King Park launched the Build Fund to further its mission of building resilient neighborhoods in Indianapolis through collaborative partnerships. One of these beneficial partnerships is with the Edna Martin Christian Center (EMCC).
The partnership between the Build Fund and EMCC is a natural one. Both organizations hope to create thriving, inclusive, and diverse communities with all the opportunities its members need to learn, live, work, and play. Both the Build Fund and EMCC provide vital services that work in conjunction to fulfill this vision.
EMCC serves individuals and families in a variety of ways, including programs that empower the next generation through education, provide access to mental and physical health resources and services, and so much more.
While all EMCC programs help contribute to a positive holistic community atmosphere, the program most closely aligned with the Build Fund is the Center for Working Families (CWF). The CWF helps individuals with job readiness coaching, financial literacy, on-the-job training, and credential programs. Their credential programs provide training in a variety of different topics to advance their careers, such as:
- Construction Management
- Microsoft Office Specialist
- Culinary Training
- Cable Installation
- Logistics Associates
- Nursing
The CWF is especially relevant to the Build Fund because the Build Fund’s borrowers commit to creating local job opportunities. Our partnership with EMCC allows our borrowers access to quality employees. As EMCC works to train and support individuals, they refer potential candidates to our borrowers.
Our borrowers also have access to all the other services EMCC provides, including business startup resources and coaching.
The support EMCC provides to individuals in their programs provides the stability needed to eventually purchase a house of their own, ideally in the same neighborhood where they already work. This complements King Park’s low-interest housing lending through Edge Fund and King Park’s hope to create thriving neighborhoods with both commercial and residential property.
Both the Build Fund’s and EMCC’s values, missions, and desires for our communities are supported by each other. Together we hope to create and maintain resilient, inclusive neighborhoods that increase quality of life.
