Sunday, February 7, 2016
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Community Initiative Spotlight: Urban GreenWorks' Mustard Seed Project
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| Photo Credit: Urban Greenworks |
Community Support:
Urban Greenworks and The Mustard Seed Project has received tremendous support from the community, including a $20,000 grant from The Miami Foundation’s Community Grants Program and 10 acres of land from the County to develop into a Food Forest. It allows for additional training opportunities for Agape House residents and also helps the surrounding community reap the benefits of healthy, affordable, and organic produce in a "food desert."
Success Stories:
Agape House produces many personal success stories due to the nature of the house and its internship program. Many women come to Agape never having held a job, declaring themselves to be "virtually unemployable." The program's broad reach and flexibility allows these women to work in a variety of gardening and farming roles around the city, gaining important skills and confidence. The manager of the Liberty City Farm, for example, has "blossomed" into a hard-working employee who spends 30 hours a week (or more) directing employees and monitoring crops. She is an important team member who's struggled through addiction and domestic violence, and now she has demonstrated her resolve and employability.
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Community Initiative Spotlight: Say Hi to a Stranger
Getting involved in a resident-led initiative can be a rewarding experience. Just ask Kaare Long who started Say Hi to a Stranger during a weekend in November 2013. Here is the story behind Say Hi to a Stranger, a resident-led group in Vancouver, Canada.
Why and how did you get involved in the resident-led group Say Hi to a Stranger?
The why was fueled by my own need and subsequent inability to meet that need within my city. I was suddenly single and realized I really didn't feel connected at all to a community around me, where I lived or worked and I really didn't know where to go to meet new people. Online dating seemed like the only option and that seemed silly to me if I was living in such a large city. I realized that something just wasn't 'right' about this city and meeting new people. I started to talk to others, both my age and other demographics. I talked to both men and women aged 20-60 and I found a similar complaint, or issue existed with them. This made me think it might not be an isolated issue, but one that many felt. The HOW I got involved is by my own tenacity and need to reach out and identify and issue and then DO something about it.
Have you received any support from your city?
Have you received any support from your city?
We have yet to receive any support or recognition from our city. The media have paid attention and do give us some fairly good exposure, but as far as any city officials, we have yet to garner any interest. We are hoping one of our Councillors will come out for our next event this time - we have put out the invitation!
How were you able to identify, connect, and convene members?
I started with my own colleagues and then wrote a press release to get the media interested. The first time we did our event-focused weekend, we had a lot of media attention that allowed us to connect to many individuals in the city. This presence also allowed me the ability to enlist and request sponsorship and engagement from other businesses and colleagues that I knew of and worked with. As any natural idea or network, the idea started to spread through social media, through traditional media, and through the businesses and individuals who found out about the movement and the event and started spreading the word for us.
What lessons have you learned during this journey?
The biggest lesson for me overall has been: DO NOT try and do everything myself! The original event was planned and executed within two weeks of launching the idea to the press. The team consisted of myself, and 2 others, that was it. We shook all the hands, took all the photos, videotaped all the interactions, did all of the social media etc. It was exhausting. BUT, I realized that the idea must live on, so I learned to ask for help and support and to start delegating. I have also learned to observe each rendition of the event and learn from things that didn't work, make stronger systems and delegate more tasks and responsibilities. It has been a wonderful learning tool for me on how to build an organization from ground zero essentially. It is step by step and member by member. As I grow and expand, so does the organization. I also learned to invite other ideas, other forms of leadership and collaboration to allow for a greater perspective as we grow. I have also learned more about the power of community and the power of authentic human connection. The work we do with this movement allows us the opportunity to essentially practice what we preach. We meet many new businesses, strangers and other members of our community. I've really learned what the power of one 'Hello' can do. It truly can change a person’s day, and sometimes their life. I didn't realize this when I started, but after meeting so many people, it has become very real to me how important our day to day connections are, and how vital it is to stay open.
What rewards are local businesses providing to residents who get involved?
How were you able to identify, connect, and convene members?
