Looking Back, Moving Forward

Last Thursday’s Neighbor Corps session was split between reflecting on the past and planning for the future.  As was written about in an earlier post, many NC members participated in a Saturday leadership development session on personal power.  They wanted to share some of that energy with those unable to attend.  That sharing happened in the form of a “fish bowl” activity.  As with an actual fish bowl, those inside are insulated from those outside and thus the “insiders” have the freedom to pour out their thoughts and feelings without interruption.   And boy did they let it flow!  For Genet, Saturday’s session helped her to understand why people choose to, “nibble instead of grow.”  Victoria took away from the session that, “we can share our power without diminishing it.”  Andre noted that the session reminded him of how often he’s seen people,  “diminish others to make themselves feel better.”

In addition to sharing about the The Kernel of Power and Nibble Theory, “insiders” revealed some of the honest feelings that came up during the workshop about the PhotoVoice project.  Victoria mentioned that some NC members wanted to feel more ownership of the project.  Given the real feelings that came up about  the direction of the project and group autonomy, Thursday’s session provided an ideal moment to take a step back and examine the original framework of the Long Branch Neighbor Corps for continued resonance.

In a nutshell, the framework is:
1. Identifying times when we’ve each experienced effective community,
2. Practicing the identified “ways of being” within our group, and
3. Taking leadership to spread the practices to the larger Long Branch community.

Emiye said that the framework still worked for her and shared a story about employees at her sister’s job.  Those employees created their own edir which is an Ethiopian practice of communally pooling money to be used by community members in need.  Here was an example of an Ethiopian practice successfully transported to an American setting.  This model is at the heart of the Neighbor Corps project.

However, even with continued shared resonance around the Neighbor Corps framework, more discussion revealed other issues that Neighbor Corps members wanted to address.  Victoria and Emiye both felt like the team would greatly benefit from stronger relationships among team members.  As an example, Victoria mentioned that there were absent team members who were perhaps in need of support, but who had had no one reach out to them.  Even though Sebastian (IMPACT staffer) shared that he had been in touch with the absent members, her point wasn’t lost.

After polling the Neighbor Corps members present, it was decided that the immediate next step for the team should be to focus on relationship-building.  A small group of Corps members will meet before next session to discuss ways to strengthen relationships within the team.  Stay tuned to find out what this dedicated, innovative and powerful group comes up with!

A Night of Support and Exchange!

More than 20 Long Branch residents participate in Network Night!

More than 20 residents (representing more than 9 countries of origin!) were in attendance at the Long Branch Network Night held at the TESS Center on January 13th. Newcomers and regulars came together for another evening of getting to know one another and practicing how to care for each other through mutual support.

Network Night kicks off with greetings in the "Hello Circle."

In the mutual support circle, people are given an opportunity to either request support, make an offer, or share an announcement. It is a moment of authentic exchange that works best when everyone puts energy into brainstorming for those requesting support and effort into finding opportunities to utilize and share offers and announcements.

Viviana shares into the mutual support circle.

In the circle, Viviana (originally from the Dominican Republic) shared that she and her family are in need of affordable housing. They are currently renting a home that is more than $2000 a month. They would like to buy a home, but the expensive real estate market and the need for large down payments make this a difficult dream to realize. Yemny, a Community Connector at the TESS Center, provided information on a program with the Housing Opportunities Commission that might be helpful. Brian, a Takoma Park resident, suggested that she consider buying a home that would also have space for her to take in a boarder and generate rental income. Genet, originally from Ethiopia, requested support around helping a friend secure a much-needed winter coat. Viviana offered that Progress Place has a Clothes Closet that provides winter clothing to men, women and children.

Participants browse info on available jobs and apartments.

Carol, a Takoma Park resident, had an offer and a request. She is a volunteer at the Electric Maid which bills itself as a community storefront. She shared that the venue would like to provide space for community meetings like the Long Branch Network Night, but is in need of more volunteers.

