Since State of the Re:Union is all about topics featuring people and communities turning broken realities into new beginnings, we thought it befitting to highlight this storyline. If it has a familiarity to it, it might be that the talented producer, Mr. Zak Rosen, spent some time with us at SOTRU as a radio producer. Even though his physical presence is elsewhere, his character still permeates the creative air that we breathe.

Now working independently, Zak is producing Work in Progress, a story about a Detroit auto worker who found herself crippled after suffering severe nerve damage from a traumatic head injury she received while on the job. The 50-year-old Gloria Lowe had to re-learn everything, from how to speak, to how to brush her teeth. She literally had to start completely over with just learning how to exist in life and how to be in the world. Doctors informed her that she would never maintain a job again. However, as the human spirit often does, she defied their life sentence and got back to work after two and a half years of recovery. This woman of fortitude did not return back to the auto plant, but rather became one of the leaders of a new movement that is taking shape in Detroit, Michigan. Block by block, the city’s residents are taking back communities that have been written off for some time.

Lowe started an organization, We Want Green, Too,  that is dedicated to training Detroiters in how to reclaim their community. Now Through teaching people how to rebuild the homes that will create neighborhoods, Lowe believes that eventually this can revive her beloved city. She has firsthand knowledge of what it is to come back from a devastating blow. Now, without a whole lot of outside help she is at the she is at the leading edge of a movement that’s taking a stand for Detroit, a kind of DIY urban policy.

Source: KCRW

Work in Progress tells the story of how Gloria Lowe and a small army of dry-wallers, community gardeners, bakers, philosophers and other true-believers are working small miracles all over Detroit. This didactic narrative introduces us to some characters who follow Lowe’s lead in accepting the challenge in reinventing who they are. One such person is Edward Collins, a shift manager at Detroit’s On The Rise Bakery, which offers a culinary arts training program for Detroiters
reclaiming lives derailed by unemployment, crime and substance abuse. Another player on the stage is Grace Lee Boggs,  a 96-year-old philosopher and political activist who has taken a part in almost every major social justice movement over the past 70 years. She still lives and works in Detroit and takes no exception when it comes to participating in this movement. It keeps her young.

While this story has a unique beginning, its ending is starting to find its place in a trending world. SOTRU loves to hear the stories that make up a community of doers dedicated to making change happen through taking the first step of faith.  Everyone loves the stories that invoke the spirit of the Phoenix. We’d love to hear about yours. If you or someone you know have shared in a similar story or experience, we would love to learn about it.

You can watch or find out more about Rosen’s Work in Progress or the We Want Green, Too organization by clicking here.

President Obama will make the short drive from The White House to the halls of Congress on Thursday night to deliver his long-awaited “jobs speech.” What should we expect from him and other political leaders, and what will give people the confidence that we are headed in the right direction?

Last week was consumed by the childish tit-for-tat over when the president would even speak to a joint session of Congress, as if this was the salient issue at hand. After enduring some friction, it was decided that the “jobs speech” will be squeezed into a time slot just before the NFL kicks off its season later that night.

We now find ourselves mired in a great recession from which we cannot seem to shake loose. Just when a glimmer of good job news peeks through the dark economic clouds, we hear about yet another batch of lay-offs or plant closings. Recently, I saw a number of news reports on job fairs, and one in LA, in particular, has stuck in my mind, where thousands of people had lined up to give their 30-second pitch to prospective employers. It was as if they were pitching a movie to an LA film producer, where, in a matter seconds, they must make their own personal story so compelling that someone, anyone, will give them a shot.

In watching various Labor Day festivities over the long weekend, I often wondered about what those individuals in LA and elsewhere, who are without jobs or adequate pay, were thinking. To me, the speeches and rallies and cable TV shows, among other activities, merely amplified tired and worn-out political rhetoric and treated people as mere pawns in a game.

