Community building to me is organizing a network of people to communicate. We usually have a block party in the summer and we get to know the neighbors in the block. We have a block yard rummage sale, and that also give us a chance to meet some of our neighbors. Community building is organizing events to have your neighbors participate in. We have some older folks that do not participate, and lock themselves in their houses. That is their choice, sometimes we have told them that as citizens of the city we would like to check on them, but they prefer to isolate themselves. We also have a some Polish speaking folks, that cannot communicate in English.
In the following article, By Sandy O'Donnell and Ellen Schumer they discuss some of the community building. O'Donnell and Schumer examine the problem of organizing, or lack thereof, in housing and community development. Sandy last year led a team that evaluated the Woods Fund of Chicago's Community Organizing grants making program. The team interviewed dozens of organizers, funders, community development professionals, and community leaders. Ellen has 20 years of community and political organizing experience and is currently director of a project, Community Organizing and Family Issues (COFI), (co-founded by Sandy and Ellen) that seeks to develop leadership to make low-income communities more family supportive. This emerging model in community organizing, the authors contend, holds great promise in developing low-income communities.
In each community you will find someone who takes the lead whether it is one person or a group. Sometimes, neigborhoods with problems, like gang or drug problems come together because of their issues.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
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