I started with my own colleagues and then wrote a press release to get the media interested. The first time we did our event-focused weekend, we had a lot of media attention that allowed us to connect to many individuals in the city. This presence also allowed me the ability to enlist and request sponsorship and engagement from other businesses and colleagues that I knew of and worked with. As any natural idea or network, the idea started to spread through social media, through traditional media, and through the businesses and individuals who found out about the movement and the event and started spreading the word for us.
What lessons have you learned during this journey?
The biggest lesson for me overall has been: DO NOT try and do everything myself! The original event was planned and executed within two weeks of launching the idea to the press. The team consisted of myself, and 2 others, that was it. We shook all the hands, took all the photos, videotaped all the interactions, did all of the social media etc. It was exhausting. BUT, I realized that the idea must live on, so I learned to ask for help and support and to start delegating. I have also learned to observe each rendition of the event and learn from things that didn't work, make stronger systems and delegate more tasks and responsibilities. It has been a wonderful learning tool for me on how to build an organization from ground zero essentially. It is step by step and member by member. As I grow and expand, so does the organization. I also learned to invite other ideas, other forms of leadership and collaboration to allow for a greater perspective as we grow. I have also learned more about the power of community and the power of authentic human connection. The work we do with this movement allows us the opportunity to essentially practice what we preach. We meet many new businesses, strangers and other members of our community. I've really learned what the power of one 'Hello' can do. It truly can change a person’s day, and sometimes their life. I didn't realize this when I started, but after meeting so many people, it has become very real to me how important our day to day connections are, and how vital it is to stay open.
What rewards are local businesses providing to residents who get involved?
The businesses that get involved reward residents with whatever their specialty or product is. We have coffee and baked goods, beauty and body products, organic food items, meat, beverages, and local artisan gifts. The incentives are as varied as the businesses who join us as Community Partners.
What message would you give to apathetic residents that would encourage them to participate in resident-led initiatives?
I would suggest to the less engaged residents of our communities that if they feel disconnected in any way to come out and just observe. Our street teams lead the initiative during the weekend and put themselves out there to educate and demonstrate the power and ease of a simple 'Hi!' And that those of us who have been with this movement over the years have met new best friends, business partners, collaborative partners, artistic connections - the list goes on. I would ask any person who doubts the power of this one word to just try it once. At the very LEAST you will walk away feeling proud and feeling open. The very act requires bravery, since rejection is always possible. But, more often than not, we have found the people of Vancouver are surprised, yet very pleasantly so, to get a warm greeting. And if you keep at it, you might witness your greeting changing someone’s day. I cannot tell you how amazing that feeling is. It is a natural antidepressant.
What's next and how can residents in Vancouver get involved?
What message would you give to apathetic residents that would encourage them to participate in resident-led initiatives?
I would suggest to the less engaged residents of our communities that if they feel disconnected in any way to come out and just observe. Our street teams lead the initiative during the weekend and put themselves out there to educate and demonstrate the power and ease of a simple 'Hi!' And that those of us who have been with this movement over the years have met new best friends, business partners, collaborative partners, artistic connections - the list goes on. I would ask any person who doubts the power of this one word to just try it once. At the very LEAST you will walk away feeling proud and feeling open. The very act requires bravery, since rejection is always possible. But, more often than not, we have found the people of Vancouver are surprised, yet very pleasantly so, to get a warm greeting. And if you keep at it, you might witness your greeting changing someone’s day. I cannot tell you how amazing that feeling is. It is a natural antidepressant.
What's next and how can residents in Vancouver get involved?
As always, we encourage folks to join us online with the #sayhitoastranger hashtag - we have lots of fun leading up to the event and provide tips and tricks on how to say 'Hi!' to a stranger. We then really ask that you take the plunge, be brave and risk coming out in person during the weekend, if you are in Vancouver. We have lots of fun events lined up that will be entertaining and interesting. We also have wonderful community partners that are just waiting to invite you in to their business and give you a gift for being friendly. It’s really easy! Visit the website www.sayhitoastranger.