Of course, there is no silver bullet – no single policy prescription, no grand plan – that will enable the country to right itself. And I don’t think most Americans are waiting for such a magic plan; more than anyone, they recognize just how difficult these times are, that moving ahead will not be easy, and that all the game-playing is only delaying the inevitable hard work that must be done.

So, our leaders need to do a number of critical things moving ahead, all of which must take the form of a narrative – we desperately need a coherent story about ourselves. Such a narrative must capture and reflect people’s sense of reality – where we are, how we got here, and how we feel. Specific policy proposals must speak to this context and help people see why and how the proposals will help us move ahead.  And, please, during this process, spare us the false promises and inflating of expectations.

Importantly, I also believe we must find ways for the American people to step forward and become co-creators of this narrative. I’ll have more to say about this in the coming weeks. But for now, simply look at the clean-up efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, in places like Vermont and New Jersey, which show the capacity and resolve of Americans. These and other situations should be harnessed to make room for people to come together and restore their faith in our ability to get things done. Whether it’s cleaning up schools, weather-stripping homes, job training, or taking action in the aftermath of a natural disaster, there are things we can and should do. Then as we move ahead, we can begin to give shape to our new narrative.

My hope is that the president and our appointed leaders only step forward to offer their views if they are ready and willing to speak to people’s real concerns and their aspirations, and to help us create a new story about ourselves.

Otherwise, maybe they should stay home and get ready for the football game.

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A dynamic public speaker, Rich Harwood is a frequent keynote for foundations and national organizations. He is an expert contributor on national and syndicated media outlets including MSNBC, NPR, The Christian Science Monitor, CNN’s Inside Politics, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Special Report with Brit Hume, C-SPAN, and many others. He is also the author of Hope Unraveled: The people\’92s retreat and our way back (2005), Make Hope Real: How we can accelerate change for the public good (2008) and numerous studies, articles and essays chronicling vital issues of our time. His most recent written work, Why We\’92re Here: The Powerful Impact of Public Broadcasters When They Turn Outward, is being published and distributed in Spring 2011. You can follow him on twitter @RichHarwood and facebook.com/richharwood.

You can read Rich’s posts every Tuesday on State of the Re:Union’s website.

Labor Day has been a long-time tradition since it was first celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882. For more than 100 years, people throughout our nation have been recognizing this day that was proposed by the Central Labor Union to honor the social and economic contributions from men and women workers. This is a “working persons” holiday. A time set aside to honor the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into forging a majority of America. Labor Day permanently moved to the first Monday in September in 1884, where it has remained.

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The first state to implement a lawful day of recognition for Labor Day was Oregon. By the next year’s celebration, 24 more states followed suit. Now, our entire nation observes this day. This is evidenced by the shutdown of all government buildings, streets in parade routes, and a general celebratory energy thickening the air. To further esteem the importance of our unsung American heroes, the air seems to beget a general air of family, camaraderie, and light-heartedness. Parks, river fronts and beach sides are loaded with people who expect to engage in out-of-the-norm activities designed to embody the spirit of community that is a unifying undercurrent for the average, hardworking person.

Here are some ways in which folks around the country are celebrating:

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: The weekend is full of celebratory hustle and bustle remembering and recognizing laborers. The Kipona Festival is one of the oldest waterfront festivals in the United States and features the largest fireworks display in Pennsylvania over Labor Day weekend.

Harrisburg’s Riverfront Park hosts throngs of people at the annual Kipona Festival. This event boasts the largest fireworks display in Pennsylvania, along with children’s theaters, educational activities, sporting events, concerts, boat races, arts and crafts, and many other family-friendly activities.

In Portland, Oregon, the fine folks at Roscoe’s honor the hard working with a beer event. This “mini-IPA summit” offers a tasting of Pliny the Elder IPA, in addition to four other favored Oregonian brews. Other establishments around town will also be offering a smattering of tantalizing tastes for the Labor Day beer event that honor hardworking adult with insta-gratification for the taste buds.

