Our Partners
The Community Practice Lab is committed to building sustainable, mutually beneficial partnerships that are driven by community interests, strengths, ideals, and needs. We believe that community work requires time, energy, and commitment to foster lasting and effective outcomes. Additionally, our partnership approach requires critical and authentic examination of social power and systemic justice to be responsive to institutional dynamics, historical inequities, and societal norms among institutions, communities, and people that could contribute to harm or further injustice. Learn more about our approach.
CPL Partners
The CPL is actively involved in the ongoing implementation of community initiatives with several long-term partners:
Marian Cheek Jackson Center
The Marian Cheek Jackson Center honors, renews, and builds community in the historic Northside, Pine Knolls, and Tin Top neighborhoods of Chapel Hill and Carrboro, NC. Our strength as an organization has always been ongoing connection and advocacy support. We are committed to working with neighbors through this time and adapting our work in dialogue with our neighbors.
Partnered for aging initiatives in the Northside community.
Orange County Department on Aging
The Orange County Department on Aging is one-stop resource where older adults and caregivers can meet their social, mental, physical, financial, and day-to-day practical needs. We offer integrating aging services and programs at our two senior centers including wellness and education classes, job search advice and workshops, lunches, trips, volunteer opportunities, and much more.
Partnered for coordination and support of the Master Aging Plan.
Orange County Housing Department
The primary mission of the Orange County Housing Department is to promote adequate and affordable housing, economic opportunity and a dignified living environment.
Partnered for the Orange County Home Preservation Coalition.
Habitat for Humanity Orange County
Habitat for Humanity of Orange County is a nonprofit organization that helps families build and improve places to call home. We believe affordable housing plays a critical role in strong and stable communities. Habitat for Humanity partners with people in your community, and all over the world, to help them build or improve a place they can call home.
Partnered for ongoing community engagement support.
Orange County Affordable Housing Coalition
The Orange County Affordable Housing Coalition (OCAHC) is an association of nonprofit housing developers, service providers, advocacy groups, and local government partners working together to provide housing opportunities for all in Orange County, North Carolina. OCAHC seeks to advocate for the creation and preservation of safe, dignified, affordable housing in Orange County.
Food, Fitness and Opportunity Research Collaborative (FFORC)
The UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention’s Food, Fitness and Opportunity Research Collaborative (FFORC) aims to build economic security, improve health outcomes and contribute to community-based research literature to address those affected by inequity in North Carolina. FFORC also partners with Habitat for Humanity, Fairview Watch, Mobycon, and the UNC Highway Safety Research Center, among others.
The CPL and FFORC partner to support community-led initiatives around active living, including developing and disseminating active living plans, curricula, programs, workshops, and more.
HOPE NC
HOPE (Housing Options for People with Exceptionalities) North Carolina seeks to address the critical need for housing options for people who experience disabilities by creating safe, affordable, inclusive communities where people of all abilities and ages engage with each other and experience a sense of belonging. The growing non-profit aims to develop its housing and transportation efforts through a Collective Impact framework. In partnership with PiAP and many cross-sector partners, they hope to create IDEAL (inclusive, diverse, engaging, affordable, and lifelong) communities for people who experience disabilities. HOPE NC’s inclusive communities will be intergenerational, with a percentage of the units reserved for older adults.
To learn more about partnering with the CPL to innovate, develop, or evaluate new community initiatives, contact us.