The Richness of Community

January 26, 2012 Leave a Comment

Wayne Squires-Partners In Neighborhood Transformation, a ministry of The Other Way

Story by Kurt Reppart, Director of Family Development at The Other Way

Some of our most satisfying work at The Other Way happens around food and tables.  Throughout the year on Monday evenings, 8-10 families get together in the Family Center to share a meal.  Each family brings a dish to pass, and we literally get to taste the variety of cultures represented.  The experience is rich.  The goal of these gatherings is to build a community of trust and support.  We do this by listening to each other, sharing our stories, playing games, and reflecting on God’s Word together.

After the meal is finished, the children are dismissed for enrichment activities so that the adults can have some focused conversation.  This fall these adult conversations centered on the topic of “passing on our values to our children”.   We broke up into 3 groups, and the atmosphere was full of joy and discovery as our discussion narrowed to how to foster responsibility in our children.  Represented in the room were a wide range of  values, ideas, and practical wisdom.  The variety of experiences was rich.  Several important things happened as we shared:  we learned from one another, our love for our children was affirmed, and we all left with  new insights and new ideas to try.  The conversation will continue, but this particular conversation provided solid ground to build upon;  to build community and to build hope.

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February 2012: ABCD Training in Minneapolis, MN

January 25, 2012 Leave a Comment

Communities First Association will be leading a two day Asset Based Community Development Training in Minneapolis on February 24th and February 25th, 2012. The training will be held at Calvary Church in Minneapolis, and co-hosted by Calvary and Christ Presbyterian Church.  CFA Executive Director Jay Van Groningen and CFA Western Regional Officer, George Montoya will be co-leading this training.  Click here for the training brochure and registration information.  The registration deadline is February 20, 2012.  For more information, contact Brianna Menning at brianna.menning@gmail.com.

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The Christmas Gifts were ON the Tree

January 24, 2012 Leave a Comment

Monika Grasley-LifeLine CDC of Merced County

Winton, California is known for unemployment, drug abuse and gangs, but for a growing number of community members it is becoming a community of hope, caring and working together. Several years ago a number of community members decided to “Put Winton on the map for something good” for a change and so under Ernie Solis’s leadership (who is coached in Asset Based Community Development) more and more people are working together for the common good.

This Christmas a neighbor donated a Christmas tree to the small community center that is the hub for many activities. Since there was no money for fancy decorations every community member who entered the center received a plain blank Christmas ornament and was asked to write on it one of their gifts  (skills, abilities, passions) that they are willing to share with the community. The end result was a beautiful tree decorated with gifts.

As part of the ongoing conversation several people wanted to put a Christmas dinner together for the homeless of the community, but then decided it should be open to everyone. The word got out; people volunteered. Some purchased turkeys and supplies, others were willing to cook them, some wanted to help with decorating, others brought what they had. And so on December 29 a beautiful feast was spread out: Turkey, mashed potatoes, beans, stuffing, dessert, coffee, and cider. Everyone brought what they had and shared in this amazing feast.

Over 100 neighbors filled the room as Christmas music played in the background, and laughter and conversation filled the space. Gang members and seniors, young and old, undocumented community members and old-timers, homeless and business people all sitting beside each other and enjoying a beautiful time while the Christmas tree filled with gifts of community members stood in the corner of the room.

People who would never interact with each other under normal circumstances now heard each other’s stories. People who had prejudices against each other sat beside each other and broke down some walls. LifeLine CDC has a saying that “Everyone no matter how rich has a need. Everyone no matter how poor has a gift. That is why we build and celebrate community.”  It was a beautiful sight to see this happening and know that it is one small part of community transformation.