In Colorado, the Celebration Metaphysical Fair brings the holistic community together and offers others a chance to engage in more celestial and holistic methods of relaxation at the end of a back-breaking week. A little fantasy (think fairies and things of that nature) will also be there to offer a brief reprieve from the daily grind.

For those who are more inclined to stay grounded in search for fun, there is the Fiesta Fair in Denver, Colorado. This event pays homage to Hispanic culture and its contributions to families and the community, as denoted by the theme Celebracion de la Familia. The traditional Mariachi mass marks the beginning of the Labor Day fun and follows with a convivial parade touting some award-winning floats and beautiful people. Included in the list of things to do is watching the crowning of the Fiesta Queen, partake in the Celebracion de las Charros, and be entertained by some great Mexican music, costumes and festivities.

Labor Day recognizes the hard work of everyday people. Because America is such an incredible melting pot, the tradition and festivities reflect what makes our community, well, a community. There are a myriad of traditions making up this wonderfully crazy country, but that is essentially what makes it work – our differences. Together over many years, these varied cultures and backgrounds have translated into one thing, freedom remaining a luxurious priority in America. Labor Day is a reminder of how and why we live, and it is the community of “US.”

For this week’s School Spotlight, we at State of the Re:Union are saluting an organizational initiative being implemented into public education. The Citizen Schools is a network that began providing programs dedicated to assisting public middle school students in the Massachusetts area, but has since expanded its initiative’s reach.

Erik Schwarz created this organization after realizing that American students spend 80 percent of their waking hours outside school walls and yet only two percent of public funding supports out-of-school programs. Citizen Schools was founded to transform after-school programs from an afterthought into a powerful element of authentic, large-scale education reform. The organization’s program for low-income middle school students includes hands-on learning, discovery, teamwork and fun — in school buildings, led by professional educators and staffed by volunteer Citizen Teachers. Citizen Schools is a recipient of the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, recognizing “the most innovative and sustainable approaches to resolving the world’s most urgent social issues.”

When searching for more on this program, visiting the programs site provides and excellent description of what the call to action is: Citizen Schools was founded “to transform after-school programs from an afterthought into a powerful element of authentic, large-scale education reform. The organization’s program for low-income middle school students includes hands-on learning, discovery, teamwork and fun — in school buildings, led by professional educators and staffed by volunteer Citizen Teachers.”

This apprenticeship program gives children a chance to partake in hands-on projects that show students the relevance of school in everyday lives. They learn the math in used in cooking, the discipline it takes to rehearse a dance routine, and the science involved in recycling.

Through the support of program sponsors, Citizen Teachers instruct 10-week apprenticeships. During this time, students work side-by-side with these experts and explore new professions, gain new and innovative skills, and create something for their community. When this 10-week period is up, the students participate in a “WOW!” event (an event aptly named after the verbal reactions from all who witness the incredible job performed by students). During the “WOW!” event, students are given the opportunity to turn the tables and put their apprenticeship into practice through teaching adults on the subjects they have learned.

The Citizen Teachers are going a step further in their apprenticeship efforts and are continuing to volunteer into the school year. These volunteers want to help create classroom learning that can actually be applied to real life scenarios. As an example, some attorneys from a local firm will teach a course on the business side of sports called “Buying the Celtics.” Another topic will teach students about developing online marketing campaigns for a real corporation, and yet another course will allow students to learn JavaScript programming with Google engineers. Needless to say, doing this will help reinforce relevance in the school day, bolster new interests, and strengthen motivation for students.

This fledgling program has already gained notoriety in communities it serves, evidenced by a laundry list of accomplishments. The following bullet points addresses some of the achievements found on the Website. This information reflects successful effectuation of the program by 2010′s end:

• Citizen Schools’ network has grown from a one pilot site serving 63 students to a seven-state network with 37 sites serving 4,500 students.
• In 2009, external evaluation results conducted by Policy Studies Associates demonstrate that Citizen Schools is effective in engaging at-risk middle-school students and building a bridge to high school. For the cohort of Citizen Schools students whose graduation status is available, 75% graduated from high school in 4 years, compared to 58% for the district overall.
• In 2009, Citizen Schools played a large role in encouraging Congress to pass the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act. In addition, Citizen Schools worked closely with the office of the late Senator Kennedy on legislation introduced this past summer to expand the learning day and involve community partners in that effort.

