Community Center will be dedicated in honor of Blenda Wright, National CORE’s first volunteer.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. – On Thursday, October 22 from 10 a.m.– 11:30 a.m. National CORE (National CORE) will celebrate the grand opening of East Rancho Verde Village located at 8837 Grove Avenue in Rancho Cucamonga. East Rancho Verde Village is an extension of the existing property, Rancho Verde Village, and includes 40 newly built three-bedroom apartments with restricted rents for low and moderate-income households. Part of the celebration will be the dedication of the 5,500 square foot community center in honor of Blenda Wright who used to volunteer to provide homework tutoring and literacy training to the resident children when National CORE first acquired the property in 1993. At that time, afterschool programs were held in an apartment converted for use as a community room. The dedication is planned as a surprise for Wright.
“Blenda Wright embodies the spirit of volunteerism that we desperately need in our communities,” said National CORE Founder and Chairman Jeffrey Burum. “She was there in the very beginning when we had limited resources with great ambitions, and she helped us live true to our mission, our goals, and our commitment to the children in our communities.”
The grand opening holds historical significance for nonprofit developer National CORE. Rancho Verde Village was the first property acquired in its portfolio. The mission of the organization is to create thriving communities through quality design, construction, and management of affordable housing enriched with social services. The addition of East Rancho Verde Village is an example of the organization’s long-term commitment to the communities it builds and serves. Residents who have long enjoyed affordable rents, quality maintenance, and afterschool programs for their children will now have access to improved facilities and amenities. National CORE replaced the converted apartment unit which served as a community center with a 5,500 square foot community center with two multipurpose rooms, computer lab, and full-service kitchen. Residents will also enjoy other new amenities such as a new laundry facility and a tot-lot.
“East Rancho Verde Village is a perfect example of how National CORE is committed to continued investment in the communities it serves,” said National CORE CEO Orlando Cabrera. “It is significant that now, almost 20 years after this organization was established, we are grand opening these additional 40 units and community center at the very spot where it all started.”
East Rancho Verde Village is comprised of all three-bedroom apartments with rents ranging from approximately $494–$910 depending on income and other qualifications. The development cost was approximately $13 million with funding from the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Equity (LIHTC) progam, County of San Bernardino HOME funds, and Rancho Cucamonga Redevelopment Agency Loan, and Washington Mutual.
National CORE is a nonprofit affordable housing developer with more than 10,000 units of affordable housing created or preserved. It strives to create healthy, thriving communities through a combination of quality design, construction, property management, and social services. Hope Through Housing Foundation assures that only high-quality afterschool, preschool, and senior programs are offered at National CORE communities. National CORE was established in 1991 in Rancho Cucamonga, California.