A Transformational Step in South Phoenix

May 2, 2012 Leave a comment

Jeff Bisgrove–Neighborhood Transformation, Phoenix, AZ

Fifty people painting a church, a simple event.  One that on its surface doesn’t look all that important, and is not often something we associate with community transformation.  Churches are generally not part of the community in our society, and besides isn’t painting somebody else’s property relief and not really development?

All these points are valid, but if you look deeper into this effort to paint a church, you see a bit more.  The church that was painted has a small and aging congregation.  Their ability to paint their own church was rapidly getting beyond them as the years flew by.  However, the people at the church are involved in the community and are well-regarded by the community, and the community decided they would help paint the church.  Further, they invited their friends from outside South Phoenix to come and help.  So they did.  Together.

Black, Brown, White…the colors mixed together as the paint flowed onto the walls. Young, old and in-between; people from 2 years to 75 contributed.    Many of the people knew each other, since they had worked together on other things in this community over the years.  Painting this community church was another thing they did together.

David Bennett moved into South Phoenix five years ago, with the intent to be in the community, walk with the community, and help the community reconcile and grow.  This area of South Phoenix is riven with gangs, often divided along racial lines.  Black people do not like Brown people and vice versa.  White people avoid the whole thing and do not even drive through south Phoenix.  Against this backdrop, David started to work.    He helps mentor and teach the local kids; walking with them  and their parent(s) to help catalyze them to be more involved in their community.  He involves people from outside South Phoenix to help break down prejudice and further God’s reconciliation.

And this is where the effort is today.  Brown people helping Black people helping White people to paint a community church because the church congregation cannot do it themselves and the community has compassion for them.  This compassion has spread beyond the community to their friends around the city.  No shooting.  No slurs, or gang colors.  No driving the long way around to avoid it.  Simply working together.

This community in South Phoenix, seen by most people in Phoenix as ground zero for police calls, shootings, gang banging and drug activity, is showing more.  More of what God placed there.  It is showing respect, compassion and love for the things that make up the community. It is not the end.  It is a step… a transformational step.

Filed under Asset Based Community Development, Betterment to Development, General Stories, Neighborhood Transformation, Stories Tagged with , , , , , , ,

The “Who” of Community Development

April 30, 2012 Leave a comment

 

Wendy McCaig–Embrace Richmond, Richmond, VA

One of my most challenging tasks as an Executive Director is answering  the question, “What does Embrace Richmond do?”  When people focus on the “what”, I find they miss the more important question of “who.”  The “what” sounds like, “We helped the residents start a community center that includes a computer lab, a mom’s support group, a food pantry, monthly community fellowship events,  a clothing closet, activities for seniors, an afterschool creative and performing arts program, gardening projects, GED tutoring, vocational mentoring and leadership development training.”  While all these activities meet real needs within a community, the activities themselves are not as important as the residents from the neighborhood who are doing all this work.

When we entered the Hillside Court community more than three years ago, the recreation center had been closed down for several years.  There was a sense of despair in the community.  We heard stories like this one shared by a long-time resident, “Used to be that the recreation center was open to the community and they had all kind of activities for the residents.  Different groups have been in that building over the years;  they always leave.  I don’t believe anything will ever change around here.  I don’t think anyone really cares about this neighborhood.”

The recreation center is once again bustling with activity and over the past three years, we have seen dozens of residents step up and take on leadership roles.   This coming fall, Embrace Richmond will be leading by stepping back.  Our resident leadership team is now strong enough to lead the effort with Embrace Richmond simply contributing the financial and spiritual support they need to keep the center open to the community and thriving.

Above are the pictures of the key leaders who will assume control of the Hillside Recreation Center.  If you ask me “What does Embrace Richmond do?”  I will likely show you these pictures and say, “We support neighbors who build great neighborhoods.”  This is what true community development success looks like, neighbors helping neighbors.

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Asset Based Community Development: A Story of Sharing

February 27, 2012 Leave a comment

Kimi Zimmerman–Community enCompass

What is ABCD?