The Citizen School network is creating a vested interest in the communities who are fortunate enough to have this program. Through getting professionals involved with students, a symbiotic relationship is formed. When community leaders and members volunteer to teach their skills, they receive a bird’s eye view of exactly what our youth are experiencing in education and supplementing areas that are vitally important to the success of these students. The children are able to conceptualize and truly understand (something that is not really done until most people are in their late teens) why continuing education is important.

There are so many efforts and initiatives across the country that are striving to achieve these results. While this prototype might not be ideal for all students, it certainly proves that there are solutions out there. We just need to keep trying until we find what works. Everyday, people are becoming more involved in finding what works for their community. Would this work for yours? If so, is there anything that might need to be amended in the program’s setup? Do you know what, if any, initiatives are being implemented in your area schools to assist students and teachers? There is no one-size-fits-all solution, but it gives me a sense of hope to know that this important issue is making its way to the forefront of some great minds in America. Does this include you?

Tupelo, Mississippi, is famous for two things: (Well, one thing, really, Elvis): It is the birthplace of Elvis, and the site of his historic Homecoming Concert of 1956, when a generation of delirious youthful fans celebrated his return from military service in Germany.

It’s a bit ironic, given Tupelo’s place in the pantheon of hip-swiveling youth culture, that the community is now being recognized for pioneering in a new direction, as a leader in the quest to find better assisted living arrangements for the elderly.

Too many older Americans get socked away in impersonal, institutional settings where the care is indifferent or worse (not to mention the food), and life becomes a tedious routine. But in 2003, after searching for five years to find the best ideas for assisted living, Tupelo’s Methodist Senior Services program embraced Green House® homes model, which calls for the small, staffed homes of about 10 persons with private rooms and baths, a “great room,” where people gather and open kitchen where meals are prepared form scratch.

The small house concept eschews the rigid schedules and routines of traditional nursing homes. The residents wake-up when they want to and eat when they want to. The staff works closely with the residents to develop closeness and sense of community.

The concept, developed by Dr. William H. Thomas, employs a radically different approach to staffing—self-directed teams of workers known as “Shahbazim” who prepare the meals, lead activities and do housekeeping in small homes designed to give the elders who live there a sense of community and participation.

An article published in the Journal of American Geriatrics by a University of Minnesota researcher found that that in almost every aspect of care, the Green House® homes did better than traditional nursing homes.

The board of directors of Methodist Senior Services was in the process of raising $3 million to build the new nursing care facility when they heard about the Green House ® idea. To their credit, they had the flexibility to stop the project in its design stage and work with Thomas and a group of architects to build the first of these homes in the U.S.

A recent article in Long-Term Living magazine named Green House® homes one of 10 important senior living design innovations of the last decade. “It’s still a young model, and needs more years of experience to demonstrate continued success, writes the author, Margaret P. Calkins. “A testimony to its radicalism is that a lot of professional caregivers and nursing home administrators still don’t believe it can be done. And yet it is. Ask those who live or are employed in a Green House and they will tell you, in no uncertain terms, that it works.”

Being the first community to embrace the new concept, Tupelo has been visited by observers from across the U.S. and from several foreign countries. There are now about 18 organizations in 13 different states where senior are living in Green House® homes. Tupelo’s role in pioneering this apparently successful model was one of three community projects that helped them win a 2011 All-America City Award. See a video of their community presentation by linking here.

The other thing Tupelo is famous for besides Elvis, at least among civic wonks, is the city’s successful track record in the field of community and economic development. Vaughn Grisham tells the story of Tupelo’s progressive efforts to build the community and crate jobs in his book: Tupelo, the Evolution of a Community. Robert Putnam also makes note of Tupelo in his book on social capital, Bowling Alone. So, it’s not surprising that the city is doing something innovative with senior care.

