
{"id":8056,"date":"2009-11-19T13:21:17","date_gmt":"2009-11-19T21:21:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.carrborocitizen.com\/main\/?p=8056"},"modified":"2009-11-19T16:57:53","modified_gmt":"2009-11-20T00:57:53","slug":"turnaround-at-abbey-court","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/2009\/11\/19\/turnaround-at-abbey-court\/","title":{"rendered":"Turnaround at Abbey Court"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>By Beth Mechum, Staff Writer<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Once the grounds for protests, conflicts and general distrust between residents and owners, Abbey Court Apartments in Carrboro is now home to a thriving after-school program and budding trust for a community.<\/p>\n<p>In July of last year, the mostly Hispanic residents of Abbey Court were at odds with management over what they perceived as the unfair and excessive towing of cars from the premises. Residents said their cars were being towed without just cause, while the property managers, the Tar Heel Companies, contended that cars were being towed because they had no permits \u00e2\u20ac\u201c permits the residents say they didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have access to.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>The town got involved, and eventually parking regulations were eased.<br \/>\nBut it wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just the towing that had Abbey Court residents and members of the community incensed. <\/p>\n<p>Judith Blau, a professor at UNC and a human rights advocate, said she was passing out pamphlets last year for the Hispanic community center El Centro when she was asked to leave by the security guard.<\/p>\n<p>Blau said she explained to him that this was just a public service, and she wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t soliciting anybody. The guard refused to relent and the police were called. Blau was asked to leave the property by the Carrboro police. <\/p>\n<p>This didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t sit well with Blau, and she reported the incident to Mayor Mark Chilton and Chief of Police Carolyn Hutchinson.<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I explained to her that this was an oppressive environment for families, and for children,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Blau said. She said Hutchinson and the mayor were both receptive to her concerns.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Voice of a community<br \/>\n<\/strong><br \/>\nAlfonso Hernandez has the thoughtful voice of someone much older than his 19 years.<\/p>\n<p>He is the only son in a family of immigrants, a Wake Tech student and speaks fluently in both Spanish and English. Hernandez became the voice of a community when conflicts in Abbey Court reached a boiling point.<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I just stepped in and helped with the translating,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Hernandez said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It was kind of accidental that I helped the whole community here.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n<p>That accident is still resounding in the community, and gave Hernandez a pivotal role as what he calls a community organizer. Hernandez said Blau had heard about his work helping his neighbors during the towing controversy and contacted him through a friend. The two joined together to foster trust and a sense of community in the Abbey Court apartments.<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Alfonso has a wisdom and compassion way beyond his years,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Blau said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153so when he says something I listen.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n<p>Blau teaches sociology at UNC with a concentration in social and economic justice. Much of her lesson plans revolve around getting her students out into surrounding communities.<\/p>\n<p>She decided to establish what is now called the Chapel Hill and Carrboro Human Rights Center.<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The reason I decided to move [the Human Rights Center] into Abbey Court was really because of my college students,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Blau said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I thought they could learn the most if they had the opportunity of interacting with the residents of the poor community. Migrants have suffered more from this economic crisis than anybody else.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n<p>The Human Rights Center is a converted two-bedroom apartment with computer labs and workstations where kids of all ages are invited to come for an after-school program run by volunteers, many from Blau\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s class.<\/p>\n<p>The property manager during the towing controversy was replaced and Blau said she has seen the new management be much more cooperative with her and the Abbey Court community in general.<\/p>\n<p>Kids don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to be residents of Abbey Court to come to the center, and Blau and Hernandez said they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve relied on cooperation from Scroggs Elementary School to get the word out \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and, more importantly, to vouch for the program.<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We were concerned about the alienation with the Latino parents,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Blau said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The mothers don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t speak English, and were apprehensive about working with us, so I happily agreed with the collaboration with the school.<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Now we have an after-school program that is just gorgeous, the kids are just so eager to learn, eager to be on the computer, to talk with the college students, so this has been like magic.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n<p>Hernandez said he too sensed some mistrust from the Abbey Court community.<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The community didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t trust us at first, because the community had a fear of what was going to happen,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We made it clear that we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not here to do something towards them, we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re doing something for them.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bringing communities together<br \/>\n<\/strong><br \/>\nWeekends at Abbey Court are now dominated by big kid\/little kid soccer games, with elementary through college students participating. Sometimes other members of the community join in too: Carrboro firefighters have been known to get out there on sunny Saturdays.<\/p>\n<p>Liz Vigus is one of Blau\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s students, and as part of her curriculum she volunteers on soccer weekends. She said she doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t speak Spanish, but that it hasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t been a problem.<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The games are a good way to build connections with the kids and build up their trust, as well as give them mentors to let them know that we care,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Vigus said. <\/p>\n<p>Other events will include celebrations of an Aztec pageant called Los Posados and Human Rights Day, both in December.<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s always apprehension when a charitable organization comes into the community,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Blau said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153How long will they stay? How committed are they really? What is their purpose?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d These events, she said, are steps toward reinforcing trust.<\/p>\n<p>Blau said she plans for the Chapel Hill and Carrboro Human Rights Center to be around for the foreseeable future, and to grow and evolve with what it can offer to the community.<\/p>\n<p>Hernandez said it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s important for the kids at the center to see that Abbey Court and the entire community of Carrboro are here to support them.<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The kids feel engaged and they have a lot of encouragement here,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I hope this benefits their future. But I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really tell the future, all I can do is hope, and care about the children here.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8059\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8059\" style=\"width: 150px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.carrborocitizen.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/abbey111909-150x100.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"100\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-8059\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/abbey111909-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/abbey111909-113x75.jpg 113w, https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/abbey111909-1024x685.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/abbey111909.jpg 1278w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8059\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alfonso Hernandez  works with siblings Jhoanna Soto and David Soto.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8064\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8064\" style=\"width: 75px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.carrborocitizen.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/abbeyBW111909a-75x113.jpg\"  width=\"75\" height=\"113\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-8064\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/abbeyBW111909a-75x113.jpg 75w, https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/abbeyBW111909a-100x150.jpg 100w, https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/abbeyBW111909a-685x1024.jpg 685w, https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/abbeyBW111909a.jpg 856w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 75px) 100vw, 75px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8064\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Megan Wright, a UNC student who volunteers as a tutor  works on homework with Samuel Rodriguez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Beth Mechum, Staff Writer Once the grounds for protests, conflicts and general distrust between residents and owners, Abbey Court Apartments in Carrboro is now home to a thriving after-school program and budding trust for a community. In July of last year, the mostly Hispanic residents of Abbey Court were at odds with management over&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8056","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-community"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8056","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8056"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8056\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8081,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8056\/revisions\/8081"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8056"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8056"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ibiblio.org\/carrborocitizen\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8056"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}