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If one instead assumes that the church and its congregation will <br /> dedicate its newly disposable income to church initiatives, it can be <br /> expected to observe a decrease in the poverty level in the community. <br /> This conclusion stems from the fact that the majority of church <br /> initiatives provide essential goods - including food and toiletries - for <br /> the Northside Neighborhood. Regardless of the means by which the <br /> additional money enters the community, it will have a positive impact <br /> on the community by freeing up income. <br /> Criterion 6 - Amount and Duration of Engagement <br /> This criterion has a maximum score of 3 pts (out of a total of 26 pts). <br /> 32. Please briefly describe the <br /> target population to benefit <br /> from the project. <br /> The St. Joseph's CME Church solar project will directly benefit members <br /> of the Church’s congregation and indirectly benefit members of the <br /> Northside Neighborhood. The distinction between these two <br /> categories of benefits is crucial. On one hand, reducing the Church’s <br /> monthly energy bills will provide financial assistance for those in the <br /> Church’s congregation. This is because the church members are <br /> responsible for covering the building ’s energy bills that can be as high <br /> as $400 a month. By significantly mitigating the building ’s energy costs, <br /> church members will no longer have to allocate a portion of their <br /> disposable income to ensuring the Church has access to electricity. <br /> On the other hand, St. Joseph's CME Church has historically supported <br /> the Northside Neighborhoods. If donations to the Church remain <br /> somewhat constant, the Church will be able to reinvest the money <br /> directly into programs that strengthen the community in a spiritual and <br /> financial sense. <br /> This project targets the St. Joseph's CME Church congregation which is <br /> primarily composed of non-student Northside Neighborhood residents. <br /> 69% of non-student households are households of color. <br /> SolarEquity only has access to the Jackson Center ’s 2023 Northside <br /> Neighborhood Census. Due to privacy concerns, they did not collect <br /> data on income. Hence, SolarEquity is unable to speak to the exact <br /> income levels of the target population. With this said, the Northside <br /> Neighborhoods are historically black neighborhoods that house <br /> families who have called Chapel Hill home for generations. The <br /> neighborhoods contain single-family residential houses that sell for <br /> prices below the average cost for housing in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. <br /> The St. Joseph's CME Church Solar Project is targeting these <br /> populations. <br /> Page 23 of 28 <br />Docusign Envelope ID: 257985C7-FC41-4937-8E64-B610C38DBA58