All of the mutual support moments provided opportunities for residents to receive from the pool of collective community knowledge and to give to that pool as well. El Salvador native Mario said, “I’ve lived here for 10 years and I’ve never been to a meeting like this!”

PhotoVoice: Pictures Will Tell the Story

Solomon studies a picture from an Atlanta photo project.

Long Branch Neighbor Corps met on January 6th after a two-week hiatus. Even without formal meetings, members managed to stay in touch over the holidays through, of all things, CAMERAS.

LB Neighbor Corps is in the first phase of a PhotoVoice project. PhotoVoice is a method of storytelling using participatory photography. PhotoVoice projects have been conducted throughout the world to help community members represent themselves and achieve positive social change.

Corps members discuss the potential power of a PhotoVoice project in Long Branch.

During the holiday break, Corps members worked together to document their lives in Long Branch. Pairs of Corps members shared cameras and experiences over a two week period. At this evening’s meeting they brought their cameras (full of pictures to be printed) and an eagerness to learn more about the possibilities of photo-documentation.

Ronnie closes his eyes and listens as a picture is being described.

Ronnie told the group about a PhotoVoice project that he participated in in Atlanta, Georgia called Dirty Truth. That project had downtown Atlanta residents document the city’s vacant property challenges through pictures. Ultimately, the photo exhibit was the catalyst for $35 million dollars in investment in those same challenged neighborhoods.

The next step for the LB Neighbor Corps PhotoVoice project will be to have each member choose a single significant photo from among the pictures they’ve taken and tell the story behind it. As more and more stories are told, emerging themes will be identified. Those themes will be used to shape the targeted issues of the Long Branch PhotoVoice exhibit.

Keep checking this blog to follow the progess of the Long Branch PhotoVoice project and to see some of the pictures taken by Neighbor Corps members!

The Long Branch village raises its first child

Have you ever heard the saying “It takes a village to raise a child”? Even if you’d agree that it sounds like a nice idea you’ve probably questioned if it’s still possible in a society where fear and individualism have taken priority over exchange and community? While we’d be kidding ourselves if we said that we proved it possible in our third “Thursday Together” held last night, I think we took a huge leap forward. After holding two mutual support nights where folks have rallied around one another in helping neighbors get connected to jobs and various services, we decided that last night’s ought to focus on providing support to Alicia, who welcomed her granddaughter Scarlet into the world–and into the Long Branch village–this past Sunday.

The lady of the hour (or two) next to our newest Network Guide Isaac

 

For nearly two hours, 18 community members, many of whom have only met each other once before, channeled all their energy into brainstorming what they could offer Alicia and her family to ensure that Scarlet grows up in the most loving and thriving environment possible.

To get folks in the mood, everyone was asked to check in with a fond childhood memory. Kenny, the head of the Nob Hill YMCA, remembered being made fun of by his older sister for frequently eating dirt–many times with a spoon! Jose, the pastor of a local home based Baptist congregation, explained the heartache it gave him when he returned to the Amazonian village he grew up in only to find it totally paved over and redeveloped with tourist attractions.  Habibatha, originally from the Ivory Coast, explained how since she grew up speaking her local dialect at home, on her first day of school she didn’t know how to respond to the teacher when she first greeted her. Instead, she chose to repeat her teacher’s every word. She said that it worked up until her teacher asked her “How old are you?” and Habibatha could only respond with “How old are you?”

Hibret writes 'hello' in his native Amharic

Naturally, nearly every person’s memory was in someway tied to the natural, physical or social environment–or community–that surrounded them. So we posed the question to the group: what can we do right now to construct an environment that is most conducive to Scarlet having similarly wonderful memories? While at first the folks offered up more material gifts–clothes, books, crib…etc.–Solomon interjected and said he was committed to being Scarlet’s “uncle.” He explained that where he grew up in Botswana every elder was every child’s uncle or aunt. He’s always yearned to return the favor. It then sparked Barbara to promise to watch after Scarlet anytime Alicia or her daughter Emma wanted some time away from dirty diapers and endless crying. Paul, head of Takoma Park’s Dept. for Community Planning and Development, offered parenting advice.