It’s simple really.  At its best, Asset Based Community Development comes out in life stories.

Take Linda for example.  I honestly don’t know much about her.  She’s a retired nurse and new to the McLaughlin neighborhood.  Judging by her kind disposition, I’d venture to say she was the kind of nurse that people remembered and wanted to thank because she made an unpleasant doctor or hospital visit more bearable.

I met Linda one day at Sacred Suds.  She wasn’t doing laundry or showering. Instead, she was taking blood pressure for neighbors that were using the facility.  She wasn’t doing it for money or in any official capacity.  She was doing it because she cares about her community.  She was doing it because she has a passion for people and for nursing. It’s in her DNA.  She has a God-given gift and she can’t help but use it.

This is ABCD - neighbors using their gifts and talents to enrich, change, help, care for, and love the community they are a part of.  Neighbors like Linda.  But the story doesn’t end there.  Linda used her own blood pressure equipment, but found she didn’t have the right size cuff for some of the neighbors.  Another neighbor heard about it and contacted a local agency to see how they could go about getting a larger cuff.  When the agency heard about the volunteer work Linda was doing at Sacred, they couldn’t help but support the cause and donate the equipment.  ABCD is contagious!

This is a simple story about one person doing good by sharing her gifts with her neighbors.

What is ABCD?  It’s neighbors sharing the best parts of themselves to help build a stronger community.

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The “Dignity” Store

February 16, 2012 Leave a comment

Clark Blakeman– Second Stories

Five kids ranging from 8 to 3 years old came rolling out of the metal door on a small building across the parking lot from the neighborhood church, a mother chasing behind.  Rapidly fired words mixed with giggles, package shaking, and directionless walking made the mom’s work of corralling the kids difficult.  But she was in a great mood and full of smiles. She gathered up all the gifts she had just bought and wrapped with new friends from the church while her kids played games and made gifts for mom out of construction paper and glue. In her limited English she expressed her thanks and hugs were given to everyone as the family made their way to the bus stop. She seemed to especially cherish a framed family portrait that she received as a gift from a photographer from the church who had set up inside the Dignity Christmas Store.

During the month of December a low-income apartment complex and a local church worked together, facilitated by Second Stories, to create the Dignity Christmas Store. This effort is an expression of a growing understanding of Asset Based Community Development and the relationship developing between the congregation and the residents of the apartments.

The idea had three objectives. One was to support apartment residents who could not afford to purchase Christmas gifts and preserve their dignity in the process. To do this they developed a Christmas tree lot fundraiser that would enable gifts to be purchased and offered at a 90 percent discount from retail. Attending to the lot was shared by many. In this way the low-income residents would experience the dignity of purchasing gifts themselves rather than being demoralized by an “adopt a poor family for the holidays” approach.

Another goal was to further develop relationships between church members and apartment residents.  They achieved this by sequencing each family’s shopping opportunity and pacing it so there was plenty of time for just hanging out. They wrapped gifts together, and sat for conversation over hot chocolate, coffee and snacks. Kids played foosball, made gifts or colored. Families were each offered the opportunity to get a family portrait, which was developed and framed while the parents shopped.

The third aim, and perhaps most important, was to listen for the gifts, abilities and passions of each other so as to discern what additional ways these two groups can work together for the common good of their neighborhood. Informal questions were developed and asked, designed to reveal motivations and assets to be given. Ideas were generated and new possibilities for working together have begun to emerge.  Ideas were gleaned, like working to have sidewalks installed along the apartment complex that butts up against the neighborhoods’ busiest street, offering credit for use at the Dignity Store for anyone who volunteers at the tree lot, increasing the quality of snacks at the Dignity Store by utilizing the multi-ethnic foods represented at the apartments, and doing a jointly hosted international dinner at the local park.

This coalition of “workers for the common good” is young and still somewhat tentative. But already the quality of life for both church members and apartment residents is at a higher level due to the environment of dignity and inclusion being fostered.  This is about healthy relationships on the small and larger neighborhood scale.  And as the mother of 5 can attest, that’s exactly what’s being experienced in SE Portland.

