Our Philosophy

Combining attention to the physical and economic development aspects of the community's quality of life with a focus on its human services needs, the First Baptist Community Development Corporation (FBCDC) seeks to build public/private relationships that maximize access to and use of resources that can be used to improve the "health" of the Renaissance Community. Recognizing that poverty results from a multiplicity of overlapping problems--poor health, unemployment, inferior schooling, juvenile delinquency, family problems, etc.--the FBCDC places a priority on addressing four areas of family development and support: 1) family stabilization/maintenance; 2) employment, including job readiness training and skills development; 3) economic development and maintenance; and 4) aftercare. Underlying the family support system is a "faith-based" approach, which assumes that a person's personal faith and value system is relevant to his/her ability to discover, learn and achieve. We also operate from the philosophy that individuals and families, when provided with the resources and the support will take advantage of the opportunities to help themselves. In our efforts to help people become self-sufficient, the FBCDC takes seriously one's personal faith and belief system and employs strategies and interventions that are implemented in a variety of settings with an emphasis on tailoring the services to the developmental and cultural needs, as well as the environmental contexts of the targeted population.