KRVC’s merchant organizing work in Woodlawn began in the spring of 2011 with a well-attended meeting at The Rambling House, which State Senator Klein also co-hosted and attended. In the wake of the success of that meeting and because of the strong interest in the Woodlawn community to form a Woodlawn Heights Merchants Association, KRVC applied for and was awarded grant funding by the New York City Small Business Services to pursue our merchant organizing work in Woodlawn.
By December of 2011, the merchants joined with KRVC and State Senator Klein to hold a Holiday Festival on Katonah Avenue and later that same month they elected officers and they sworn in by State Senator Klein. In the spring of 2012, the merchants went on to pass bylaws and start the incorporation process.
KRVC was awarded another SBS grant to continue our merchant organizing in 2012-13. During that time, KRVC helped the merchants finish their incorporation. In 2013, KRVC worked with the Association to produce a “Meet the Merchants Movie” and to hold a Movie Night in Van Cortlandt Park where the “Meet the Merchants” movie was played as a preview before we showed The Incredibles. The movie, which was later posted on vimeo, and the event were both very successful.
In the spring of 2014, KRVC was asked by SBS to do a presentation for other grantees to showcase the work we did in Woodlawn. We have been repeatedly recognized by the SBS staff as one of their highest performing grantees!