Housing Update | A Multicultural Approach to Food & Housing

March 18th, 2021

This month the Pattern for Progress Center for Housing Solutions hosts West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation from Providence, Rhode Island. We’ll explore how this developer puts their mission into practice promoting the development of healthy, sustainable communities through housing services. Join us as we learn more about their Sankofa Initiative, a model approach to community building that recognizes the importance of using knowledge from the past to achieve progress by addressing modern health, financial and community challenges through increased access to the healthy foods that are traditional to the West End’s ethnically diverse community.
Moderator:
Joe Czajka, Pattern for Progress

Panel:
Maria Carvalho
Executive Director, West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation

Melanie Borges
Sankofa Project Manager, West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation

Speaker Bios

Maria Carvalho, Executive Director
West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation

Maria Carvalho is the Executive Director at the West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation, a NeighborWorks America Community Development Corporation that works to create healthy and sustainable communities. Prior to assuming leadership of the organization, Maria was the Initiative Director for Dunamis Synergy. Maria spent 23 years working for The College Crusade, administering the high school and postsecondary programs.

Awarded the Dr. David B. Swedlow Memorial College Access Practitioner Award of Excellence from the National College Access Network and received the Leader in Action Award from New England Counselors of Color Bridging Access to College. Maria holds an M.Ed. in Adult Education from the University of Rhode Island and a B.S. in Human Services from Springfield College.

Melanie Borges, Sankofa Project Manager
West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation

Melanie Borges serves as the Sankofa Project Manager at West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation, focusing on managing the Sankofa Initiative, working to improve food access in the West End of Providence, and supporting the success of the robust community gardens, seasonal farmers market, and community kitchen. Through my role managing Sankofa, I have been in a position to continue the work to make the West End into a center for agriculture and economic development, with special focus on promoting and celebrating the neighborhoods rich cultural identity.

Melanie worked with the West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation through their Dunamis Synergy Initiative, serving as a Family Coach supporting parenting students as they work towards their career and education goals. After completion of  the University of Rhode Island Master Gardener certification, she rose to her current position leading the Sankofa Initiative.