Community Development

Yesterday I came across an interesting concept ; "gentrification without displacement," and I don't think I have ever read anything presenting this as a possibility. The idea stayed on my mind so I wanted to take some time to write about this topic.

I used to live in Washington, DC which is now a very different place from when I first moved there in 2002.

To date, DC is one of the most unique places I have lived in and though I don't know who the thought leaders are in the area of creating a forward thinking approach to gentrification, I sure would be interested to know how the concept could be applied in the DC area.

I still have an affinity for the city of Washington ,DC and thus am always interested in the 'goings on' in the area.

At the link below, I noticed an advertisement for a report by the Center for Community Progress entitled,
"Taking it to the Bank, How Land Banks are strengthening America's Neighborhoods," and will post a link to the report below.

Although I don't know of the report addresses the matter of gentrification I think it is at least interesting reading for those interested in community development in general.

http://bit.ly/1pVV5k8

Take it to the Bank: How Land Banks Are Strengthening America's Neighborhoods - See more at: http://action.communityprogress.net/p/salsa/web/common/public/signup?signup_page_KEY=8120#sthash.KMMPP9cc.dpuf

Take it to the Bank: How Land Banks Are Strengthening America's Neighborhoods - See more at: http://action.communityprogress.net/p/salsa/web/common/public/signup?signup_page_KEY=8120#sthash.KMMPP9cc.dpuf

Take it to the Bank: How Land Banks Are Strengthening America's Neighborhoods - See more at: http://action.communityprogress.net/p/salsa/web/common/public/signup?signup_page_KEY=8120#sthash.KMMPP9cc.dpuf

Take it to the Bank: How Land Banks Are Strengthening America's Neighborhoods - See more at: http://action.communityprogress.net/p/salsa/web/common/public/signup?signup_page_KEY=8120#sthash.KMMPP9cc.dpuf

http://www.planetizen.com/node/71724

What I would really like to do with this post is foster discussion around the topic of inclusive community development. In this instance, inclusive is defined as including people from all income brackets.

The Center for Community Progress has a blog which you can view at the link below.

http://www.communityprogress.net/blog/

MACDC Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations

   I first learned about collaborative work spaces when I was living in Brooklyn. I vaguely remember that it was a writer's space so I did a quick google search and came to the Brooklyn Writers Space. I remember thinking about how that might be a good resource for entrepreneurs and would like to eventually create my version of a collaborative work space at some point.

   One of the United Way's partner organizations is the Boston based Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporation. Their website provides information about the Transformative Development Initiative (TDI): Co-Work, which includes grant funding for collaborative groups. 

  I found out about MACDC while attending an event back in April and had a chance to interview President Joe Kriesberg. 

   I like that MACDC's Theory of Change incorporates rural communities into it's focus. What feedback can you share regarding how the unique needs of rural communities are an important part of community development work?

   Community development in rural areas shares the same values and basic elements as community development in urban areas, but it manifest itself differently. Community engagement is harder when people are spread out, and it can be even harder to identify and engage low income people as they are more disperse.

   That said, most rural communities have a strong network of existing leaders that can be engaged and smart CDCs find creative ways to engage new leaders.

   Rural CDCs are more likely to focus on home repair and of course their housing projects are much smaller – something that can be challenging given the affordable housing system’s preference for scale.  Many rural CDCs are highly focused on economic development given the economic struggles that can be found in much of rural America.

   We see our rural members more focused on growing local businesses and supporting entrepreneurs.

   Another difference we find is that rural CDCs are often filling the void created by small local governments with little community development capacity. Rural groups often help their towns to raise and administer grants and help construct or even manage community facilities.

   With all these differences, however, the same three elements remain: community building, improving the built environment, and help people to transform their lives.

   A few years ago I attended a NYSERDA event (link copied below) and am interested to know; is there a comparable organization or state funded initiative that services Massachusetts?

    http://www.nyserda.ny.gov/

   I don't think we have an organization like this, but we do have strong energy programs at our state energy office and Mass Development plays some of the same roles with financing projects, I think.

   There is a youth movement called Power Shift that aims to function as a gathering place for the youth climate movement. I'm interested to know of any similar programs and/or initiatives that you may wish to draw attention to including MACDC's Green Community Development movement.

   CDCs are committed to environmental sustainability as documented in a report we released a couple of years ago. http://macdc.org/research

    MACDC’s big priorities right now are the Community Investment Tax Credit and the Mel King Institute. We may be launching an effort around community development and health later this year.

    How did the relationship with the LISC come about and what kinds of outcomes are MACDC and LISC looking to create through the classes offered at the Mel King Institute? 

      MACDC and LISC have been close partners for 20 years or more – long before I arrived so I’m not sure how it started.  The major outcomes we hope to achieve long term is (1) stronger, better trained CD staff; (2) younger more diverse workforce; (3) more and better partnerships among CDCs and between CDCs and other stakeholders; (4) better community level outcomes due to higher CDC production.

Music Features

I have met a few musicians recently and wanted to put up another post today to feature these artists.

Dispatch



http://www.dispatchmusic.com/home

Here is some of the information about Dispatch as featured on their website, "...when the guys decided to hit the road last summer on their first U.S. Tour in nearly a decade, they chose to focus on America’s education crisis. For too long, a child’s zip code has defined their educational destiny. Through DISPATCH’s multi-faceted and collaborative Amplifying Education campaign, band members and fans alike are discovering together how small actions can make a big difference in the lives of children across the country."
"Bang Bang"
http://bit.ly/1saHIvB


Valery Buskings



I met half of the Swiss duo Valery Buskings and visited their You Tube Page as well. Their ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) feature can  be viewed here http://ab.co/1oTUdYW.