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Top Five Cities in California with High Citizen Engagement
This top five list looks at the largest cities in California with the highest voter turnout rates; high volunteer rates among residents; and cities that have accessible information about the boards/commissions application and appointment process. Civic engagement can take various forms but ultimately, it means that citizens are participating in the growth of the community and are committed to improving conditions for others to aid in the development of the community’s future. The more progressive and responsive cities are made up of residents who have the ability to volunteer and serve in leadership capacities on city boards and commissions around various topics including arts/culture, disabilities, disaster recovery, economic development, and other areas important to residents. It can sometimes be difficult, however, to plug into the community service culture if you don’t know where to look. Here you'll find a quick synopsis and guide for the five largest cities in California that scored relatively high in volunteerism and voter turnout. Data was extracted from the 2013 Volunteering and Civic Life in America report issued by the Corporation for National Community Service, the Board of Elections for each city, and city websites for information about boards and commissions.
1. SAN DIEGO - http://www.sandiego.gov/
This large city ranks number 8 in the US with an estimated 2014 population of 1,381,069 up from 1,307,402 per the 2010 Census. The voter turnout rate in the 2014 general election was 44.76% and 76.98% for the 2012 general presidential election which made San Diego number 1 in voter turnout. As of 2013, the volunteer rate was 29% and ranked number 15 among the top 50 largest cities in the US. If you want to volunteer to serve on a commission or board, follow this link and easily learn about the vacant opportunities and application process: http://www.sandiego.gov/city-clerk/boards-commissions/index.shtml. The city also has a volunteer office for those who want to serve in a different capacity separate from a commission.
2. SAN FRANCISCO - http://sfgov.org/
This city ranks number 13 in population with an estimated 2014 population of 852,469 up from 805,235 per the 2010 Census. The voter turnout rate in the 2014 general election was 53.03% and 72.56% for the 2012 general presidential election which made San Francisco number 2 in voter turnout in the state of California. As of 2013, the volunteer rate was 31% and ranked number 10 among the top 50 largest cities. After typing ‘commissions’ in the search box at http://sfgov.org/, the first result was this page: http://sf311.org/index.aspx?page=766. Click on each listed board to learn about the vacancies, current appointees, and application process.
3. SAN JOSE - http://www.sanjoseca.gov/
This city ranks number 10 in population with an estimated 2014 population of 1,015,785 up from 945,942 per the 2010 Census. The voter turnout rate in the 2014 general election was 50.18% and 79.87% for the 2012 general presidential election which made San Jose number 3 in voter turnout in California. As of 2013, the volunteer rate was 30.4% and ranked number 14 among the top 50 largest cities. It was easy to find the general city-sponsored volunteer opportunities which includes a link to information about boards/commissions: http://www.sanjoseca.gov/Index.aspx?NID=211
4. SACRAMENTO - http://www.cityofsacramento.org/
This city ranks number 35 in US population with an estimated 2014 population of 485,199 up from 466,488 per the 2010 Census. The voter turnout rate in the 2014 general election was 48.4% and 74.7% for the 2012 general presidential election which made Sacramento number 4 in voter turnout in California. As of 2013, the volunteer rate was 26% and ranked number 33 among the top 50 largest cities. Visitors should search under the ‘Clerk’ tab, to reach the Boards and Commissions page: http://www.cityofsacramento.org/Clerk/Legislative-Bodies/Boards-and-Commissions Click ‘apply for board’ to complete the on-line application.
This city ranks number 2 in US population with an estimated 2014 population of 3,928,864 up from 3,792,621 per the 2010 Census. The voter turnout rate in the 2014 general election was 23% and 71% for the 2012 general presidential election which made Los Angeles number 5 in voter turnout in California. As of 2013, the volunteer rate was 21.1% and ranked number 45 among the top 50 largest cities. Click this link to see a list of city-sponsored opportunities: http://lacity.org/for-residents/volunteer-opportunities. You’ll find the boards and commissions listed under a different tab called city government: http://lacity.org/city-government/boards-and-commissions. No application was available and all appointments are made by the mayor. Los Angeles is the largest city but its service rates are disturbingly low as is the voter turnout rate in 2014.
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