Filed under Betterment to Development, Community Betterment, Developing a Community Vision, General Stories, Neighborhood Transformation, Stories Tagged with , , , , , , , ,

Asset Based Community Development: Working “With” the Community

February 13, 2012 1 Comment

CFA Executive Director, Jay Van Groningen, responds to a comment from a recent post, and discusses the idea of “In, To, or With:”

“How does one listen to neighbors in a way that: 1. Discovers what neighbors care about enough to act on it? 2. Discovers what gifts they bring to the things they want to work on? 3. Helps neighbors discover their neighbors who care about the things they care about – so they can work on them together?

Personally,  I resist those programs and ministries that churches want to start, control and implement to/for their neighbors. I think it is much healthier when church comes along and supports the good things neighbors care about doing. Then the church and community can work together on how to sustain the good work. If ministry is done really well, the church does not need to own or control the ministry, it gets to support it in the ways that bless ministry and the congregation. If ministry is done really well, the community eagerly accepts and embraces the church members participation on a level, respectful, playing field (with respect to power in and control). They enjoy getting good things done together.”

Here are some further thoughts…

The Church “With” the Community:

  • desires to influence the community.
  • desires community stakeholders to influence it.
  • spends significant resources (time, talent, goods) in the community.
  • utilizes planning and assessment processes that are influenced by both church members and community stakeholders, and makes decisions based on the impact desired by church members and neighbors.
  • serves and develops the community for reasons and with with methods that bring transformational impact to the community and church alike.
  • looks for and unleashes the gifts, skills, and resources already present in the community.
  • is a convener of the community, a servant to the community, adding value to residents and the community as a whole; a net contributor to the community even though it does not pay taxes.

(Communities First, p. 10)  Go to the Store for more information on this resource.

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In the News: Asset Based Community Development

February 9, 2012 Leave a comment

The Muskegon Chronicle highlighted CFA member Kimi Zimmerman (Community enCompass) in a February 8th on-line article.  Writer Dave Alexander describes the neighborhood transformation taking place in the McLaughlin neighborhood of Muskegon, MI, and focuses on the principles of Asset Based Community Development as the catalyst for change.  He quotes member Kimi Zimmerman, “This neighborhood has grasped the concepts and put them to work here in Muskegon.”  She continues, “We are seeing a beautiful transformation taking place.” Click here to read the full article.

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Neighborhood Transformation: From Handouts to Development

February 1, 2012 1 Comment

Wendy McCaig, Embrace Richmond

Most economically challenged communities experience scarcity of resources such as food, clothing, and especially things that cannot be purchased with food stamps like cleaning supplies, diapers and paper products.  Over the past few years we have been experimenting with ways of providing for these basic needs of our community without fostering dependency.

In Asset Based Community Development the first question we ask is, “What does the community have to work with?”  In our community, the answer to this question is time.  Less than 30% of the residents are employed.  This reality led us to experiment with various forms of time-banks over the years. In a “time-bank” system, participants earn “service credits” when they serve in the community.  Those credits are then redeemed for goods and services.  We are just getting our time bank off the ground in Hillside Court, but we used this approach extensively for our furniture bank program.  The advantages to this approach, which is very similar to a co-op model, are very exciting.

We have found in our use of time banks over the years, that it is a good way of insuring fair distribution of goods as well as developing relationships.  Given that depression brought on by isolation is one of the key issues facing our community, relationships are often in shorter supply than basic goods and services.  By requiring an investment on the part of the recipient, this approach increases the recipient’s sense of ownership, and enhances the relationships between the residents as they serve together in the community.  Time Banking utilizes what people have, while allowing them to access what they need.

