Capeverdean American Community Development of Rhode Island
(C.A.C.D.)
PAWTUCKET RHODE ISLAND CAPE VERDEANS JOIN HANDS
FOR COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
Capeverdean American Community Development of Rhode Island
(C.A.C.D.) has launched an ambitious program of service to their
community which has deep roots in their culture and the spirit of
"djunta-mon". In the remote villages of Cabo Verde neighbors still
routinely join hands (in Kriolu literally, djunta-mon) to build a
home for a neighbor in need, complete a community project or
respond to a common threat in time of crisis. In this spirit local
Pawtucket Cape Verdeans have also welcomed the concrete support
C.A.C.D. is receiving from the City Year program and the many
"Friends of Cape Verde" in southern New England who have been
helping C.A.C.D. to realize its dream.
A NEW ORGANIZATION WITH DEEP ROOTS IN CAPE VERDEAN CULTURE.
C.A.C.D. is a non-profit community service agency which was granted
tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service under section
501(c)(3) of the U.S. Tax Code. C.A.C.D. was organized on the back
of the momentum generated by the unsuccessful 1993 political
campaign of local immigrant community activist, Ismael DaSilva, in
his first bid for a seat on the Pawtucket City Council. DaSilva
lost the race by only 78 votes. DaSilva said that the "C.A.C.D....
aims to develop and enrich the human personality of the Cape
Verdean community through educational programs, supportive group
association, and preservation and celebration of the living
cultural traditions of the Capeverdean people. The organization
will function as a vehicle for effective intercultural relations
and coalition building with other groups in our city and throughout
the Southern New England region".
On December 20, 1993, with the help of a dedicated and visionary
board, C.A.C.D. was incorporated in Rhode Island and signaled its
serious intentions to the larger community. On June 3, 1995 with
the attendance of more than six hundred Capeverdeans and friends,
C.A.C.D. 's first annual fundraising event at the R.I. Convention
Center was an outstanding success. During the gala event
organization leaders announced their intention to assume
responsibility for a major financial undertaking, the purchase of
a building which would be suitable to house the expanding
comprehensive Cape Verdean community service center. Moreover, the
group announced plans to launch an unprecedented push which would
accomplish their goals in only one year. Ismael DaSilva enjoys
declaring to his supporters and local politicians that..."believe
it or not, we promised and we delivered!"
The search for a new Center proved to be both a difficult and
frustrating ordeal. "We wanted to find a building that would
appropriately service our program needs. At the same time it was
absolutely essential that whatever actions we took would motivate
and mobilize all Capeverdeans, be an important source of community
pride and a concrete symbol of hope for our children" said DaSilva.
C.A.C.D. leaders insisted that "how" its goal was accomplished is
very important if we were to remain true to our goals of building
trust and mutual respect within our community.
In May 1995, C.A.C.D. found a building. Initially some of the
Board members were reluctant to make the final commitment to buy
the building. After two months of discussion, they were able to
reach consensus and by a unanimous vote moved to buy the building.
As fate would have it the they learned that the building had been
sold in the days prior to reaching agreement. "We were devastated
as we saw our dreams vaporize" said DaSilva.
In late October, a real estate agent called C.A.C.D. president
and treasurer and told them about the availability of the builder
that housed the former Hall Institute. They immediately saw the
building's possibilities but were very fearful of a condition of
sale that the building had to be purchased by the end of December.
The asking price was $200,000. The immediate problem was how to
raise $30,000 for down payment in only seven weeks, just before the
Christmas holidays in a city experiencing very high unemployment.
The Board decided to take a chance and made a deposit of $1,000 to
secure the building. The seller accepted the terms proposed by
C.A.C.D.
C.A.C.D. decided to go directly to their community for an immediate
support. They reached out to the Capeverdeans on local talk radio
shows. The first "Talk Show " raised about $10,000. DaSilva
recalls that "that was a great moment for us. We sent pledge cards
to all Capeverdeans and friends in our area with the result that in
only seven weeks we secured about $30,000 in pledges. Most people
could not believe this. Some would call it a miracle". Capeverdeans
are giving us $5.00 for each of our new floor tiles. Now we are
renovating the building with the help of the City of Pawtucket and
grant of $34,000 for a new heating and cooling system.
Over 1000 community people attended the inauguration celebration
for our new building. Our formal membership includes some 300
people. C.A.C.D. has committed itself to bringing new
opportunities to the Pawtucket Cape Verdean community.
CURRENT ACTIVITIES AND SERVICES
C.A.C.D. is proud of the range of services it is providing to
Pawtucket area citizens after operating for only one year. These
programs and services include:
-- English as a second language
-- voter education, registration and an election day "get out the
vote"
-- member of the SHARE food distribution network
-- neighborhood cleanups with more than 450 participants
-- community family day picnics and sporting events
-- coordinated local fund-raisers and collaborated with other
local charity drives
-- cultural awareness programs
-- emergency relief drives in response to the cholera crisis and
volcanic eruptions in Cape Verde
In the coming months we hope to initiate the following are projects
as funding becomes available:
-- after school youth study group
-- youth history and culture classes
-- youth crime & violence forum
-- family crisis counseling
-- expansion of C.A.C.D.'s needs assessment & resource information
programs
-- parent education workshops regarding teen pregnancy issues,
crisis management and domestic violence reduction
-- minority health issues education
-- women's cancer education and screening
-- Nursing Assistant Certification Program
CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS
Cape Verdeans are known for having pride in their heritage and for
adding new colors to the "American Canvas" rather than fully a
assimilating. Therefore, special consideration will be taken in
recruiting our administrative and service delivery staff. It is
essential that our community clientele experience ownership of the
organization and programs and be comfortable and able to
communicate effectively with our staff. Currently, there are five
different languages spoken among members of C.A.C.D., including
English, Creole, Portuguese, Spanish, and French. Most of our
members speak at least two languages. Our Nursing Assistant
Program instructor and tutors will be at least bi-lingual.
CACD Board of Directors
Ismael DaSilva, President
Luis do Rosario, Vice-President
Joao Goncalves, Secretary
John Xavier, Treasurer
Manuel Goncalves, Benvindo Cabral, Armando Rodrigues, Pedro
Andrade, John Goncalves, Abertino Vicente, Maria Martins, Ricardo
Rodrigues, Napoleao Goncalves, Filomena Penco, Avelino Barros,
Sharon Quatrono.
Committee Chairpersons
Avelino Barros, Membership
Manuel Goncalves, Neighborhood Awareness
Napoleano Goncalves, Program Development
Pedro Andrade, Emergency Assistance Programs
Maria Martins, Cultural Programs
Ricardo Rodriguez, Public Relations
Sharon Quatrano, Daycare Programs
Armando Rodrigues, Fundraising
"You can be part of the solution: be a member, get involved, be a
volunteer"
For more information call CACD - (401) 726-8729
120 High St., Pawtucket, RI 02860
Cape Verdean American Community Development, Inc.
is a member of the
family of United Way community service agencies.
When you make your
tax deductible contribution to the United Way of Rhode Island
you
can designate C.A.C.D. as a recipient of your gift.
Our agency code
is #6128.
idasilva@aol.com 