Human Relations Agency: participant interactions
The Human Relations Agency forms the primary point of contact between a participant and the community. It is this agency that recruits and inducts participants. The agency also owns apartments that participants rent to reside in.
Due to the agency’s organization and reach, it is tasked with helping participants settle their disputes amicably should they arise. The agency trains participants so that they can take advantage of the community’s social and economic architecture more effectively.
The community is made up of limited partners and their dependents, who are served by 24 agencies that are organized into 8 bureaus of three agencies each. Limited partners invest a minimum of $20,000 on joining and subsequently as they prosper. These funds are held by the Capital Bank Agency, which in turn invests them in the 24 agencies. Limited partners earn a return on their investment depending on the performance of the agencies, which are run as businesses, providing chargeable services.
Participants in the community have a common aim of enabling sustainable prosperity being productive members, and therefore, ensuring that there are “no poor among them”. This is by easing access to capital and other factors of production for participants.
From the return that limited partners receive for their investment, a participation fee of 10% is automatically deducted by the community and handled by the Human Relations Agency. This fee is an affirmation of a limited partner’s commitment to the community’s principles, an endeavor to help the community further its aims and to help others enter and grow in its prosperity.
The participation fee is underpinned by the LDS’ Law of Tithing, which advises that to establish Zion, a community in which there are no poor, the people must give 10% of the income from their assets already consecrated or invested in the community to further the community’s agenda.
Illustration: Immigrant joining a NewVistas community
Background
Silvia is a Honduran native. She was born and brought up in rural Honduras, one of four siblings born into a poor family. Her education was limited – she was barely able to scrape through high school, where her grades, affected by regular absenteeism and lack of educational facilities, prevented her from pursuing higher education.
Still determined to escape grinding poverty, Silvia left home for the capital, Tegucigalpa. Her cousin, who had left the village years ago, advised her that she would soon be able to land work as a housekeeper, or a domestic worker. As she had anticipated, she soon got a job as a domestic worker in the home of a mid-level banking officer in the capital.
It was while working here that she met Diego, a mechanic who sometimes came to the home to repair her employer’s vehicles. They quickly fell in love and Diego, who was slightly older, convinced her to quit and move in with her. Her employee was grateful for her services in the few months that she Silvia had worked for him, and invited her to work as a janitor at his office, a task she gladly accepted – she would make more, gain more experience, and have less hours to work compared to domestic work.
Silvia soon after married Diego in a simple ceremony at their Catholic church. Their marriage was happy, but they were still, by any standards, living in poverty. Diego was increasingly disillusioned that he would not be able to give his family the future he wanted for them. He dreamt of making enough money to afford to live in a nice house, in a safe neighborhood, and sending his children to good schools.
Amidst this gloom that he felt, Diego was recruited by a local Narcos gang, initially in the lowly position of a driver – this position was largely safe, as he did not handle anything considered important by his handlers. Soon, however, after proving his usefulness and eagerness to make more money, he became both a driver and an enforcer. He could be sent to collect payments, encourage people to pay, among other roles. Before long, he was a Bonafide member of the gang.
As this was happening, the government was cracking down on Narcos, and on one of his drops, Diego was arrested. Rather than face prosecution, Diego was persuaded to become an informant. Things did not go well; however, the local law enforcement was working with the gang, and Diego was soon identified as an informant, and murdered in cold blood.
Her husband’s dalliance with the Narcos had left Silvia worried, but with a glimmer of hope that he would be able to extricate himself, and set up his own garage, as he had wished. Now, she was a widow, with little money, and fearing for her life. It was clear to her that she could not stay in Tegucigalpa any longer. Going back to her rural home was also not an option. She only had one option – make a run for it and go to America.
Working with people smugglers, who were politely referred to as emigration agents, Silvia started her journey. The journey was grueling, especially through Guatemala. At one point, she considered giving up. In fact, once she reached Mexico City, Silvia had had enough. She sought asylum from the Mexican government.