Giving out food, clothing, and other goods is not a bad thing, but it should be seen as an emergency response and not as a long-term solution.  Research shows that participating in feeding lines, food pantries, and other forms of charity that require nothing of the recipient can actually devalue a person’s sense of dignity, create dependency, and fuel a spirit of entitlement if it becomes a way of life.  What I love about a co-op/time bank approach is that the need gets met, and the person is actually investing in the ongoing development of the community.  This act of giving actually increases self-esteem and fosters a sense of community pride.

I know this type of approach will be messy.  It is far easier to give away stuff, but I have seen how the hard work involved in setting up an Asset Based Community Development system pays off in the long-run as the residents take ownership of their future and that of their neighborhood.

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The Journey at AACRC

October 25, 2011 Leave a comment

Kimi Zimmerman – Community enCompass

For me, this is a story of hope…hope that the church can become what/who God intended it to be from the start. A place of learning, a place of growing, a place of acceptance, respect and love, and most importantly a place where anyone can belong because it is a community of people who care about each other. I am excited that this church that has been in existence for over a hundred is willing to say, “we need to change if we want to make a difference.” It gives me hope to work with a church that is willing to ask questions rather than give answers.

Allen Avenue CRC was ready for a change and wanted to become involved in our community in a different way than we had been in the past. However, we were unsure what that change was going to look like before being introduced to Asset Based Community Development earlier this year. After a few months, we have started to see a shift in the way that we think about and relate to our neighbors and the neighborhood. In the past, the statistics of this area have resulted in a skewed perception of the Angell neighborhood. Our opinions had been clouded by the things we were reading and hearing about concerning the crime rates, drug trafficking, violence, high rates of unemployment, and so forth.We had lost touch of the good things that were going on in our neighborhood and the strengths and assets already existing within it. Even more, we stopped knowing who are neighbors really were.

Read more of this post

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Changing the Pond

July 16, 2011 1 Comment

Wendy McCaig – Embrace Richmond

One of our partners, Wendy McCraig, has a great blog post on going beyond “teaching people how to fish” to “changing the conditions of the pond.” Not sure what that means? Check out her post:

http://wendymccaig.com/2011/07/13/changing-the-pond/

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Signs of Community Transformation

March 1, 2011 Leave a comment

This week I spent two full days with 8 seminary students (and one faculty member). We did some site learning and I introduced them to some basic elements of Asset Based Community Development. We visited four communities where churches are engaging with their communities in the transformation of their neighborhoods.

In one exercise, I asked them to list all of the activities and ministries that they and their congregations were engaged in related to mercy and justice. With only a few exceptions all of their reported activities were focused on individual betterment and individual development. None of them had prior experience or mental maps that suggested a pathway to community transformation. This is true of most north American Christian audiences.

Moving Christians and congregations in their thinking from individual betterment (which is good) to community transformation (which is more impactful) is very challenging. I have been thinking through this week, How can one tell if a church is engaging in Community Transformation? What are some indicators of progress?

Many churches have language, liturgy, leadership, programs and practices for Ministry of the Word and sacraments. What would the language, liturgy, leadership, programs and practices be for a church that was equally focused on community transformation?

Here are some initial thoughts: What do you think?

A. Congregational Readiness:

  1. Does the congregation have a target neighborhood? Yes or No. What is the specific neighborhood that the congregation has committed to? How can a church leave a redemptive (and sustainable) imprint in a community, if it does not have a declared neighborhood as its focus for transformation?
  2. Does the congregation have a community transformation leader (or team)? Yes or No? Who is teaching and guiding the congregation in its community transformation engagements? The work will not be sustainable without a leader or team who leads/guides the transformation story over time.

B. Community Transformation Process

1. Is there a systematic (and ongoing) listening process with the community that results in:

  • Discovering and cataloging neighbors (and members) gifts; Is the gift information transparent, accessible and shared with the community for the common good?
  • Discovering what residents care about, enough to work on it with support from the congregation.

2. Is there an agenda for change that is shared with the community that arises from the listening process? Is the agenda co-owned by church and community?

3. Are there community action groups (with congregants and neighbors) forming around the agenda items and working on the things they care about?