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Best Practices: Church as a Gift for Neighborhood Transformation

January 20, 2012 1 Comment

Jay Van Groningen, CFA Executive Director

Over the years, I have noticed that most Christians who get serious about Community Development – serious enough to work at it – try to start the work of neighborhood transformation from a church platform. They hope and expect that a congregation will engage in God’s redemption story in the neighborhood as a lead agent for positive change. They expect that the church will care enough about their neighbors and neighborhood to want to be a lead “player” in the neighborhood redemption story.  They are soon disappointed with Church as agent for neighborhood transformation.  Those who have launched neighborhood transformation from a church platform (be it new church or established church) feel isolated, alone, under-resourced, and disillusioned with church participation. While church is loaded with gifts for neighborhood transformation, their focus and energies seem directed to “healthy church” issues, not “healthy community” issues.

Church can be a good neighbor bringing gifts/contributions to the neighborhood transformation story.  It can be great neighbor – taking responsibility for the neighborhood transformation story. CFA has learned that a best practices approach is to lead neighborhood transformation from outside the church (a non-profit) and to call on the church to bring their gifts (as much as they are willing) in the same way any other institution is invited to bring their gifts to the neighborhood transformation process.  “Healthy church” and “healthy community” is not a problem to be solved. It is a polarity to be managed.  A community is healthier when church gifts are a shaping force; a Church is healthier when as servant/witness it stretches itself in giving gifts for the redemption of the neighborhood it occupies.

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Three Neighborhoods, One Voice

January 18, 2012 Leave a Comment

LINCNewOrleans

This past December, three churches in the city of New Orleans, Journey 9th Ward (Assembly of God), Grace Baptist, and St. Paul Lutheran from the St. Claude, Bywater, and Marigny neighborhoods respectively joined together to spread Christmas joy to their neighbors.

The idea originated from a fellowship gathering facilitated by LINCNewOrleans for persons either interested in learning about or currently participating in Christian community development. Many of the people present at the fellowship gathering attended last October’s Christian Community Development Association Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana.  The group was brainstorming about how to collaborate together to create a multi-denominational effort to strengthen the neighborhood.  When singing was suggested, it produced a calming lull over the group, a reassuring familiarity.  The Caroling Extravaganza took flight.

Young and old from each neighborhood’s church took to the streets together to spread Christmas cheer.   Aaron Ford, youth pastor at Grace Baptist in the Bywater neighborhood, highly encouraged the churches youth to be in attendance, and despite it being a Friday night in a lively city, the youth came out in droves.   It was found out later that some had fun in spite of themselves, as one of the youth later blogged,  “Went caroling with some awesome people yesterday and I actually had way more fun than I thought I would.”

Though to the untrained eye, the aforementioned sounds like a cut  down, it is actually a beacon of hope.  The next generation is learning that intentional community isn’t only important, but enjoyable. “Simply put, it was fun,” explained another participant while reflecting on the night.

The churches visited two assisted living facilities in their neighborhoods, and sang both religious and pop tunes. Though it wasn’t a “sell-out crowd” by any means, the looks on the faces of those who invited us to share Christmas with them was utterly priceless.

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Transformation: One Act, Big Impact

January 5, 2012 Leave a Comment

Jeff Bisgrove–Neighborhood Transformation

Seeing God at work in a neighborhood can be a challenge.  The world pushes us to measure things as the world does.  Hence we find ourselves pushed into using numbers – people attending events, people involved in an after-school program, or people graduating from a program.  These numbers might not be bad in and of themselves.  Transformation does indeed manifest itself in numbers.  However, I must remind myself that God is really concerned about the person.  Numbers follow, but it all starts in the heart, and He has to remind me of this often.

This month, a family we have been working with in one of our poorest, underserved neighborhoods took a step of faith.   We had started a local basketball team. Basketball is hugely popular in this community, and the basketball teams that are present in the community charge money to join.  The fees are not major amounts, but something many people in the community cannot afford.  Therefore we started a team, run by locals for the locals, that was free to join.  However, the coach got ill and was hospitalized, and the team stopped. It stayed this way for a couple of months.  The coach recovered but could not go back to coaching; no team.