OJO: Check out the old school bunny ears Paul's laying over Solomon

After most folks had spoken, Genet requested that Alicia give us a sense of her “wish list” for support. I suppose moved by the overwhelming love and compassion so present in the room–as well as the amazing financial struggles she’s facing right now amidst this wonderful moment–Alicia broke into tears. As the group rushed en masse to her side to calm her down and physically embrace her, Paul turned to me and explained that he’d never been in a ‘meeting’ like this before. He went onto say that it makes him realize how much of the human piece of development ’planning folks’ often miss, even though it’s what ought to be at the core of creating physical spaces where people are creating many of the memories we had just shared.

After the group settled down, Barbara was struck with an idea: why don’t we organize a community baby shower for Alicia and her daughter where we can continue to rally around her and offer support? The group loved the idea and agreed to hold it in two Thursdays. I imagine we’ll spend the following week working out baby shower details…

After much begging, the kids finally get Barbara to tell them a story

While just a first step, it was an amazing expression of this community or village’s commitment to raising this child TOGETHER. Why have Alicia and her family do it alone when there’s not only a community willing, but totally able to pitch in however they can?! I think we answered that question last night.

Long Branch: Together we make Community!

Thursdays Together

Have you ever stopped to consider how many people are saying “hello” to each other today in our community, and in how many different languages?

Last night in our Long Branch Neighbors Exchange ” Thursdays Together” our community came together and said hello in their own language, Ha-i, Mar-ha-ban, bonjour, salaam, hola, sawubona, Kamaha and hello to meet and support their neighbors. We had neighbors from Sudan, France, Ecuador, Ethiopia, United States, El Salvador, Panama, Bolivia, Nigeria, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Ivory Coast, Guatemala and Nicaragua.  WOW – This is Community!

 

Mutual support time!

 

Our Impact team Sebastian, Lanita, Noelle, Luis, Noemi, Alicia and Elisabeth hosted the first ‘ Thursdays Together” for the Long Branch community in the Tess Center. We had resources partners from Montgomery Cares, HHS and Catholic Charities to talk about Jobs and health services available for the community and ways our neighbors could access them.

Margaret from Sudan came to the meeting with her neighbor and our Impact Community Connector Alicia to seek support around finding a job and health services  for her daughter and English Classes for her, she came to the right place Margaret will be participating starting next Monday at our Nob Hill Mutual Support English Circles and her daughter will be calling Montgomery Cares to schedule a doctors appointment. Wow this is Community coming together to support each other.

 

Community comes together!

 

Barbara a talented story writer for kids was looking for support to publish a book for kids and guess what, Noelle knows someone in our network that can support her in finding ways to publish her dream book. At the end of the session i asked her how her book was doing and she started sharing parts of the book and i almost stared to cry to see her put her heart and soul on each word that came out of her mouth.

I could go on and on with so many great stories about our neighbors giving and offering mutual support to each other, but the only way to find out about our great neighbors from Long Branch is joining us next week at the Tess Center located at 8513 Piney Branch Rd.

Thank you Impact for all your Love and Support!

Long Branch Team: We did it!

Power and Love: Try it Out!

For most of IMPACT’s twelve year life, we have struggled to find the one phrase that sums up our work.  In the beginning , some argued that we were an “anti-racism effort”. Another group settled on “building bridges across our differences” and yet another thought the phrase “community empowerment” was the correct one.

About five years ago, we started focusing on the word “power” and have most often referred to our work as a power sharing model.  When we use the phrase “power sharing”, we quickly offer our definition of power, saying that power is infinite and can be shared for the good of all.

This summer, almost by accident, I bumped into a relatively new book called Power and Love, A Theory and Practice of Social Change, by Adam Kahane. While I admire Mr. Kahane’s original work and writing, I am especially appreciative of his compilation of quotes and definitions from people like Paul Tillich and Martin Luther King. Please see how each of these great thinkers define Power and Love, stated below.

