Human Relations Agency interaction with participants
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”. In today’s society, however, countless people are afflicted by poverty, wars, mental health problems, drug addiction, and other issues that prevent everyone from being as productive as desired.
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.[1]
The participation fee is used by the agency to help those otherwise unable to put up the $20,000 minimum investment to do so, in the form of a loan that the limited partner can repay for a specific time. In other instances, and especially where a dependent is not envisaged to become a limited partner, the fund is used to cater to their basic needs – food, rent, and recreation, as well as fees to the contractor to whom the Human Relations Agency assigns a dependent.
These funds are used by the agency to support the poor or those otherwise unable to participate properly in the community. The agency does this in some ways, as explained in these illustrations.
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.”