mika's history

How do we get neighbors to take responsibility for their community? How can the Church most effectively respond to needs in the neighborhood in a way that will bring about sustainable change? What would have to change in order for young people to see their neighborhood as a place to stay and invest their talents instead of a place to get out of? These are the questions our founding team was asking in the summer of 2003. We had come together from local churches and community organizations to consider what could be done to address social justice issues in a way that truly transformed the city of Costa Mesa. In looking at community development models around the US and the world, Mika CDC's founding team began to form a vision for change based on the belief that the neighbors from within low income communities have ideas, assets, and resources that can be leveraged to make a positive impact. This principle was coupled with the unique unity of the Newport-Mesa area churches that had a history of working together. These partner churches were eager to work with Mika CDC to be more strategic and wholistic in their outreach.

In January 2004 we launched a small staff team in the Shalimar neighborhood with two main foci- youth development and neighborhood organizing. Building on the founding verse, Micah 6:8, we connected neighbors and churches to opportunities to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God.

Over the last two decades, the dramatic shifts in the demographics of Costa Mesa have generated challenging social issues which need to be addressed by effective participation from all sectors. From 1980 to 2000 the population of Costa Mesa's Westside increased by 120 percent from 16,711 to 36, 953. In 2000, 56 percent of households of the Westside spoke a language other than English and 37 percent of adults over 25 years of age did not have a high school diploma (Community Outreach Partnership Center, 2005). The rapid demographic changes have generated challenging social issues such as lack of adequate housing, economic poverty, pressure on the education system, and other social concerns.

Since its inception in 2003, Mika Community Development Corporation has been working with both youth and adults to address issues of employment, lack of role models, drugs, and community cohesion. What we have learned, and is confirmed by other community development corporations' experiences (see for example www.nhi.org), is that healthy communities are built and sustained through systems that invite and welcome neighbors' participation. In order to create sustainable solutions to the challenges facing Costa Mesa, Mika CDC focuses on building the capacity of neighborhood leaders to identify, design, and manage initiatives and projects that positively impact their neighborhoods.

Mika CDC currently works in four neighborhoods in Costa Mesa. With the help of the Costa Mesa Police Department and the Newport Mesa Unified School District, Mika Community Development Corporation has identified six target neighborhoods characterized by gangs, crowded housing, and low income families. It is our vision to enable the leaders of these six neighbors of Costa Mesa to transform their communities through community building, youth development and economic development initiatives such as the Center for Resources and Employment Opportunities (CREO).