Unfortunately, but in retrospect, luckily, her asylum request was denied. Her agent had done her homework, though, and Silvia had entered Mexico legally. She could not be deported. She resolved to continue the journey North. In a few days, she arrived in Matamoros, near the Mexican border with the US, on the other side of McAllen, Texas.
Silvia was well-aware of US law requirements that for her asylum request to be considered, she needed to have the asylum request in the transit country – Mexico – rejected. The next seps went well and after she was considered not to be a flight risk, she was not detained.
Introduction and joining the community
Silvia’s English proficiency was largely non-existent. She used whatever help and resources she could to settle in an area where the population was mainly Hispanic. This would give her a head start as she tried to integrate, and hopefully, give her access to some opportunities to start off. She also joined the local Catholic church.
Her language limitations at first proved to be almost fatal. She could not get a job, and most people outside her new small community had little time for her. One evening, after an evening prayer session with a group calling itself the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Silvia was approached by another woman, Angela, who had come from Nicaragua several years ago.
Angela was a nurse and had joined what she called a NewVistas community 5 years before. Today, she had a thriving nursing practice, serving both patients through her doctors, in her own capacity as a nurse, and other health professionals.
Angela suggested that Silvia apply for some janitor opportunities that were being offered in the community. She could apply and hope that she would be accepted. Silvia did not waste time thinking about it. She applied for three different opportunities to enhance her chances of success.
Silvia was soon invited for a virtual interview with a captain who had been informed of the need to recruit someone to offer janitorial services, which were in demand in the community. The captain had been informed after limited partners’ requests were analyzed by the Human Relations and Stewardship Agencies’ systems. The systems had identified not only the economic viability of such a business, but also how such a person would fit socially.
After the interview, which she passed, Silvia was invited to the community, where she was introduced to her contractor. Simon, the contractor, owned a janitorial business as well. He would take care of classes after they had been used, from Monday to Thursday, and again on Sunday during branch, unit, and class meetings. Lately, he had become overwhelmed and needed someone to help him.
Subcontract with a business
Simon was impressed by Silvia’s work ethic, and while there was a language barrier, it was not insurmountable. He had other subcontractors and friends who were fluent in Spanish and was himself taking Spanish classes since many of his clients preferred the language.
Before signing the contract with Silvia, Simon needed to deposit $20,00 with the Community Bank. These funds would not be deposited until after 3 years, when Silvia’s contract with Simon ended. Simon would either have to transfer his savings, or, if not possible, take out a loan charged against his investment in the Capital Bank.
For every week Silvia worked, a proportion of his income would be deducted and used to repay the funds that Simon had put into sponsoring her. The weekly payment would be $128, plus interest. This meant that the contract she had signed with Simon needed to cover this, her rent, expenses, and hopefully, some more to save and expand her business in future.
After signing the contract, Silvia still needed to be approved by the recruiting captain’s unit. The approval was conducted through a secret online ballot, where a majority would vote to admit or “sustain” her.
Thereafter, she was taken through an orientation course recommended by her captain, with the captain paying close attention. The course would give her the basics of life in the community, including life planning, education, business management, recreation, and how she would interact with community agencies and public servants.
Starting a business and other steps
After this, Silvia needed to start a business through which she would offer services to Simon, and in due course, to other businesses. To do this, she needed a business plan. While her education was limited, Silvia’s captain helped her navigate the Business Planning Agency’s system, enabling her to write a plan. She also received mentorship and tips from the relevant business planning operational presidencies, as well as Angela, who was also a tutor/instructor offering courses for immigrants joining the community from Latin America.
To operationalize the business, she needed equipment, inventory (cleaning aids and other consumables), and operating space. From the Stewardship Agency (agency 2), she obtained space near Simon’s own business, which was on the podium floor of an apartment building, but towards the back, which was cheaper and more suitable for storage. She rented equipment from the Business Operations Agency, which also factored in the inventory so that she could get down to business quickly.
The equipment, while owned by the Business operations Agency, was in fact handled by a contractor, who organized logistics, tracked the operation of machines and other tools, and serviced equipment when necessary or due.