And maybe it’s even fitting. After all, if Elvis were alive today, he’d be (what?) about 76 years old.

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Mike McGrath is senior editor and chief information officer for the National Civic League. A former newspaper reporter and magazine writer, he is editor of the quarterly National Civic Review, which will be beginning its centennial year of publishing this spring.

Mike’s posts will appear every Thursday on the State of the Re:Union website.

The role of community often takes on different meanings for  occupants of our vast nation. Where some might be abashed at having to start over, others find redemption in the opportunity for new beginnings. State of the Re:Union’s mission is to highlight communities who are able to create a beautiful mosaic with the broken pieces of a former existence. Who new that bees could be a part of that process?

The Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) is engaging in what could be the start of an American version of the “airport beekeeping movement” that has been on the rise in Germany since 1999. Keeping bees at the airport was originally intended as a way scientist could monitor the air quality more easily. It has, however, blossomed into a unique new system that highlights true community.

A few years back in Washington State,  the Sustainable Prisons Project was a collaboration between Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, and the Washington State Department of Corrections that was developed as a way to reduce the prison’s environmental impact on the community. The benefits were two-fold: the first is obvious, but the second advantage was the therapeutic effect it had on the prisoners. A similar project at O’Hare airport is giving formerly incarcerated adults a sweet new beginning.

This effort is turning the airport’s wasted space into a way for ex-cons to have a productive, sustainable and creative way of life. Sweet Beginnings is part of an economic development agency in Chicago offering felons an opportunity to partake in the art of beekeeping. Thanks to a new partnership between the Chicago Department of Aviation and a local community group, there are now about 1.5 million bees creating a constant buzz on the 2,400 square foot apiary provided by the airport. There are now 23 beehives on schedule to produce around 575 pounds of honey this year, but that isn’t all the buzz is about.

The program participants learn the processes that are involved with making honey, candles and lotions. These product are then sold by a local producer and carrier of the bee byproducts, known as Beeline. Airport shopkeepers are rallying to aid in the success of this program through their intentions of  stocking their shelves soon with these products.

There are many differences of opinion that have been voiced on initiatives such as this. One differing view brings up environmental concerns regarding the final product coming from a place in such close proximity to spent jet fuel. Whatever the controversial issues, one thing can not be denied: Bees are helping the community work toward solutions that help the environment and make people smile.

If there are more pros and cons, what are there and why does they matter? Is it enough that a fresh beginning is being given to people who need a little help? Is there another way to implement a similar program yielding comparable results? We’d love to know your thoughts and invite you to share them with us.

The nation is reeling from hurricanes, earthquakes, the Great Recession, two wars, and severe public sector budget cuts, among other challenges. A broken politics sits at the heart of our inability to move forward. But beneath that is something even more important and vital to our long-term health: people clinging to their sense of humanity and dignity.

I recognize that these words – “humanity and dignity” – may seem too lofty or abstract to gain much traction in today’s rough-and-tumble world. They don’t serve to score any political points, strike fear into anyone’s heart, or demonize anyone. And I realize that there are far easier topics for me to choose to write about today, including the natural and man-made disasters I referred to above.

But as I travel the country, people want to discuss something deeper, closer to their everyday lives, and more significant to their futures. Most fundamentally, I hear people talking about the need to restore a basic sense of trust in society. There are too many false promises amid the relatively few moments when people feel they are actually being squared with. People want to know they can rely on one another – their neighbors, leaders, and the organizations that purport to serve them.

Furthermore, I hear people trying to find a way to broaden their circles of compassion. They believe we have lost an ability to see and hear one another and thus the ability to care for one another. And yet, how can we expand our circles of compassion when so many of us are circling the wagons out of fear?

And I hear people saying that we must demonstrate that we still have the individual and collective ability to get things done. Here, people’s concerns are less about how big and grand the actions are than about restoring faith and confidence that we can, together, do something.