Paul Tillich:

• Power is the drive of everything living to realize itself, with increasing intensity and extensity. It is the drive to achieve one’s purpose, to get one’s job done, to grow.
• Love is the drive towards the unity of the separated; the drive to reconnect and make whole that which appears or has become fragmented.

Martin Luther King:

• Power properly understood is nothing but the ability to achieve purpose
• Power without love is reckless and abusive and love without power  is sentimental and anemic.

After years of “social justice work”, I am listening to Paul and Martin and Adam: I am clear that to co-create new social realities we have to work with the two fundamental forces that are in tension – power and love. I hope to write more about the practical applications of what this means, but in very simple terms when it comes to the Neighborhood Opportunity Network:

• POWER: We must bring forth the power of residents in determining what they need and want for their neighborhoods and
• LOVE: We must work to connect, reconcile and negotiate these ideas with the well-established solutions flowing from our service delivery and community development systems.

My colleague Mary McCurty and I found this book and these quotes very helpful as we designed and thought about the work we are doing to help service providers, community organizers and resident leaders share power. I encourage you to read Mr. Kahane’s book – it is an easy read.

The chief service provider (Uma Ahluwalia) and an ace community organizer (Megan Moriarty) share power and love in the circle.

Iam, you are, we are: Community!

Our fifth Long Branch English Mutual Support Circle was held August 12, 2010 at Nob Hill Apartments with the participation of eleven neighbors from the Long Branch area. Our friend Jose made Dominican food for the group and we all enjoyed before starting our English class.

Alicia lead the our traditional Check – In  she was great from explaining what is a check in to Kenneth our newest member to join the English circle to greeting our Executive Director Frankie Blackburn that was part of and English group.

Irene, Samy and Cesar are leading the groups and having excellent response from Teresa who can now start making sentences on her own. Sonia went to the doctor with her daughter and got on the bus for the first time and asked the driver to tell her when they had to get of at the hospital, WOW! We are so proud of our neighbors.

Its incredible how the group has grown and how much support they are receiving from their own neighbors.

See you next week for our Mutual Support English Circle # 6.

I am, you are, we are: Community!

How did you get here?

Last Tuesday, I asked some participants how they ended up at Tuesdays Together what they like to do there.  Only problem–no one wanted to stop talking about how great Tuesdays Together is once they’d started! Here are some of the responses I got:

Roxana: I came to Catholic Charities to find information about a job and I met Megan, and she asked if I wanted to work with IMPACT Silver Spring–not for daycare but for “nightcare.”  I met new people every Tuesday. I met lots of people who are gone now, like Bob and Samantha, and I hope they come back!  Each week with the kids we’ll watch a movie or go to the playground or play games.

Manuel: I knew about Tuesdays Together because of Megan. When I started working for Community First, part of LEDC, I was invited to work at a food collection day. Megan was the first person I met, and she invited me to Tuesdays Together.  I’ve gotten quite a few clients from people I’ve met; I have some people who can give them the basics of financial education, basic things like importance of having an account, importance of having insurance, importance of having savings… We also have a program where we help people start their credit.  Actually, three or four people from here have been able to get a loan from LEDC.  There have been a few occasions when people from here have dreamed to have a small business, so I transferred them over to LEDC which actually teaches a class and explain to them what is the best way to begin their business.  We have people who want to send money back to their loved ones in other countries and they do that through our organization!  Through Megan, we learned more about our organizations, so when I have clients that might want to be involved with IMPACT, I send them to Tuesdays Together or to Megan, and she sends clients to me.  It’s like a big family of favors.  People who have come to Tuesdays Together and keep coming to me, they feel comfortable to come over to me when they need a job, when their family needs help.  I like it because it’s not just about bringing business to my organization, but helping people.

