Since Bryant Temple African American Methodist Episcopal Church launched its Community Development Corporation (CDC) in 2017, the organization has quietly seen its South L.A. community through the challenges of everyday life, the COVID-19 pandemic, and more recently, the Los Angeles wildfires.
“We’re not close to [the fire], but it’s what we tell the youth,” says Aaron Ashe, the organization’s disaster preparation specialist and director of IT. “We tell them what to do, what not to do. We have go-bags for them with different things to help them mitigate these circumstances. We’re saying to stay in and be mindful, wear a mask, all things we encourage.”
The Bryant Temple CDC currently houses 90 individuals in two church properties – one located near a St. John’s Community Health clinic – provides physical and emotional necessities to the local community through twice-monthly food banks and twice-weekly youth meetings; and affords an open door to anyone who needs assistance with spiritual needs, financial dilemmas, or simply, someone to listen. In addition, the CDC also partners with local departments and agencies to “calm fears, build the trust, and assist the police in community relations,” according to Rev. Quanetha Hunt, the organization’s chief operating officer.
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“The community generally don’t want to talk to the police,” she says. “Dr. (Dwaine A.) Jackson (pastor of Bryant Temple AME) and I just went to a day of dialogue with the Pacific Division. They are inviting community organizations to sit with the new recruits … to tell them, “Yes, you’ve been in the academy, but this is what happens in the streets, and this is how you can help build your relationship with the community.”
Jackson, who serves as president and CEO of Bryant Temple CDC, has been invited by L.A. Mayor Karen Bass to join a planning committee for small businesses in the South L.A. area.
“Because I’m at the table, I’m able to get information and bring it back to the community to let them know where they stand and where they are,” Dr. Jackson says. “An important thing for us is that we already have shelters in place, because let’s be clear: we know that they are moving … the homeless … from where they are currently downtown to the South L.A. area. That’s a good thing because we can provide some assistance already.
“I’m able to keep us informed and to meet with community partners to talk about what’s going to happen over the next three years, as we start to clean up and develop, and prepare for the Olympics,” says Jackson. “We know there’s going to be a lot of movement, a lot of changing … a lot of people being resistant to some of the change because it will affect the way that they’re living. I want my staff to be made aware of that so that we can kind of soften the blow when things start to change … so we can talk to people and say, ‘Hey, let’s prepare for this.’”
Sharricka Dawson, the CDC’s human resources and Listos program coordinator, trains and supervises 35 employees and numerous volunteers, including community intervention workers, case managers, and outreach staff.
“This is a hub for the South L.A. community,” says Dawson. “I appreciate that it’s an open platform, where I make it comfortable for the employees and the staff; where if I don’t have the answers, I can get them for you. I appreciate working for this organization … what they stand for – it’s awesome to see.
“Even the kids in the neighborhood… if they want to talk, if they need advice, this is a safe hub for them. Pastor Jackson and Rev. Q are very involved … when one or two kids come here for resources, they are readily available.”
Ashe, a musician who attends and performs at Bryant Temple, has been with the CDC for three months.
“I heard of the CDC but didn’t know all the inner workings of what they offer,” says Ashe. “Pastor Jackson gave me the opportunity to be onboard and in just three months, my mind has been blown and I’ve [seen] how big a resource they are to the area, so I’m super grateful to be a part [of it]. You can really see the impact.”
Bryant Temple AME Church is located at 2525 W. Vernon Ave, Los Angeles, CA, United States, California. For more information, visit btame-cdc.org or call (323) 293-6201.
To view a clip of Bryant Temple CDC’s Pathway 2 Purpose Event on Sept. 7, 2024, visit https://bit.ly/4jjru0n