Silvia also drew up a life plan, with the help of the Life Planning Agency’s automated system, her district president for life planning, and the captain. In it, she detailed how she intended to live and synchronize her business with social life, and education, among other important elements.
As she slowly learnt the roped, Silvia signed on more clients, got married to another immigrant who had come from Ecuador to escape gang violence, and started a family. By the time the three years were over, she had successfully gained qualifications as a master provider of janitorial services, repaid Simon, and ready to embark on the next exciting phase of her life.
Elderly
A NewVistas community located in St Louis, Missouri, has decided to do an outreach program to locate and help elderly orphans in the community. The community’s checklist for identifying elderly orphans includes at least 70 years of age, with no recent (10 years) family contact or support, precarious finances, living alone, chronic morbidity, and suffering from illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension.
One group visits a nearby neighborhood and comes across Joan, an elderly single mother of two who is severely estranged from them. She used to work as a support staff in the neighborhood’s school for several years, before retiring at 65 some 8 years ago. She is on a pension, which is barely able to cover her rent and basic needs. She is also suffering from diabetes, has trouble with her vision, and has suffered several falls in the past, greatly affecting her mobility.
The group discusses the case and approves her admission as a dependent into the community. Upon joining, the Human Relations Agency appreciates that Joan will not be able to operate at the same level of productivity as others in the community. The focus therefore is on making her life as purposeful and comfortable as possible.
The captain of the group that helped locate and admit Joan selects one limited partner, who also deals in caregiving to the elderly within the community, to take care of Joan. The limited partner will work as her caregiver, alongside other aged people that she cares for, either with the community’s facilitation, or their own. They will take care of her medical, financial, and physical issues.
The captain and limited partner work to get Joan more involved in the community. She was once a member of a local Baptist Church. They help her to join and fellowship with them. They also help with any hobbies she feels she can enjoy and encourage her to join in. This will help her age gracefully without the risk of mental health issues such as depression, and will also slow down any cognitive degeneration typically suffered by elder orphans.
Mental/ developmental deficiency
Daniel was abandoned at birth 18 years ago by his mother, at the doors of Sunshine Children’s Services, an institution that cares for children in Mt. Washington, Kentucky. The facility dutifully took care of Daniel’s needs as other normal children. In due course, however, the institution established that Daniel in fact suffered from Down Syndrome. The syndrome made it difficult for him to develop normally. However, the One-size-fits-all approach to care meant that Daniel was subjected to the same routine as other children, denying him the important developmental needs that would have helped him thrive.
Daniel is aging out and needs a plan in place to take care of him in the days ahead. A nearby NewVistas community learns of this through a former caregiver who worked at the institution but has since joined the community. The caregiver’s captain and the group decide to have Daniel admitted as a dependent, and are successful.
Once Daniel joins the community, he is assigned to a caregiver who has extensive experience in dealing with children and young adults with Down syndrome. He handles Daniel’s physical and medical needs, accommodation, recreation, and other services, with help from other caregivers and the group council. The caregiver also diagnoses Daniel accurately and comes up with a clear therapy plan. The plan will enable Daniel to have the best quality of life that his condition can allow, though he will not be able to become a limited partner in the future. The condition has robbed him of the ability to perform Activities of Daily Living (ADLs).
The captain closely monitors Daniel and his relationship with the limited partner who acts as his guardian. The limited partner’s services to Daniel are funded by the Human Relations Agency. The agency may also make necessary changes to the guardianship arrangement if it determines he can have better medical and social outcomes.
Asylum seeker
Andriy 30, graduated from the Kharkiv National Agriculture University around 9 years ago. He was a successful farmer in Eastern Ukraine before war with Russia erupted. He would help his father run the family’s 500-acre farm. He assumed overall management once his father died 5 years ago. He runs the farm alongside his mother and younger siblings.
Andriy was yet to marry, deciding to instead focus on stabilizing the family business and possibly diversifying from growing wheat only. His efforts had been successful, and in the last two years, he had been producing sunflower, soybeans, and corn, alongside wheat, though some family members were not sure about diversifying, believing it dilutes the farming business. With his share of the profits, he bought his 100-acre farm, on which he had adopted modern farming technologies to conserve the soil, irrigate more efficiently, and grow more diverse crops.