Last month, one family decided to step in and coach.  We now have three teams running, so we are back in business. The family, with no job, no car, and no real hope of a gift-laden Christmas stepped in to run the team.  They did it because they love the kids, they love their neighborhood, and they enjoy sharing in the community.  You could argue it is a small act, and in the world of numbers it is.  However, in a place where gaming the system is common, it is a major step forward in faith for the community.  I did not realize the magnitude of this act until I prayed over it, and God opened my heart to it.  God is moving.

Filed under Community Betterment, General Stories, Stories

Wedgewood Community Council – Hunter Farm Gathering Place

December 20, 2011 Leave a Comment

Jeff Littlejohn – Imagine NW

Wedgewood Neighborhood, Seattle Washington

Lacking an outdoor green space, the community members of Wedgewood want to create a gathering space for all ages that reflects the vibrant character of NE Seattle. With the generous donation of space by the Hunter Family of Hunter Tree Farm, this already much loved space can now be enjoyed year round. Figuring out how to make a movable gathering place so the Hunters can sell their wonderful trees during the holidays has been the catalyst for ingenuity and one of a kind design.

In April of 2011, the Wedgwood Community Council partnered with the Hunter Family to submit an application for a Gathering Places Grant from Tully’s Coffee and the Pomegranate Center. We were 1 of 17 communities to apply and 1 of 3 communities in the greater Seattle area to be awarded the grant. The Hunter Farm site is located in the heart of Wedgwood, between the two commercial nodes at NE 75th Street and NE 85th Street. It’s location is an ideal and intuitive place for many NE Seattle community gatherings. The primary goal of the gathering place project was to improve the ability of the site to accommodate greater public gatherings while allowing the Hunter Family to maintain their thriving Christmas tree business.

After winning the grant, the Wedgwood Community Council reached out to several civic groups, school PTAs, and adjacent community organizations that are all stakeholders of the site to form a steering committee. This steering committee was intended to be a representative group of the greater NE Seattle community to provide logistics support throughout the project and a sounding board on behalf of the community during design iterations.

As part of the project design development, there were 2 community meetings. The first community meeting was held on June 11th at Messiah Lutheran Church. This was a full day workshop to solicit ideas and develop concept-level plans from those ideas based around realistic site and budget limitations. From this workshop, 68 unique ideas were proposed by the community and 4 concept plans were developed.

Following this kick-off community meeting, volunteer design professionals from the Pomegranate Center and NE Seattle community (Public Space Rangers) built upon the community’s ideas and refined them further using material availability, estimated construction costs, and further considerations/input provided from the Hunter Family. The result was presented at the final community meeting, on July 13th at Wedgwood Presbyterian Church, to unveil the project design.

Between August 18th to 21st, the NE Seattle community came together to build the project. Through tireless work by hundreds of volunteers, the project was largely completed by the last community build day. You can read more about Day 1 (August 18th), Day 2 (August 19th), Day 3 (August 20th), and Day 4 (August 21st).

Additional links telling the story linked with pictures and videos:

The Hunter Farm Gathering Place Grand Opening Bash
Tully’s & the Pomegranate Center – Hunter Farms build in Wedgwood
Overwhelming Turn Out for the Hunter Farm Community Build
Day 3 of the Hunter Farm Community Build
Emergency HUB planned for Hunter Farms Gathering Place Makes National News
Even More Progress Being Made on the Hunter Farm Gathering Place Project
Progress Already Being Made on the Hunter Farm Gathering Place Project

Brian Turnbull serves as president of the WCC. Brian, his wife, and their two boys have called Wedgwood home for the last five years. Brian is a missional pastor of a house church movement in Northeast Seattle, and owns a landscape company called Green House Landscaping. Brian enjoys people and the outdoors, which are two great assets we have here in Wedgwood. As the chairperson of Events Committee, Brian enjoys coordinating our annual Outdoor Cinema and Business Trick or Treat.

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CFA Winter 2011 Newsletter

December 13, 2011 Leave a Comment

Download December updates from CFA

Newsletter Winter 2011

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Family Day in the Park Day 2011

December 12, 2011 Leave a Comment

Al Santino – Northeast Community Transformation

This is an older story from AmeriCorps Member, Pam Ramos, Ayuda Community Center. 