4. Is there a shared venue(s) for reporting back to congregation and neighbors the progress being made on their agenda?

5. Is there evidence of cooperation with other congregations, associations and institutions in the community in accomplishing the agenda?

6. Is there evidence of Church(es) raising the voice of the poor to change the systems that perpetuate poverty?

C. Sign Posts of Progress:

  • There is movement from “ministry to/for” those people to “ministry with” our neighbors
  • There is movement from “inward” to “outward” focus in ministry
  • There is movement from “simple responsiveness” to “more complex” (w)holistic engagements that address root causes.
  • There is movement from “mono cultural” to “multi-cultural” engagement
  • There is movement from economic homogeneity to economic heterogeneity
  • There is movement from “commuter-based” ministry to “geographic-based” ministry.
  • There is movement from “church-centric” to Kingdom-centric language and frameworks.
  • There is movement from focusing on “problems” to “future/vision” oriented focus
  • There is movement from understanding stewardship of “our gifts” to stewarding of the “community gifts”.
  • There is a “relocation” strategy for changing the residential mix in poor communities (a healthy mix of low, middle and upper-income residents).

Jay Van Groningen
Communities First Association
www.communitiesfirstassociation.org
vangronj@gmail.com

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“Hands Around the Plain” Opens

March 1, 2011 Leave a comment

Our new store is now open! “Hands Around the Plain” is located beside “The Fruited Plain” on highway 75 in Sioux Center. This unique gift shop is an exciting opportunity for the women of The Bridge to gain employment and to build a good job history. And, equally exciting: all proceed from the store will go back into the ministry of The Bridge.

Hand Around the Plain will carry a variety of items including: jewelry, jams and jellies, oils, soaps and lotions, purses, cards, baby gifts, pet collars and leashes, used books wine glasses and racks, rugs and art on consignment from local artists.

Along with these made-in-the-Midwest products, HATP will carry Fair-Trade products made in Chile by struggling artisans. HATP will also carry a line of jewelry made by impoverished women in Nepal who have developed a business to help other women in similar situations. HATP hopes to develop several relationships with other international ministries in the future.

Another exciting thing happening at Hand Around the Plain, is a product line called “Beyond the Bridge.” These are products that are either made by the women of The Bridge or by friends of The Bridge. These products include: candles, grocery totes and bags, table scarves, goat soap, pottery, photography, quilts, baby blankets and scarves. We hope to expand this line as the store grows. The “Beyond the Bridge” line is exciting because the items are donated, so 100% of the retail price goes back into the ministry of The Bridge!

Nearly all of the remodeling of our building was done by volunteers from the community. We saved an incredible amount of money because of the help of others. Thank you!

Stop in and see us in Sioux Center on highway 75 across from Coop Gas and Oil. We’re excited to have you visit!

What You Can Do

  • Donate your books! Give your ‘very good’ used best sellers or classic books to HATP. All proceeds from their sales at HATP go back into the ministry of The Bridge!
  • Donate items that you’ve created, such as quilts, blankets, pottery, art or woodworking to HATP.
  • Volunteer to work at HATP a few hours each month (email handsaroundtheplain@gmail.com or call 712.441.2528)
  • Join our Facebook page
  • Shop at HATP!!

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One More Handout or One Hand-Up?

January 11, 2011 Leave a comment

Recently I met with a church that wanted to do an event in a specific neighborhood we are involved in. Their great heart and passion to help people was apparent . They wanted to be a blessing to the under-resourced community, wanted to be the hands and feet of Jesus. And they already had a plan…. give out food and clothing…have games and prizes for the kids… share the Gospel message….pray for the hurting people… invite them to church…love them with the love of Jesus. Their hearts were in the right place, they wanted to spend their time and energy outside their church.

Constituent transformation starts with offering people a new frame of reference. What really happens when we just do these “parachute jumps” into a community? What does it look like from the other side, the side of the community members whose kids want to participate?

