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The Harvard Community Services Center will be closed on Monday, February 17th in observance of Presidents' Day.

Small Business Development Highlight:

Q's Cafe


The Highlight Business for the Month of February is Q's Cafe located at 3954 Lee Rd. Ms. Quinette Williams has been open and operating in the Lee-Harvard neighborhood for over 11 years. Q's Cafe Specializes in Breakfast dishes!! Some of the most popular dishes are her famous fat belly Pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, and croissant breakfast sandwiches. Ms. Q's food is fast, hot, and ready to order. If you can't make it out, you can order through Door Dash. You can find Q on Instagram and Facebook. To place an order call: 216-215-1996.


Quinette Williams is pictured below (2nd from the left) upon completion of the Southeast Side Neighborhood, MICRO-GRANT PROGRAM UNLOCKING YOUR POTENTIAL, with Financial Expert, LaRese Purnell, MBA & Special Guest Speakers.

Per the two-day Master Classes each graduate received $2,500. Ms. Williams also received the small micro grant of $1,000 offered the following year. Ms. Williams has shown time and time again that she is serious about her business growth.

See her interview below with - ChatN with Jelani.

ChatN with Jelani! --Community Engagement Specialist HCSC-CDC--

Interview with Q's Cafe, Business Owner, Quinette Williams

ChatN with Jelani!!

Development Updates


Our Community Master Plan

is currently in progress. 



Please click the link below for full pdf.

LEE-HARVARD COMMUNITY MASTER PLAN

COMMUNITY LEE-HARVARD AND BEAUTIFICATION:

Harvard Community Services Center

Clean-ups and beautification continue to take place throughout (Southeast Cleveland, Ward 1) to remove illegal dumping. A few areas highlighted are E.155 & Harvard, and continued cleanups at the Lee Harvard Shopping Plaza.

E. 155th Street & Harvard

BEFORE

AFTER

Lee Harvard Shopping Plaza

BEFORE

AFTER

Built Environment Job Fair

1/28/2025

Black History Month

(Celebrating All Year Long)

Rubie McCullough founded Harvard community Services Center.


McCullough became a well-known civic activist, never backing down when seeking improvements to the center, her neighborhood, and Cleveland.


She was a strong advocate of the Cleveland Public Library, Cleveland schools and Cuyahoga Community College.


She was a Tri-C trustee from 1974 until her death on Dec. 27, 1995.


Her legacy lives on at the {Harvard Community Services Center} via their banquet hall named in honor of her (McCullough Hall).


Source: (https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2011/03/rubie_mccullough_founded_harva.html)

Community development corporations: African American History – 1865 to Present

Community development corporations (CDCs) are non-profit organizations designed to support and revitalize neighborhoods, especially in economically distressed areas. They focus on various aspects such as housing, job creation, and improving local services to enhance the quality of life for residents, particularly within marginalized communities. CDCs aim to empower residents by involving them in the decision-making process and promoting economic development while addressing systemic inequalities.


5 CDC Facts:

  1. CDCs emerged prominently in the 1960s as a response to urban decline and social inequities, with a focus on improving living conditions for African American communities.
  2. They often engage in real estate development, transforming vacant lots and abandoned buildings into affordable housing and community spaces.
  3. Funding for CDCs typically comes from a mix of government grants, private donations, and partnerships with local businesses, allowing them to implement various community projects.
  4. Many CDCs provide training and employment opportunities aimed at increasing economic self-sufficiency for community members through skills development programs.
  5. CDCs also play a critical role in advocating for policy changes that benefit low-income neighborhoods, pushing for resources and support from local governments.


Source: https://fiveable.me/key-terms/african-american-history-since-1865/community-development-corporations

SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES

SCORE Cleveland

Serving Northeast Ohio - Cuyahoga, Lake, Lorain, Geauga, Ashtabula, Huron, Erie, Trumbull Counties.


SCORE Cleveland Named 2022 National Chapter of the Year! 



[Their] mentors are highly successful and seasoned business professionals and entrepreneurs with the experience and knowledge to help you achieve your business goals.

REQUEST A SCORE MENTOR

SCORE MENTORS

Webinar Workshop:

VIDEO: 10 Mistakes That New Business Owners Make

10 Mistakes That New Business Owners Make

Please click video link to the left


UP-COMING SCORE WEBINARS:

Date & Time: March 11, 2025, 12:00pm EDT

Cost: $0.00

Duration: 60 minutes                

Webinar: Make your website Work for you

In this presentation, you will discover how to create a search-friendly website that drives user action and supports their goals. Whether launching a new website or sprucing up an old one, this workshop, presented by Maria Elena Duron, KLIBrands, will help.

REGISTER HERE:

Date & Time: March 21, 2025, 12:00pm EDT

Cost: $0.00

Duration: 60 minutes                              

Webinar: Financial Management

Join us in-depth review of financial management for the existing business or serious entrepreneur in pre-startup mode. We'll focus on the profit and loss statement, balance sheet and cash flow, as well as discuss expenses, startup costs, cash cycles, granting/receiving credit, pricing, inventory, asset acquisition, and financing options.

