CNAC – Is it Done? Or Has It’s Time Come?

Today, I am writing about an group (organization?) that I have been involved with for the last year, including some basics on it’s history, it’s current state, and prospects for the future.

First off, let’s spell out exactly what the name (it’s acronym) stands for.  CNAC stands for the Coalition of Neighborhood Action Committees, which was intended to be the community counterpart to the Strong Neighborhoods Initiative, a program funded by the Redevelopment Agency of the City of San Jose.

The mandate, or charter , of this group was to mirror the 4 pillars or precepts of Strong Neighborhoods, namely:

1) Mobilizing Neighborhood Action

2) Stabilizing Neighborhoods in Crisis

3) Removing Barriers

4) Connecting Resources

All four of these concepts was intended to enable, empower, and encourage community leaders and their respective neighborhoods to find means to support themselves, augment activity/efforts of the city, and build / foster strong vibrant communities with the capacity to sustain, thrive and grow.