When the war erupted in early 2022, Andriy knew the farm would be under great strain, and being so close to the Russian border, knew that he was in mortal danger. He had to leave fast. Initially making his way to Poland, he arrived in Akron, Ohio a few weeks later and was granted asylum.
As he learned more about his new home, he came across a Facebook ad inviting applications to join the NewVistas Community in the city. Andriy applied, and after the normal entry process, was accepted into the community. There was however a glitch: he had left Ukraine with little more than the clothes on his back. While he had been saving some money from his profits on the farm, he had used up most of the money to get away from the war. When his application was accepted, he only had $2,000 in his bank account, which he was able to transfer to his new accounts in the US.
For these reasons, he is unable to pay the $20,000 needed to become a limited partner. The community admits him as a dependent, putting him under the care of an existing limited partner who will be responsible for Andriy’s welfare as he works out his next steps. The limited partner acting as a guardian will also help Andriy to secure accommodation (apartment). The agency pays the limited partner for this. The branch captain who serves the guardian limited partner will supervise Andriy’s interaction with the limited partner, and help Andriy with the next steps to become a limited partner.
Meanwhile, Andriy is in the process of selling his 100-acre farm, farm machinery, and his car in Ukraine. The Human Relations Agency verifies this and issues Andriy with a $20,000 loan, which is paid to the Capital Bank as his partnership interest, after which he is admitted as a full member.
The disposal process takes the better part of a year. He is assisted in this by his bank in Ukraine to dispose of these assets. The land, selling at $350 per acre, fetches him $35,000. He sells an assortment of other assets to neighboring farmers, fetching $20,000 from these transactions. He repays the loan and invests an additional unit of partnership interest in the Capital Bank. He deposits $10,000 in a term deposit with the Community Bank, while the remainder goes to his savings and checking accounts.
As he is learning more about the community, Andriy is working to start his own farming business. His captain has helped him get in touch with the Cropland and Pastures Agency, which rents him farmland, while the Business Operations Agency leased him the farm machinery used. However, all lease agreements are entered into on his behalf by the limited partner assigned to him.
Once he has invested and become a limited partner, Andriy now signs any contracts without the help of a limited partner. His captain recommends some courses for him to take so that he can improve different aspects of his life – his social interactions, by becoming conversant with the main languages used in the community, and professionally, through courses designed to improve his approach to agriculture.
Homeless
Emma never had any aspirations to go far in life. She struggled at school, and at home too, where his mother single-handedly raised her and her siblings with minimal resources, struggled with drug addiction, and a flurry of dysfunctional relationships. Emma had low educational expectations in school, which saw her drop out after just a few years.
Emma is now 25 years old. She is used to rough sleeping in between periods when she lands the odd job. Recently, however, she found a job taking care of an apartment block in Nevin, Los Angeles. She has remarkably done well at this, receiving good reviews from tenants and the building’s manager. Still, however, she is doing badly financially.
One day, she comes across a poster asking people to apply to join a NewVistas community located a few miles outside Los Angeles. She learns more about the community online and decides to apply. The community reviews her application alongside others and decides to admit her. Since she is unable to raise the required money to invest, she is admitted as a dependent.
The community through the Human Relations Agency will take care of her rent and initial welfare, as she figures out her way. She will be under a limited partner contracted by the agency to mind her welfare and where necessary sign any contracts she needs on her behalf, with other help also coming from the captain of the group she will join once she is a limited partner.
Emma is given a start by the branch presidency to be a host of the first-floor dual floor (each two apartments are built together, enabling optimization of utilities including stairs and elevators, backup power, and water treatment, among others). In this role, Emma takes care of tenants’ needs, including regular cleaning, deep cleaning, and coordinating any maintenance work.
She quickly establishes herself in the new role. The agency gives her a loan of $20,000, which is paid to the Capital Bank as her partnership interest, formally admitting her as a limited partner. From her income, Emma pays up the loan given to her and additionally pays her way in the community – rent, food, and other needs.