REGISTER HERE:

SAVE THE DATE

FOR THE

ANNUAL HARVARD CULTURAL FEST

FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE JAZZ FOR HARVARD: HEALING ARTS


SATURDAY, AUGUST 9, 2025

(Mark Your Calendar)






 National Consumer Law Center

Please join the National Consumer Law Center and the Massachusetts Social Law Library FREE training program this year in March.


The trainings are relevant for all states, and we have a great lineup of consumer law essentials for advocates of all experience levels. 

 

Credit, Debt, and Foreclosure - Consumer Law Essentials: Equipping Advocates to Tackle Student Loans, Zombie Second Mortgages, Payment Scams, and Utilities and Solar Protections

This free, four-part consumer debt program provides the knowledge attorneys need to assist low-to-moderate-income clients. All who are registered will receive the video recordings.

This “online only” series is free of charge for all. Registration required.

REGISTER FOR ALL 4 WEBINARS

 OR CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW FOR INDIVIDUAL WEBINARS

This program is cosponsored by the National Consumer Law Center and the Social Law Library; and is funded by the Social Law Library’s Endowment to Promote Understanding of Consumer Issues.

   ABCs of Student Loans: Getting Started on Student Loan Cases 

Date & Time: Tuesday, March 4, 2025 from 2 pm – 4 pm ET

Alpha Taylor, Staff Attorney National Consumer Law Center

Anna Anderson, Staff Attorney, National Consumer Law Center

Kyra Taylor, Staff Attorney, National Consumer Law Center

This webinar will introduce advocates to student loan borrower representation and will focus on the basics of the student loan system, including determining what type of loans a borrower has; what the status of those loans are; and issue-spotting for common borrower problems related to repayment, collection, loan cancellation and more. 


REGISTER FOR THIS WEBINAR

 

Rising from the Dead: Tackling Zombie Second Mortgages 

Date & Time: Tuesday, March 11, 2025 from 2 pm – 4 pm ET

Cathy Mansfield, Professor, Case Western Reserve, School of Law

Chi Chi Wu, Senior Attorney, National Consumer Law Center

Pat McNichol, Esq., Kelly Guzzo PLC

Betsy Gwin, Mass Law Reform Institute

Zombie second mortgages are loans that have been dormant for years, with little or no communication with the borrower, that resurface threating to foreclose unless the loan, plus interest and fees, are paid off in full. This webinar will look at how and zombie second mortgages emerge and what advocates can do to help borrowers. We will examine real-life fact patterns and strategies that have worked to help keep borrowers in their homes. Participants will break into small groups to review a hypothetical and strategize solutions.

REGISTER FOR THIS WEBINAR

 

Fraud Fighters: A Beginner’s Guide to Protecting Consumers from Payment Scams of all Stripes 

Date & Time: Tuesday, March 18, 2025 from 2 pm – 4 pm ET 

Berneta Haynes, Esq., National Consumer Law Center

Kathryn Koch, Esq., Health Law Advocates

Carla Sanchez Adams, Esq., National Consumer Law Center.

This beginner-friendly training provides an overview of consumer rights and remedies for consumer losses from electronic debits (Electronic Funds Transfer Act), wire transfers (UCC), check frauds (UCC), credit card losses (Fair Credit Billing Act), and theft of benefits from EBT cards (Quest rules and state laws).

  REGISTER FOR THIS WEBINAR

 

Energy and Utility Consumer Protections: How to Help Consumers Avoid Utility Disconnections and Debt

Date & Time: Tuesday, March 25, 2025 from 2 pm – 3 pm ET  

Jeremiah Battle, Senior Attorney, National Consumer Law Center

Charlie Harak, Senior Attorney, National Consumer Law Center

As more families adopt rooftop or community solar, reports of deceptive sales practices and installation problems have increased. This course will teach the basics to help your clients avoid bad actors and address problems when they arise, and will provide practical advice on getting the best result possible for your client.

The ABCs of Solar Panel Consumer Protections

Date & Time: Tuesday, March 25, 2025 from 3:15 pm – 4:15 pm ET  

Jenifer Bosco, Senior Attorney, National Consumer Law Center

Berneta L. Haynes, Senior Attorney, National Consumer Law Center

As more families adopt rooftop or community solar, reports of deceptive sales practices and installation problems have increased. This course will teach the basics to help your clients avoid bad actors and address problems when they arise and will provide practical advice on getting the best result possible for your client. 


  REGISTER FOR THIS WEBINAR

  Online registration is encouraged. For assistance, questions on group discounts, accommodations requests, special billing, program content, out-of-state CLE credits, and general CLE information contact Michael Saporito by email at msaporito@socialaw.com. Registrations accepted in order of receipt. Registration fees are non-refundable. CLE credit, when applicable, is only granted when the live webinar is attended. 


Director Elaine Gohlstin, President/CEO

Harvard Community Services Center

18240 Harvard Ave., Cleveland, OH 44128-1743


Tel: 216.991.8585

Fax: 216.991.3818 



Email: info.harvardcsc@gmail.com

https://www.harvardcommunitycenter.org/

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