Resources - What You Can Do

As members of WACO, the Western Addition Community Organization, individual Fillmore residents, like Mary Rogers and Hannibal Williams, joined together to form an organization with a common purpose in mind: stopping the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency, headed by Justin Herman, from taking away their homes and destroying their neighborhood.

When WACO formed in 1966, neighborhood activism was still a new idea. Up to that point, community residents did not have the legal right to oppose redevelopment. After WACO filed a law suit against the agency, and won, the Fillmore residents had the right to participate in the renewal of their community. It was the first time in U.S. history that such a decision had been made.

Continuing in the tradition of the WACO activists, there are tremendous opportunities for people all over the United States to participate in the improvement of their communities and the quality of life for the residents who live, work, and play here.

ACORN: Association of Community Organizations - www.acorn.org
A national organization of low and middle income people challenging the unjust distribution of wealth and power in the United States, from city councils to the halls of Congress.

Action Without Borders - www.idealist.org
Includes a directory of thousands of nonprofit websites, an online library for nonprofits and a database of volunteer opportunities both nationwide and internationally.

The Alliance for National Renewal - www.ncl.org/anr/index.htm
A coalition of over 200 national and local organizations dedicated to the principles of community renewal.

AmeriCorps - www.americorps.org
A national initiative that involves people of all ages and backgrounds in strengthening America's communities through service. In exchange for service, members receive education awards.

Coalition for Healthier Cities/Communities - www.healthycommunities.org
A site where people interested in addressing urban and community issues along with concerns with health and quality of life issues in their communities can join and share information.

Community Building Resource Exchange - www.commbuild.org
This website provides a broad array of resources and information about innovative community building efforts to revitalize poor neighborhoods and improve the life circumstances of residents and their families.

Grass-roots.org - www.grass-roots.org
Read stories of the most innovative grassroots programs in the United States and the local heroes who've found effective ways to build their communities, fix what's broken and make them better. The site's goal is to inspire people to roll up their sleeves and get involved in their own communities.

National Civic League - www.ncl.org
Established to help communities develop a civic culture that nurtures and supports community problem solving, NCL offers training, special presentations, facilitation and coaching services and a range of publications.

National Neighborhood Coalition - www.neighborhoodcoalition.org
The National Neighborhood Coalition (NNC) serves as the national voice for neighborhoods by providing a crucial link to Washington for neighborhood and community based organizations.

Neighborhoods Online - www.neighborhoodsonline.net
An online resource center for people working to build strong communities throughout the United States. The site includes issue guides, community development resources, and more.

Points of Light Foundation - www.pointsoflight.org
The Points of Light Foundation's mission is to engage more people more effectively in volunteer community service to help solve serious social problems.

U.S. Census Bureau - factfinder.census.gov
Just enter your street address to get the 2000 Census results for your community.

Volunteer Match - www.volunteermatch.org
Check out their national volunteer database that allows a user to enter their area code and narrow their search to volunteer opportunities within the user's immediate area.