seasonal monthly flea markets, movie nights, and a neighborhood festival, to promote relationships building amongst neighbors and to create spaces for families to enjoy.