Village with an Open Heart

Organizational formation can be where many dreams take their last breath.  It's usually that "last straw" between many who want to make a difference but feel overwhelmed from the start.  

If honored with selection, Village with an Open Heart will use the funds to continue our work as life, business and community developers in Lindenwold New Jersey, Tuni Andhra Pradesh India and beyond.

Organizational activities will be performed by our three full-time directors, Odessa Patton, Eric Patton, Denton Evans and other staff (as needed).

We will be able to rent our first facility to operate our WE CAN Life Development Center.  WE CAN, which stands for We Exist:  Community Action Network, will be a place for all people of all backgrounds to come together, dream, grow and work towards a better community. This center will provide personal development programming, community outreach and event planning and business development services in under served communities.  

Twenty percent of funding received will support the mission of New Hope, a missionary village in southern rural India which provides shelter and social services to 32 orphans full time, 9 full-time mission staff, a women's shelter, food bank, homeless outreach.  New Hope provides outreach training to the Village    

I didn't expect to get here this way.  My plan has always been to help.  But as my experience changes and progresses so does the shape of the Village.  Since moving to New Jersey I have worked in public service.  I am a "Helper" and have served in many capacities on my way to understanding who I Am and what my calling is.  

Over the past five years, I understand that I am effective at helping people get to the next level.  Effective case management is fluid; it can be transferred from the personal to the corporate level by a thoughtful process of understanding the Client and the environment they exist and being both stable in service delivery while reserving space for flexibility.  

I believe we can all win.  As long as I am breathing, I will always accept that.  I have grown to realize that self-perception goes a long way.  My mission is to help lift the burden of those who feel overwhelmed and outpaced on the quest for success.  I understand that effectively reach others to go after their full potential, I must first do it for myself.  This feels pretty good.  GOD BLESS. 

Village with an Open Heart is a community outreach and business development organization serving Southern New Jersey and beyond. 

For Individuals, Families and Groups, we offer, WE CAN Life Development Programs (LDP). Members receive personalized development planning focusing on career and life skills education, training, networking and assistance. 

For Businesses, we provide, WE CAN: Business to Business (B2B) consultation and organizing services, including grant writing, grant systems management, and human resource management. 

For Communities, Villagers come together for WE CAN: Outreach, providing services such as food and necessities, "Sunday Family Supper" programs for seniors, veterans, and others; classes and workshops, "Community Clean-Up" walks, event planning etc.

There are three distinct challenges facing minority and women entrepreneurs:  limited access to capital, limited access to business networks and limited opportunity for business skills development. (MS Barr)

We desire to be a resource of encouragement and action in the communities we serve. Our goal is to offer our services at minimal to no-cost to program participants.  

Our intention is to be of mutual benefit with our participants and help minimize barriers to success, while pursuing our vision of our first Sustainable Transitional Living Community.

Our work is unique because it looks completely unlike what we expected, but exactly the right fit for us.  As people who have felt the pressure of business development, we want to assist others in pursuing their various human services programs and other business programs. 

A major goal for the Village is to launch our overall vision, S-TLC., a two-year transitional living program that incorporates wellness, personal development, connection and career skills training and opportunities. 

Types of STLC housing programs would include youth transitioning to adulthood as parents, individuals who are successful in recovery and reentry programs, widows, divorcees, struggling parents and others experiencing significant life transitions with limited resources.

What we've found to be the case is oftentimes the difference between success and failure is opportunity.  Our dream is to create a space that satisfies a most critical need of a fresh start.  

For our S-TLC programming, we envision a micro-community consisting of "Villages"; transitional "dorms", family homes and WE CAN neighborhood development centers with a full-time training and development component where determined adults are allowed a moment to breathe, learn, dream and recapture their belief that anything for them is possible. 

Our partnership with New Hope Missions, operated by Pastor JohnClive G and his wife Nirosha, has helped serve hundreds of homeless men and women and currently provide care to 200 orphans.  Identifying information of the couple and the Church is requested to be anonymous.  Village with an Open Heart provides approximately $400 per month to the program.  

Village with an Open Heart regularly receives donations towards community outreach.  Donations include direct funding, food, clothing and other services.  

Village is in process of submitting 501c3 application for tax exempt status and has begun actively pursuing grants and donations on its on and entering into MUA with Employment Network Team for Development programming services.