In 1978 Rockaway Development and Revitalization Corporation (RDRC) was organized as a not-for-profit local development corporation by community residents and business people in response to serious problems including deteriorating commercial areas, residential blight, substandard housing, and high rates of poverty, unemployment, and crime. Its challenge was to develop a comprehensive community development program for the Rockaways. Since its inception, RDRC’s major priority has been to serve as a catalyst for the community's revitalization by initiating community development activities, which remove barriers to economic growth, stimulate the local economy, and create jobs. RDRC’s multi-service programs enhance the quality and diversity of educational offerings for Peninsula students, reduce the blight and neglect of our neighborhoods, and assist our residents in overcoming the community's severe geographic and social isolation.