A resident of the First Ward community, Cleola Williams has lived more than 60 years in the same home in which her mother, grandmother, and great grandmother lived. For more than 40 years, Cleola has been active in the community, starting in the 1960s the neighborhood's community association that focused on preserving the residential character of the neighborhood. Since then, Cleola has helped the Avenue Community Development Corporation (Avenue CDC) and other community agencies to revitalize the neighborhood through the creation of affordable housing. Serving as president of Avenue CDC, she's led her neighbors in hosting community events, establishing bilingual outreach for low- and moderate-income Hispanic homebuyers, and continually learning new methods to engage fellow residents in community service.

 

More recently, Cleola served as an AmeriCorps*VISTA member at Texas Southern University, where she educated senior citizens on health-related issues. Cleola's volunteer efforts are continuing today as she's working with Avenue CDC to develop partnerships with 14 community agencies to bridge the digital divide and bring technology and training to her community.

 

Mary Lawler, executive director of Avenue CDC, praises Cleola for her enduring commitments and constant interest in learning: “Cleola has never rested on her accomplishments and success. Instead, she is always taking more classes to gain more ideas for improving the community and recruiting more volunteers. She has mentored and served as a role model. The entire community is fortunate that her energy and passion never wanes.”

 

Cleola, age 65, is a professional singer and the mother of five children and six grandchildren.