Cordelia: They put one of those door-hangers on my door that said “Sorry that we missed you,” and I said, “Hmmm,” and gave it a try.  That was back in May.  I liked it, so I kept coming back.  We go around the circle and say your name, where you’re from, and one good thing that happened to you that week.  Then we break out into our circles.  I’m with Anh in the workforce group.  One week she did a nice thing on a long piece of paper about culture, your family,  your neighborhood and what you can do to better your impact.  Unfortunately today’s going to be our last day.  Some people are going to go to part of a Wheaton Workforce program for health care, and some people are going to go to a Tech circle.  We don’t stay in here always, sometimes we go on picnics, take the kids to the playground, go to IMPACT in Silver Spring.  I’m growing with this organization, learning, learning, learning.

Elvia: I found out from a friend that mentioned that IMPACT was here and meets on Tuesdays, but I didn’t have the time.   Then one Tuesday, I had a friend who’d hurt his hand I and brought him to Catholic Charities, and then I saw a bunch of people on this side of the building from  Tuesdays Together.  They invited my friend and me to come.  It’s been about a month and a half since I came that first day.  When I came then, I told everyone in the mutual support circle my situation, that I was looking for a job, and I got my first customer already, cleaning houses. I always go to mutual support.  I like it, but I’m looking forward to moving to another group to meet more people.  For the time being I’m going to stay in mutual support, but in the future I’ll go to the English class.  My favorite thing about coming here is that I can get away from the things I do on a daily basis, not only to meet people, but to be able to share my story with a group that understands and listens.

How did you learn about the Neighborhood Opportunity Network?  Share your story with us, too!

Neighbors teaching Neighbors!

Long Branch - Nob Hill: English Circle Group Picture.

August 30, 2010 was our fourth Nob Hill English mutual support circle this time with a record number of 16 neighbors from the Long Branch area.  Two hours of non stop mutual support and English teaching between neighbors. We had 3 groups with their own teachers supporting their neighbors on how to communicate at work in English.

Samuel teaching Jose.

After our traditional Impact Check – in we divided our neighbors in three groups, Andre a student from Montgomery College, Irene a neighbor from Nob Hill and Samuel a regular student at our English circles took over and started teaching their own neighbors English in a very special and supportive way.

Irene teaching their neighbors!

It was incredible to see how everyone supported their neighbors , Samuel opened his back pack a took out an English book and stared teaching Jose English, Irene made up a song with the days of the week and had all her group sing it WOW!

Next Monday is a holiday but the group is so motivated that when we mentioned that there would not be classes they all said lets do it any way, we felt so good to see them willing to learn and have their neighbors learn as well that we agreed to have classes on a holiday.

We invite you to experience our English mutual support circle and meet our neighbors in Nob Hill every Monday from 7:30 pm to 9:00 and some times a little bit later…

National Night Out 2010

Ruby and her family our raffle winners!

National Night Out was celebrated this past August 3, 2010. Impact Silver Spring was part of this great event for the community. Over 50 neighbors from The Chateau Apartments gathered for a pool party and enjoyed raffles and food sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW)

This group sat together chatting for the entire evening. By the end of the night, Joseph and Steven decided that they should start taking their evening walks together! WOW!

Lanita had a great one on one conversation near the pool-side table with this incredible multicultural group of residents.  There were Joseph and Elizabeth, a couple originally from Hungary who’ve lived at The Chateau for more than 28 years.  They shared a harrowing story of fleeing communist Hungary in 1972.

She also had a conversation with  Steven, an African American Maryland native who’s lived at The Chateau for about 10 years.  He grew up in St. Mary’s county and talked about the cultural differences that he’s seen between the rural and urban parts of the state.

Also at the table was Rose who has only lived at The Chateau for about 5 months and is originally from Liberia. Joseph, Elizabeth, Steven and Rose are all retirees and have been feeling the impact of the economic downturn.  Rose actually moved to The Chateau because she was forced to sell her condo.

Our neighbors and Police at National Night Out

We had a great time with our neighbors at The Chateau Apartments and once again when neighbors come together the huge impact community can make in there lives.

See you next year: National Night Out 2011