Today was another good day in Hunting Park, Philadelphia. On Saturday, July 16, 2011, Hunting Park United, an organized neighborhood civic-association group made up of community individuals and partnering organizations, launched their first annual Family Day in the Park 2011. It was organized by our very own AmeriCorps member Pam Ramos. She is in her 8th month of service and has had the privilege of working alongside great community leaders and invested organizations. In the process of organizing this huge event in the park, she has had community meetings and has gathered community leaders for the purpose of input to what it was the community wanted at this event. With much work and collaboration of all, there were 25 non-profit organizations represented and over 75 volunteers recruited and more importantly over 500 plus community people that participated.

With all the resource tables available for the adults, from health screens put on by Esperanza Health Center’s Summer Medical Institute which is a program that allows medical students from around the country the unique opportunity to serve in an urban setting, engaging neighbors and performing various health screenings. Esperanza Health Center’s own Community Health Promoters graduates were on hand to answer questions. This is a lay-health class offered to community people who wish to be educated on various health issues; given 50 hours of training are then certified to promote health topics in varies ways. There was donated food BBQ’d & served by Richard & Friends United in the Community and finally Zumba aerobics instruction given by our local friend Cindy Ortiz from the Philadelphia group.

There was also plenty for the kids to do like face painting provided by a local congregation (One Hope Community Church) to plenty of crafts and games put on by a brand new coalition established in Hunting Park by four existing organizations to create S.E.A.C. Its mission is to work with engaging families to prevent drug-usage & abuse.  It includes Spirit & Truth Fellowship, Esperanza Health Center, Ayuda Community Center, and Casa De Consejeria translates into “House of Counseling. As you can see that Hunting Park United understands the power of community development and organizing– partnering for the greater good of the community. I’d say this community event was a success people went away full of resources and food…another fine day in Hunting Park, where it takes community to build a community.

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Lincoln Neighborhood: Developing Leaders, Connecting Neighbors

December 5, 2011 Leave a Comment

Eric Smith – Think Tank INC

I met George Young at the Springfield Promise Neighborhood Kickoff and Community Celebration, the first community event planned alongside residents, nearly one year ago. It turns out that George is a long-time resident of the Lincoln Neighborhood. As part of the listening process, I met with George for a one-on-one learning conversation.

It quickly became evident that George was interested in seeing the ethic of responsible fatherhood integrated into the fabric of his neighborhood. He also had a clear passion for developing the character of the youth of his community. However, George did not have an opportunity to exercise his gifts and passions.

I therefore invited George to attend a leadership training series on the principles of Asset-Based Community Development. Through the training, George’s vision crystalized. Another of the attendees, as it turned out, had a similar interest. So following the training, George invited a select group of his neighbors, also long-time residents of the neighborhood, as well as his colleague from the training, to a meeting.

The neighbors quickly decided that they could accomplish the corporate desire that they all had to impact others if they formed into an organized group. The initial meeting has led to the birth of the Lincoln Neighborhood POPS Club. The Club has been connected to Urban Light Ministries, the responsible fatherhood initiative in Springfield, to provide stability as needed.

As their first project, the Club leaders have worked to establish a safety patrol program at Lincoln Elementary. Though very much needed, Lincoln Elementary has not had a safety patrol program for many years.

What is inspiring and transformational about this story is that fact that now a core group of neighbors is more alive because they are able to give of their gifts and experience to influence the next generation. Even as they are becoming more alive and aware, they are instilling pride in the 16 youth that are part of the safety patrol. The patrol is quickly becoming an opportunity to nurture good character, self-regulation, and aspirational thinking in the lives of a select group of youth.

What was lacking before was merely the vision to see the gifts and dreams that connected the neighbors to each other and the Club to the youth. Imagine now what other opportunities exist just around the corner in a neighborhood of over 4,500 neighbors and youth!

Filed under Community Organizing, Developing a Community Vision, Stories Tagged with , , , , ,

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