•    Strangers are coming in and interacting with my kids – can I trust them?
•    People are telling my kids about a God that I don’t know about – are they a sect? Will they mislead my children?
•    People give my kids snacks – but are they healthy? Are they safe?
•    Who said I need food and clothing? Do you not think I can provide for my own family?
•    If I take your food will I get more next month? I have gotten used to getting free stuff from churches.

Maybe these questions are not exactly what is on people’s minds, but I am sure that it undermines their dignity, that it makes them feel less capable of providing for their families, that it does not bring out the gifts, passions and abilities that these families have and that it creates a dependency on outside resources.

What if instead of spending the time, energy and money for a 2 hour event this church would ‘adopt’ a neighborhood? What if they would learn some of the Asset Based Community Development principles and practices and get involved in a neighborhood for 5 years? What if instead of handing out free stuff they would learn people’s names, find their passions and giftings and exchange those gifts? What if the church would come every week, not with cookies and soda, not with clothing and gifts, but with hearts open to see God’s image  in every person, with minds open to hear their stories and discover their amazing gifts and with hands willing to work side by side on the issues that the community sees as necessary?

What if the neighbors would see Christ lived out in the lives of the Christians and would want to experience some of that Shalom in their own lives? What if the church is invited to start a Bible study, not because they forced themselves in, but because the love of God was so evident that people are curious about a God who cares enough to be involved in that neighborhood?

What if they get to see a God who doesn’t give hand-outs and abandon them afterwards but a God who walks side by side with people helping them up the hill by giving a hand-up!

In the end the church went ahead with their outreach as planned, but we continue our dialog.

Monika Grasley
LifeLine CDC

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Residents Contribute to Store

August 6, 2010 Leave a comment

Arts and crafts shop is part of vision for group

by Keley Seligman
Staff Writer (Local Publication)

Sioux Center – The Bridge is taking its holistic approach to a new level.

The N’West Iowa faith-based transitional housing organization that provides a safe environment in Orange City for women and children in need has decided to take on a new venture to extend the ways it helps its residents.

“We’re going to open a gift shop that includes an artsy line of gifts,” said director Sandi Altena.

Hands Around the Plain will have fabric, pottery, photographs, paintings, cards and other lines of gifts donated to the shop from area artists.

“I’m hoping it’s going to be a fairly collaborative effort,” Altena said.

Volunteers will help the organization start remodeling a space on Highway 75 in Sioux Center next to The Fruited Plain Cafe this month.

“We want to bring it to Sioux Center for a variety of reasons,” Altena said. “We do serve northwest Iowa, but people make the mistake that because our facility is in Orange City, we’re an ‘Orange City facility.”

She said that setting up shop next to The Fruited Plain also was a good choice as the look of the shop will mimic the cafe next door, with an interior design of bricks and wood beams.

“I think it’s going to have a real organic, classy edge,” Altena said.

She added that The Fruited Plain Cafe owners, Laremy and Rebecca De Vries, share similar values with The Bridge.

“I think we’re a good match, and I think we both sense that,” Altena said.

When The Bridge is full, six women and their children live there. Altena said some of the women have jobs in local communities, but four to six of the women will work at least part time at Hands Around the Plain.

That work experience will provide valuable skills to the women. First, it will give the women, some of whom have never had steady work, transferable job skills.

“I think a lot of our women are excited about the employment,” Altena said. “Then there’s a responsibility aspect, you’ve got a job, and you’ve got to show up.”

The work also will provide the women with a reference when applying for future positions.

Since most of the residents come from broken relationships, Altena said they have diminished self-confidence.

“Coming into a public setting and working publicly with folks will increase their confidence,” Altena said. “I can’t underestimate the communication skills part of things.”

The women also will learn basic life skills like keeping a store clean and organized and working with money.

Some women will even get to contribute to the goods in the shop, like on of The Bridge’s residents who crochets.

“She’s already suggested she can submit that kind of thing,” Altena said.

However, Hands Around the Plain is not only for The Bridge residents to learn. The gift shop also will provide an opportunity for locals to get involved and learn more about poverty, homelessness and brokenness from the women of The Bridge.