Emma is also encouraged by the captain to engage in lifelong learning so that she can acquire a skill that will help her start another business in the future. After a few months, Emma has saved up enough money. She invests $20,000 in the community and becomes a limited partner. She also starts classes in baking, intending to start a confectionary business in the future.
Drug addiction
Manuel was born in 1984 to Cuban immigrants who arrived in the US in 1980 by boatlift, made possible by Castro’s decision to allow Cubans to flee the island. His parents were poorly educated even by Cuban standards – barely literate, and soon found the going incredibly tough in Florida, despite the thriving economy and a strong social support system.
Manuel knew that he had little hope of making it past high school if at all he managed to get there. He was however focused on being a “true” American. Over time, the subconscious needs to be accepted as an American, and where possible, lose the Cuban tag, exposing him to acculturation. Unluckily for him, he had understood being American to be closely tied to what he would see often on the streets.
Desperate to be accepted, he quickly became hooked on drugs, with crack being his drug of choice – it was fairly affordable and had a quick effect once applied. Over time, Manuel became dependent on the drug, and could not hold down a job. Additionally, his health took a hit, leaving him in a very sorry state.
Manuel has been seeking help to cure his addiction, and recently joined a group where members share their experiences, and try to help each other lead a more purposeful life. It was in one of these meetings that he heard about a NewVistas community seeking applications.
Manuel applied, disclosing his challenges, and hoping for the best. Luckily, the community reviewed his application favorably and invited him as a dependent. Under the care of a limited partner who specializes in helping addicts recover, Manuel started his rehabilitation. The limited partner helped him rent an apartment and helped with upkeep. The funds for all these activities, including the limited partner’s efforts were paid for by the Human Relations Agency, with the limited partner’s captain overseeing the limited partner’s work with Manuel.
After several false starts, Manuel eventually kicked the habit. He started a business helping out at a local deli. In his free time, he took classes in mining machine operations, intending to in future start a business operating mineral extraction equipment. Over time, the community is convinced he is capable of participation. The Human Relations Agency issues him a loan, used to pay for a partnership interest with the Capital Bank. He uses some of his income to repay the loan as agreed with the Human Relations Agency, and the rest for his upkeep, and savings.
Disability
James has been running a gym in suburban Atlanta for the last 15 years. Recently, an unfortunate freak accident caused a terrible injury to his lower back. He spent months and most of his funds seeking rehabilitation. Today, he is broke, his back is gone, and he is consigned to a wheelchair. He hardly has any other skills that would help him earn a living and feels like he is slowly sinking.
James sees an online ad that invites applications to be participants in the community. Despite not having the prerequisite $20,000, James applies and succeeds in gaining admission. He is assigned to a limited partner who helps him to improve his mobility. The limited partner also organizes his welfare and accommodation. James is slowly able to use crutches, but hopes of ever recovering are dashed.
Using various agencies’ automated systems, and discussing his options with the captain who serves as his guardian limited partner, James realizes he can yet start a business in the community. He can make podcasts of safe exercise, which participants can pay to listen to. He is also invited by gym instructors to talk to gym patrons about effective training and fitness techniques, dieting, and related subjects.
Throughout this time, James’ welfare, which is run by the limited partner assigned to him by the Human Relations Agency, is paid for by the community. This includes both his expenses, as well as the funds the agency has to pay the limited partner for their services. The limited partner’s captain oversees the process and also encourages the group council to help integrate James into the community.
After putting in hours of work, receiving training on presentation, and additional gym education, James has put up his business. The Human Relations Agency issues him a loan, used to buy a partnership interest in the community, and formally makes him a limited partner. He works to repay the loan, pay for his rent, food, and other expenses, and save so that he can buy additional partnership interest units.
[1] Doctrines and Covenants 119: 6 states: “And I say unto you, if my people observe not this law, to keep it holy, and by this law sanctify the land of Zion unto me, that my statutes and my judgments may be kept thereon, that it may be most holy, behold, verily I say unto you, it shall not be a land of Zion unto you.”