VECA Community Development Corporation

1680 Jackson Avenue

Memphis, TN 38107

Phone: (901) 276-1782, fax: (901) 276-1784

E-mail: vecacdc@vecacdc.org

The Vollintine-Evergreen neighborhood is located in the north part of midtown
Memphis.  Its boundaries are North Parkway on the south, Watkins Street on the
west, Cypress Creek on the north, and Springdale Street and Rhodes College on
the east.  Within its boundaries are three city schools: Snowden School,
Vollintine Elementary School, and Cypress Middle School (which also houses the
KIPP Diamond Academy).  The neighborhood includes almost 12,000 residents in
about 4,600 households.  Vollintine-Evergreen is a microcosm of the entire city
of Memphis in many ways: racial makeup (58% black and 39% white), age
distribution, median income, home ownership rate (56%), and employment rate.

The Vollintine-Evergreen Community Association (VECA) was founded in 1971 as a
501(c)(4) corporation, to preserve and improve the multiracial neighborhood
even as it faced block-busting and redlining, inappropriate redistricting of
schools, and the proposed (and ultimately defeated) extension of I40 through
midtown.  VECA's mission is to maintain a quality residential neighborhood
through the volunteer efforts of the neighborhood's residents. 

VECA's Community Development Corporation (VECA CDC) was founded in 1995 as a
501(c)(3) corporation.  VECA CDC's mission is to act effectively as the
business arm of the neighborhood association and work to improve the overall
quality of the neighborhood.  VECA CDC has a HUD- and THDA-certified housing
counseling program, builds and rehabs affordable housing, has made home
improvement loans, provides construction-consulting services, and supports
commercial revitalization.  In addition, VECA CDC owns, has renovated, and
manages two apartment buildings and a commercial strip. 

VECA committees include the following:
Vollintine-Evergreen News (publishing a free bi-monthly newsletter delivered by
volunteers to most households);
Membership (maintaining a healthy dues-paying membership, encouraging new
volunteers);
Block Clubs (organizing and supporting active block clubs, the basic building
blocks of the neighborhood);
Code Enforcement (reporting code violations to appropriate authorities and
educating residents about codes);
Historic (promoting the neighborhood and its historic homes, especially through
special home tours); and
Cypress Creek (investigating environmental problems, educating nearby
residents, and promoting appropriate use of the Cypress Creek area, including
the bike path). 

VECA CDC committees include the following:
Managing (acting on behalf of the full VECA CDC Board when necessary);
Housing (approving and overseeing rehab and new housing construction projects);
Commercial Revitalization (encouraging redevelopment of the neighborhood's six
small commercial centers);
Tree Restoration; and
V&E Greenline (promoting and maintaining of the neighborhood-owned Greenline
park).