‘Connect the Dots’ to showcase the best of Duluth neighborhoods

in Organizing, Safety

[Ideas: bring nonprofits to neighborhoods; honor local heroes]

Area residents are invited to Marshall School on Saturday morning to learn about the services offered by more than 35 community organizations. The “Connect the Dots” event is also being held to highlight the richness of five Duluth neighborhoods — East Hillside, Central Hillside, Lincoln Park, West Duluth and Morgan Park.

LISC and the At Home in Duluth Collaborative will honor five neighborhood heroes:

  • Archie Davis, an East Hillside resident involved with a community patrol, after-school programs at the Grant Community Recreation Center, the African American Men’s Group, CHUM, the Life-House drop-in center for youth, HIV 101 Peer Education, the Parent Teacher Association, the Duluth Amateur Youth Basketball Association and the East Hillside Community Club.
  • Scott Yeazle, a Central Hillside resident involved in the Human Rights Commission, Neighborhood Housing Services, the Affordable Housing Coalition, the Hillsider Newspaper, the Twin Ports Action Coalition, the Central Hillside Food SHARE program and the Central Hillside Community Club.
  • Chester “Chet” Johnson, a Morgan Park resident active in the Morgan Park community picnic, the annual Breakfast with Santa, the Morgan Park Garden Club, the NHS Flower Fest, the United Protestant Church gardens and the Morgan Park School Service Learning Program.
  • Mark Howard, a Lincoln Park resident, known for keeping his neighborhood clean, fighting crime and assisting those less fortunate.
  • Karin Swor, a West Duluth resident, involved in scouting, soccer, community clubs, alumni associations, the Combined Duluth Honor Guard, the West Duluth Business & Civic Club, the West Duluth Women’s Club, the West Duluth American Legion and the Mayor’s Commission on Disabilities.

Read the full story: ‘Connect the Dots’ to showcase the best of Duluth neighborhoods | Duluth News Tribune | Duluth, Minnesota.

Organizing for Safety: Transforming Community Activism Into Community Change

in Organizing, Safety

Notes from Organizing for Safety: Transforming Community Activism Into Community Change, by George Loew

Lessons learned

  • Organizing is more effective when it is done in support of a particular goal rather than only in opposition to an existing condition. While anger and frustration motivate temporary involvement, the coalition which forms around specific objectives is more likely to maintain enthusiasm and realize its stated goals. Police officers are problem oriented, and their presence can help keep a partnership focused on real change.
  • Action is important. Including a wide range of collaborators in the problem solving process is critical to identifying a mutually advantageous solution and generating necessary political support, but eventually, the organizer must have the confidence to communicate a vision and lead the partnership towards its objectives. The organizer cannot allow details and uncertainty to prevent forward progress. Police officers, with their action-oriented instincts, seem particularly well-suited to meet this condition.
  • An organizing effort that employs both incentives (carrot) and potential punishment (stick) in its outreach strategy is likely to encourage greater participation.
  • Local change does not occur in a vacuum. Neighborhoods compete for and rely on city, state, and national resources. Developing linkages to and an understanding of trends at these other tiers can help communities expedite the revitalization process by providing direction and capitalizing on broader momentum. The central participation of law enforcement in developing community-based responses offers an effective means to establishing those linkages and gaining that broader perspective.
  • Research helps. Whether compiling crime statistics,investigating ownership status of problem properties, or researching relevant statutes, gathering accurate and thorough data and background information helps identify the real or underlying community problems. It also adds credibility to a grassroots effort in the eyes of those controlling resource allocation. Organizers can use their findings to complement anecdotal evidence in developing a strategic response.