For nearly three decades, Community Build, Inc. has lived its mission to revitalize low income communities in South Los Angeles through human capital development, community economic development and commercial economic development.
Community Build was created as a response to the conditions that led to the 1992 Civil Unrest in Los Angeles by Brenda Shockley with the support and assistance of Congresswoman Maxine Waters and seven organizations: Black Women’s Forum, Inc., Broadway Federal Bank, Brotherhood Crusade, Family Savings Bank, Founders National Bank, 100 Black Men of Los Angeles, and Watts Health Foundation.
Community Build’s programs reinforce paths to self-sufficiency through community economic development services. Case managed residents develop critical competencies and access resources such as family support, delinquency prevention, gang intervention, employability skills, college persistence, financial counseling, health promotion, crisis intervention, emergency intervention, and other services to promote the independence of fragile, low-income persons.
“In community and economic development, I found my passion,” said Shockley, who was tapped by Mayor Eric Garcetti in 2016 to become Deputy Mayor of Economic Opportunity and the City of Los Angeles’ first Chief Equity Officer. “It’s about sustaining the community by getting youth involved and having them to help be the vision of the future. It’s also about transferring skills to those who have an interest and have the ability, but have not had the opportunity or the exposure.”
Robert M. Sausedo succeeded Shockley as Community Build President and CEO in 2019, after 25 years of working in fields of renewable energy, public service and social justice. Sausedo served as a deputy officer during Mark Ridley-Thomas’ first tenure as a city councilmember. In the course of his time in city government, he was vice chair of economic development and vice chair of the southeast area neighborhood council. Sausedo, along with several of his colleagues, led a ten-year effort to rebuild and expand the Jefferson Vassie D. Wright Memorial Branch Library in the Jefferson Park community of Los Angeles. Their perseverance paid off, the size of the library more than tripled and is enjoyed by tens of thousands each year.
Sausedo’s volunteer work with the neighborhood council helped him establish a corporate career around government affairs and community service. It was during this time that he learned how legislative decisions were made and how to navigate financial opportunities that exist within government to assist and sustain communities.
Sausedo also learned valuable lessons in how government and corporations can partner with communities to drive and support change. This is a skill set that he uses to this day to impact change.
“There is a triple bottom line that corporations and governments look at – economy, environment and people. Oftentimes, it’s the people part that comes up short,” Sausedo said. During his time as a corporate executive in the renewable energy industry, Sausedo always ensured local participation of 20 to 25 percent was included in the contract.
Developing, maintaining and leveraging partnership are a big part of Sausedo’s leadership at Community Build. As a lay associate minister, Sausedo also believes his leadership at Community Build is divinely inspired. “I’ve always felt a special calling to bring out the greatness in the people.”
Under his watch, the organization’s funding for programs has more than doubled in less than two years. The increased funding enabled Sausedo to implement a Community Health Workers program resulting in over 2,700 jobs for unemployed or underemployed individuals in 2020. Community Health Workers have been tasked with community intervention, Census 2020 canvassing, community patrol programs and distributing personal protective equipment to business owners and unhoused individuals during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Other new programs provided employment opportunities and training programs for ex-felons, at-risk youth, seniors and previously homeless individuals reentering the workforce.
Sausedo recently brokered a partnership with Lyft to provide discounted and free rides to vaccine appointments for South Los Angeles residents. The Vaccine Rydes program enables residents with and without the Lyft app to register for transportation to and from their COVID-19 vaccine appointments.
Community Build, along with Women Organizing Resources, Knowledge and Services (WORKS), opened the first housing project using funds from Proposition HHH, the taxpayer-approved $1.2 billion bond earmarked for supportive housing for individuals experiencing homelessness.
The project located at 88th and Vermont in South Los Angeles features 46 permanent supportive housing units for transitional-aged youth (18-25 years), veterans, and households with special needs experiencing chronic homelessness. There are an additional 14 units for very low-income families and individuals, as well as two managers’ units. The LEED Gold Certified design also includes a youth and family support center that offers services to local youth through the Mayor’s Gang Reduction and Youth Development (GRYD) program, and helps connect Angelenos with the job training and academic resources needed to secure employment or schooling.
As the coronavirus pandemic and the safer at home mandates devastated underserved communities, Sausedo and Cheryl Branch, executive director of Los Angeles Metropolitan Churches, anticipated a community crisis due to employment loss and a lack of resources. In March 2020, they created the Community Response System of South Los Angeles (CRSSLA). This coalition began with 30 key community organizations, churches, educational institutions and other stakeholders in the South Los Angeles area.
Since its inception, CRSSLA member organizations have distributed over 20 million pounds of food to the neediest areas at sites across Los Angeles. Thousands of residents have received assistance ranging from COVID testing, COVID-related medical support, mental health counseling, education services and small business assistance. In less than twelve months, CRSSLA’s network of partners has increased 65% and now includes a San Diego chapter.
Sausedo’s long term goal is to position Community Build for the next 25 years by building the nonprofit’s endowment, with a focus on economic and commercial development. These plans include growing social enterprises with businesses that either are currently in existence or will be developed, as well as creating housing projects around a commercial economic development program. Part of this strategy will be identifying and working with other nonprofits who are mission driven, but struggling financially and have assets that can be leveraged and developed.
Sausedo envisions Community Build having both a national and international footprint in the future through commodifying the company’s business model and delivering it to market places not just around the country, but globally.
“This is the time to put together the proper tactical approaches that not only meet our immediate goals but demonstrate true, sustainable value,” said Sausedo.
Learn more at communitybuildinc.org.