Women in the region are invited to volunteer to work at Hands Around the Plain and will be partnered with one of The Bridge’s residents.

“That helps develop a relationship between the two, and I think that is beneficial to both sides,” Altena said. “It breaks down stereotypes.”

The Bridge also is working with local colleges to provide an internship opportunity for a student to manage accounts at Hands Around the Plain.

Altena said that The Bridge works on a $150,000 budget each year and needs community support to make this endeavor possible. Although the organization has received a $4,000 grand from the Sioux County Community Foundation, Altena said the organization is looking for four or more investors to pledge about $5,000 to the project, which will have at least $20,000 in inventory and rebuilding costs.

“It’s important that our women get immersed in the community,” Altena said. “This is an opportunity to serve a really vulnerable population – most of our women are single mothers – a really vulnerable population in our own backyard.”

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
People from all throughout the region can volunteer to The Bridge in a variety of ways. Invest in Hands Around the Plain, help with construction, volunteer to work in the store with The Bridge residents or even just stop by and shop to support the endeavor. To get more information on how to volunteer, call director Sandi Altena at (712) 707-9922 or (712) 441-2528.

FAMILY CIRCLE:
The Bridge also has taken over the Sioux County Family Circle program after its funding from the state was cut. A $5,000 grant from the Siouxland Community Foundation will help the organization keep the program going for all families in the community.

“You take all families who are struggling and hurting, and you put a circle of support around them,” Altena said.
Residents from The Bridge have taken part in the program, which also helps break down barriers.

http://www.thebridgehousing.org/

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Residents Contribute to Store

August 6, 2010 Leave a comment

This is an article from a Sioux Center newspaper:

Arts and crafts shop is part of vision for group

By Kiley Seligman, Staff Writer

SIOUX Center – The Bridge is taking its holistic approach to a new level.

The N-West Iowa faith-based transitional housing organization that provides a safe environment in Orange City for women and children in need has decided to take on a new venture to extend the ways it helps its residents.

“We’re going to open a gift shop that includes an artsy line of gifts,” said director Sandi Altena.

Hands Around the Plain will have fabric, pottery, photographs, paintings, cards and other lines of gifts donated to the shop from area artists.

“I’m hoping it’s going to be a fairly collaborative effort,” Altena said.

Volunteers will help the organization start remodeling a space on Highway 75 in Sioux Center next to The Fruited Plain Café this month.

“We want to bring it to Sioux Center for a variety of reasons,” Altena said. “We do serve northwest Iowa, but people make the mistake that because our facility is in Orange City, we’re an Orange City facility.”

She said that setting up shop next to The Fruited Plain also was a good choice as the look of the shop will mimic the café next door, with an interior design of bricks and wood beams.

“I think it’s going to have a real organic, classy edge,” Altena said.

She added that The Fruited Plain Café owners, Laremy and Rebecca De Vries, share similar values with The Bridge.

“I think we’re a good match, and I think we both sense that,” Altena said.

When The Bridge is full, six women and their children live there. Altena said some of the women have jobs in local communities, but four to six of the women will work at least part time at Hands Around the Plain.

That work experience will provide valuable skills to the women. First, it will give the women, some of whom have never had steady work, transferable job skills.

“I think a lot of our women are excited about the employment,” Altena said. “Then there’s a responsibility aspect, you’ve got a job, and you’ve got to show up.”

The work also will provide the women with a reference when applying for future positions.

Since most of the residents come from broken relationships, Altena said they have diminished self-confidence.

“Coming into a public setting and working publicly with folks will increase their confidence,” Altena said. “I can’t underestimate the communication skills part of things.”

The women also will learn basic life skills like keeping a store clean and organized and working with money.

Some women will even get to contribute to the goods in the shop, like one of The Bridge’s residents who crochets.

“She’s already suggested she can submit that kind of thing,” Altena said.

However, Hands Around the Plain is not only for The Bridge residents to learn. The gift shop also will provide an opportunity for locals to get involved and learn more about poverty, homelessness and brokenness from the women of The Bridge.