Below you can visit their blog as well as view Valery Buskings performing live in Melbourne, Australia.

http://valerybuskings.blogspot.ch/

"Mit Der Live"
http://bit.ly/1zyRzxh

Soap Box Soaps

Soap Box Soaps

The movement towards using business as a source for social impact has gained a considerable amount of traction as a variety of companies have decidedly established a presence within the landscape of philanthropic initiatives.

Corporate resources combined with a foundation arm have the potential to steward various forms of support as appropriate. 

Over the years I have learned of several companies that have some level of community engagement. I was at my local grocery store and came

across a product from Soapbox Soaps. 

Through Soapbox Soaps, I learned of another opportunity for conscious consumerism. I purchased the,"Smooth and Repair Coconut Oil Body Wash."

The goal of Soap Box Soaps, "Is to empower customers to change the world through everyday, quality purchases."

I see great value in demonstrating that conscious consumerism can be applied in a way that the average person walking down the street can access. 

So exactly what impact was created here?

While visiting www.soapboxsoaps.com/hope, I entered the, "Hope Code," printed on the container and learned of the Sundara Fund.

soapboxsoaps.com

Sundarafund.org

My impression of the idea of conscious consumerism is that purchasing decisions complimented with grants and other forms of support can affect a meaningful social impact.

B Lab

What is a B Corp?

Earlier this year I had a conversation with B Lab Public Relations Director Katie Kerr. I was interested in the concept that a for profit company would have social good as a core value. Over 700 companies in the United States alone are Certified B Corporations.

 

"I think that my calling was really to social good in general, the way I was raised. In order for us to be truly prosperous we need to have all of our resources and all of our tools put to creating a better world. 

B Lab is a non profit organization "that serves a global movement of entrepreneurs using the power of business to solve social and environmental problems."

There are over 700 certified B Corporations in the US alone. How can you get a clearer picture of what is at the core of how these companies operate? B Lab offers B Analytics which provides a way to conduct research to guide consumer decisions on which companies to support.

In addition to functioning as a resource for consumers, B Lab provides a way for business owners to go forward in areas such as measuring impact, reporting to stakeholders, and creating an individualized approach to improvement to name a few.

http://bit.ly/1qqcRul

"Today, there is a growing community of more than 950 Certified B Corps from 32 countries and 60 industries working together toward 1 unifying goal: to redefine success in business"

How do you begin to unpack the idea of redefining success in business into several manageable areas of focus in order to reach that goal? "I think that the idea of having a larger goal with many pieces is

ultimately what makes this a successful idea. We take a systemic approach. When you take our B Impact Statement, which measures overall environmental impact, it's broken down into several areas."

"By answering the questions in the B Impact Statement, business owners have a chance to asses where they need to improve. This resources is free online and completely confidential. The score is broken down by impact areas. You can identify how you can improve."

What message does B Corporation want to send to entrepreneurs and consumers? " I think the message that we need to send is B the Change. Ultimately, we want to celebrate and reward people who are using business for social good. That includes individuals within businesses as well as consumers."

There are a variety of ways that one can B the Change:

*"Creating a business that brings jobs to millions that were formerly unemployable."

*"Conducting research (on the companies to which you are considering lending your support)

*Supporting B Corporations via social media or other forms of mass media 

*Tell a friend or family member about a B Corporation

"Best for the World honors the best of the best and it is a great way to get inspired and see who's on top and really leading the way. These are the people who are going above and beyond and really succeeding, 30% of them are outside the United States. Some of the people on the list are in developing countries."

http://bit.ly/1okVLs3

Music Feature

A while ago I had the idea to start a tag on The Fifty Co-Op called The Kitchen so that I could post recipes. While I don't have a recipe to post at this time, I can share some of the new products that I have tried recently.

So Delicious Dairy free makes a coconut based yogurt which I really enjoy. This same company also makes coconut milk.

http://bit.ly/1nsTjPw

So Delicious has a section on their website related to Sustainability which I want to mention here for those who are interested in the idea of for profit companies incorporating social action into their business structure.

Writing about food I'm remembering the simple pleasure of playing music while cleaning or doing other things around the house.

I just heard the song Ghost by Halsey. Listening to it on sound cloud, I can definitely imagine this song being performed live with a full orchestra.

 http://bit.ly/1yy36g3

AKS

Kimberly H. Smith

The blogging community The SITS Girls, has introduced me to a diverse group of bloggers including New Orleans based Kimberly H. Smith whom I interviewed earlier this month about her writing debut Acting on Her Behalf. After a period of about 16 years, she took the courageous step of leaving the work world to concentrate on writing.    

 

Mrs. Smith got an early start by writing a short story with elements of suspense as well as a cliffhanger in grade school.She has also incorporated suspense into her current work.

 

"The heroine Colby Crenshaw is arrested for murder on live television and she fights for her voice to be heard. She is also struggling with understanding things that come to pass with her friend being murdered."

 

"The main themes in the book are murder, betrayal, love, and tenacity and those come in different forms throughout the entire book."

 

 Read more about Kimberly on her blog http://beingawordsmith.com/ which is a play on her love of writing as well as her last name. Acting on Her Behalf is available on Amazon.com in Kindle format as well as paperback.

Kimberly H. Smith is currently at work on another book featuring some of the characters from Acting on Her Behalf. Here's hoping that we see Kimberly playing the lead role in the film version of Acting on Her Behalf in the very near future.

 

"My message would be that you can do anything you put your mind to no matter how old you are and no matter what life throws at you."

 

Website/Blog             http://beingawordsmith.com/

Twitter                       https://twitter.com/beingawordsmith

Facebook                   https://www.facebook.com/BeingAWordsmith

Facebook Fan Page   http://facebook.com/ActingOnHerBehalf