OFFICIALS OF FIRST BAPTIST COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION HOSTED NATIONALLY-RENOWNED LEADER OF COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT

Trailblazer Shares Expertise on Building, Revitalizing, and Empowering Low-Income Communities and Praises Faith-Based Initiatives of Local Community Development Corporation

Somerset, NJ - June 14, 2001: Officials of the First Baptist Community Development Corporation ("FBCDC") hosted Robert L. Woodson, Sr., founder and president of the National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise ("NCNE") at their facility. Mr. Woodson is nationally known as a leader and expert on building, revitalizing and empowering low-income communities throughout the country. Woodson is often referred to as the godfather of the neighborhood empowerment movement by many of his constituents. He has also been consulted as an authority on community development for the President's Faith-Based Initiatives program.

Woodson's purpose for visiting the FBCDC was to take a close and personal look at the faith-based organization's successful community initiatives currently underway in Franklin/Somerset Township, New Brunswick and other areas throughout the State of New Jersey that are impacted by some of FBCDC's programs. One such program is the Harvest of Hope Family Services Network, Inc. ("HOH"), which recruits foster parents for displaced "boarder babies." "We are both proud and excited that Mr. Woodson was impressed with our community efforts and considers the HOH a model program. We look forward to sharing our work with Bob and other community leaders. We are proud that our work might be replicated in other places," says Rev. Larry Williams, President, Harvest of Hope Family Services Network, Inc.

Woodson's visit included a grand tour of the Renaissance Community including the FBCDC's office and community complex, the Hampton Club and throughout the neighborhoods along the Route 27 corridor within the vicinity of Franklin Township and the City of New Brunswick. In addition, Mr. Woodson met with various staff members to discuss their roles and responsibilities.

Woodson is frequently featured as a social commentator in the print and on-air media, including The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Nightline, Meet The Press and other national and local broadcasts. He is also author of a book entitled, "The Triumphs of Joseph: How Today's Community Healers are Reviving Our Streets and Neighborhoods."

NCNE was founded in 1981 as a not-for-profit, nonpartisan research and demonstration organization that supports neighborhood-based initiatives to reduce crime and violence, restore families, create economic enterprise and employment, and revitalize low-income communities. NCNE identifies successful grassroots leaders and organizations throughout the country and amplifies their impact. NCNE places great emphasis on good fiscal management and administrative controls and helps these neighborhood leaders attract public and private support, mobilizing communities throughout the country to fight societal problems.

The First Baptist Community Development Corporation was founded in 1992 and incorporated as a nonsectarian not-for-profit, 501©(3) organization in February, 1993. It was formed to improve the social, educational and economic conditions in the community surrounding the First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens, located on Route 27 in Somerset, New Jersey. FBCDC was created as a logical outgrowth of the First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens' sixty year-old rich history of dedication to community service.