Women in the region are invited to volunteer to work at Hands Around the Plain and will be partnered with one of The Bridge’s residents.

“That helps develop a relationship between the two, and I think that is beneficial to both sides,” Altena said. “It breaks down stereotypes.”

The Bridge also is working with local colleges to provide an internship opportunity for a student to manage accounts at Hands Around the Plain.

Altena said that The Bridge works on a $150,000 budget each year and needs community support to make this endeavor possible. Although the organization has received a $4,000 grant from the Sioux County Community Foundation, Altena said the organization is looking for four or more investors to pledge about $5,000 to the project which will have at least $20,000 in inventory and rebuilding costs.

“It’s important that our women get immersed in the community,” Altena said. “This is an opportunity to serve a really vulnerable population – most of our women are single mothers – a really vulnerable population in our own backyard.”

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:

People from all throughout the region can volunteer to The Bridge in a variety of ways. Invest in Hands Around the Plain, help with construction, volunteer to work in the store with The Bridge residents or even just stop by and shop to support the endeavor. To get more information on how to volunteer, call director Sandi Altena at (712) 707-9922 or (712) 441-2528.

FAMILY CIRCLE:

The Bridge also has taken over the Sioux County Family Circle program after its funding from the state was cut. A $5,000 grant from the Siouxland Community Foundation will help the organization keep the program going for all families in the community.

“You take all families who are struggling and hurting, and you put a circle of support around them,” Altena said.

Residents from The Bridge have taken part in the program which also helps break down barriers.

The Bridge

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Living Faith Anglican Church Moves Towards ABCD

August 5, 2010 Leave a comment

Living Faith Anglican Church is moving forward with training of their lay leaders and pastors. They finished three Saturdays of training on Kingdom of God and ABCD. They are buying into the wholistic approach and focusing on Assets instead of needs.
As a church they are moving from just doing their monthly children’s outreach and feeding program in Guadalupe to begin to use their 10 years of children work as a basis to do Neighborhood Transformation.
Guadalupe is a community of 6000 with about 50% being long term residents for a Mexican Indian tribe and 50% other Hispanic background.
They are working on finding a location to work from within Guadalupe and they have a lead on a church. They have great relationships with some key leaders and other non-profits there.

http://www.neighborhoodtransformation.net/

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The Best Things About Spring: Worms

July 5, 2010 Leave a comment

The snow has melted and the tell-tale signs of Spring are all around us here in Chicago.  Spring does strange things to Chicagoans as we come out of hibernation from the Winter months.  Whereas 60 degrees was cold in the Fall now that Spring has arrived 60 degrees seems warm enough to wear shorts and sandals and head to the beach.  There are certain signs that we Chicagoans look for to know that Spring is coming, outdoor seating at restaurants and cafés pop up and baseball becomes the talk at the water-cooler however the surest sign of Spring is the flowers.  Suddenly the gardens and street planters that looked barren and forgotten are filled with bright flowers.

The students of Jordon and Gale schools in the Roger’s Park neighborhood had a hand in ushering Spring in this year as they became gardeners and planted all the flowers in the street planters.  The excitement of warm weather (well 55°) and the promise of working in the dirt excited the students as they began their day of planting.  The adults are excited too, they are teaching the children the importance of hard work and community beautification.  They are using experiential teaching to help the students understand that the way they treat their neighborhood makes a difference, that they have the power to transform their community.  The learning will not stop at the planting, watering and beautification; the students are also earning money as they plant to go on field trips to organic farms to further expand their understanding of the growing process and healthy eating.
As the adults enjoy the Spring day surveying the important learning that is going on with the students they hear a shout and are reminded of another blessing of Spring, worms.  One student has found a worm in his planter and, of course, the other students cannot be outdone so become determined to find worms in their planters.  The flowers are forgotten for the time being as worms take over the conversations and attention of all.  At the end of the day if one of the students were to be asked the best part bout Spring, easy answer, WORMS of course!

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