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How do you design a public space for everyone—a space that is not only welcoming and inclusive but fosters a sense of community and well-being?
Kenneth Balfelt says you need to be strategically unprepared. That is, you should start with only half a plan for what your space will look like, because the other half must come from the users of that space—whether they’re young or old, working parents or retirees, or people who are homeless.
Rich Clegg: Following his calling
In 2008, the West Granite neighborhood of Manchester, New Hampshire, was not what would normally be considered a desirable location. It had become the most troubled and deteriorated area of Manchester—with a high rate of neglected and foreclosed properties, absentee landlords, low homeownership and increased crime.
Gwyn Guidy: Doing the hard work of making change
For a long time, Gwyn Guidy believed as her parents did: One person can’t make a difference.
“My parents didn’t think it was worth it to be generous with your time,” the Houston resident recalls sadly. “They didn’t even vote; after all, they thought, nothing we did would impact anything significant. And I carried that attitude with me for a long time.”
Samuel Sanders, Executive Director of Mid City Redevelopment Alliance (MCRA) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is among the NeighborWorks network’s “veteran” disaster responders. In fact, NeighborWorks Western Region partnered with the Houston LISC office to host a convening so others could learn from his hard-earned wisdom. Below is a Q-and-A with Sanders.
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Tell us about your organization’s past experience with natural disasters. How much damage did they cause to the areas you serve?
I recently spent a week working on Hurricane Harvey clean-up efforts with NeighborWorks network member Avenue and Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corp. in Houston.
Rural Neighborhood: Avoids Hurricane Irma's wrath and responds to resident needs
Seventy-two hours prior to the arrival of Hurricane Irma — then a Category 4 storm that had carved a destructive path through numerous Caribbean islands — staff members at Rural Neighborhoods Inc. (RNI) worked to shutter nearly 1,000 rental homes on Florida's west and east coasts and urged residents to evacuate.
Food makes a natural community development tool
If it's true that the quickest way to people's hearts is through their stomach, then it's no surprise why Champs Diner in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, is beloved by so many in the community. Champs was not always a local winner; the restaurant suffered a few knockout punches throughout the years until it was rescued in 2015 by NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley.
The news is awash with the damage wrought by hurricanes Harvey and Irma. But these natural disasters should not have surprised anyone; they are only the latest in a string of worsening weather events that is expected to continue.
Funding helps Native-American community college expand
As a nontraditional student and tribal member, Stanton Alexander's first choice of schools was White Earth Tribal and Community College. "I felt welcome right away," he said.
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