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COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT
MAKING OUR LIVES OURS
Our Villages
MOLO Village grows a community of healthy, engaged, and productive residents through the following five villages.
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The Restored Village: Supporting returning citizens and reducing recidivism. Since 2011, MOLO Village has served more than 700 returning men and women through its various programs. In its recent educational opportunities, three individuals completed a nine-month cabinetmaking program and are now gainfully employed. Eleven participants completed a four-week Food Preparation and Food Handlers Certification Program in 2023. When released, these individuals are better equipped to apply for employment offering a living wage.
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The Healthy Village: Supporting the holistic health of all community
members. MOLO identified community health as a priority based on
resident feedback and observation. We also recognize the effect of
inequity and the social determinants of health that strongly impact
Russell residents and decrease their life spans. MOLO addresses those issues and has attracted physical and behavioral health resources through its reputation as a forward-moving, holistic community provider.
A significant health issue in Russell is a lack of nutrition. Russell is a food desert and lacks grocery stores and other resources to purchase healthy foods. MOLO Village has had a long-standing partnership with St. Peter’s United Church of Christ and Dare to Care to increase access to healthy food in Russell. Last year, local food bank Dare to Care provided 13,871,260 meals and 4,356,000 pounds of free food across Jefferson County. Through a partnership with St. Peter’s and MOLO, returning citizens participate in the MOLO Restored Village and volunteer the Dare to Care Food Pantry in Russell has donated over 200,000 pounds of food annually to approximately 14,000 individuals.
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The Future Village: Supporting children and youth to grow and thrive.
The future village conducts events and activities that build equitable
opportunities for Russell’s young residents. Our signature program is
the Be Your Own Leader (BYOL) After-School Tutoring & Summer
Enrichment Program that offers personalized academic support and
Black cultural studies for K-5 students in the Russell community.
This program provides certified staff and relational teaching that
our students need to reach the academic milestones required for
success in school. Students in this program consistently show
demonstrable gains during the school year and in the summer.
The high school students who are tutors and role models for the
young students are a true strength of our program.
The Isiduko Village: Supporting Russell’s Seniors. Isiduko uses weekly
engagement and activities that connect Russell’s senior adults while
building community. MOLO Village recognizes that seniors are often
left out when the community is changing. Therefore, to build inclusivity,
the Isiduko Village partners with Louisville Metro Office of Resilience and Community Services, Urban Strategies, and St. Peter’s to offer Russell senior adults lunch, learning, and crafts. These interactions offset isolation and loneliness by promoting relationship building and improved quality of life.
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The Empowered Village: Supporting Self-Improvement. The Empowered Village is a program that encourages residents to develop and implement individualized self-improvement plans, and supports
their journeys through programs, activities, and referrals. This village also includes a community hub, The Village @ West Jefferson, that provides resources such as job training, business entrepreneurship, a child learning center, a health clinic, a community bank, and a sit-down coffee shop.
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