Of course, there are many pockets where good things are getting done; where effective programs are being implemented; and where people are working night and day to make a difference. For instance, just this weekend, I was struck by how well so many public officials responded to Hurricane Irene; to me, many of their actions were smart and brave and knew no partisan boundaries.

So, then, what is my concern today? It is that people are telling us something that we must hear: notions of trust, compassion, making good on promises and pledges, faith and confidence, and a sense of possibility, these are all basic human desires. They transcend who wins particular elections, the level of campaign contributions, or the amount of press a new proposal gets. The challenge is to make space for people to express these human desires; to create genuine ways for people to make them real in their lives.

So when you hear a politician give a speech, or another organization tries to ‘mobilize’ a community for action, or there’s some new civic engagement initiative, ask yourself: How does this effort reflect people’s yearning to reclaim a sense of humanity and dignity? And then ask: What am I doing in my daily life that enables someone to reclaim their sense of humanity and dignity? It is such basic, but important, tests I believe we must pass if the actions we take are to address the core of people’s concerns today.

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A dynamic public speaker, Rich Harwood is a frequent keynote for foundations and national organizations. He is an expert contributor on national and syndicated media outlets including MSNBC, NPR, The Christian Science Monitor, CNN’s Inside Politics, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Special Report with Brit Hume, C-SPAN, and many others. He is also the author of Hope Unraveled: The people\’92s retreat and our way back (2005), Make Hope Real: How we can accelerate change for the public good (2008) and numerous studies, articles and essays chronicling vital issues of our time. His most recent written work, Why We\’92re Here: The Powerful Impact of Public Broadcasters When They Turn Outward, is being published and distributed in Spring 2011. You can follow him on twitter @RichHarwood and facebook.com/richharwood.

You can read Rich’s posts every Tuesday on State of the Re:Union’s website.

The City of New Orleans has been long referred to as “The Big Easy,” but since Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city and its inhabitants, that “Easy” has been hard to come by. Fighting to regain normalcy, the city and its residents were forced to reconfigure some of the longstanding New Orleans traditions since the devastation left after Katrina. As part of our episode this storied city, we looked at one church’s unorthodox response to the city’s continual violence.

New Orleans and its residents continue to fall victim to unnecessary deaths, adding to the toll of a city’s depredation. Sadly, murder victims have been framed as statistics, especially in high crime cities. Father Bill Terry grew tired of the apathetic way in which these victims were regarded, so he decided to do something about it. He found a way to bring caring back into the equation by humanizing these victims through his New Orleans Murder Board.

For links to Father Terry’s church and additional stories of New Orleans from Al, visit our episode page.

Yes, Americans continue to lament over the current state of our economics and the trend of “trimming the fat” perpetuates the monetary diet that is leaving our schools and communities emaciated and hungry for a solution. SOTRU’s Abundant Community contributor, John McKnight, uncovers the resolve of one Chicago community in helping to eradicate this problem. In this SOTRU Monday edition, we learn how it takes a village to educate a child.

Mathematics | Black history | World history | Geography | Etiquette | Gardening|Cooking  | Painting | Parenting | How to have faith | Sheet metal work|Plumbing | Carpentry | Skating  Real estate/business | Reading comprehension | Sewing | Typing | Reading | Knitting | Computer technology | Real estate | Good neighboring | First aid | Self-esteem | Life styles for youth Marketing | Strategic planning | Physical fitness | Basic accounting | Reading a credit report | Banking | Diction | Grammar | English | Public speaking | Journalism for beginners

The work ahead is to revive our neighborhood capacity to be responsible to, and for, our young people. The initial steps are simple. Find out what your neighbors are willing to teach. See which of these topics the local young people would like to learn. And then, make the connection.

Together, these new connections are the beginning of creating a village that raises a child, and a community that really cares about its young people.

Is this a good solution to an ongoing problem? Do you think this is one way to supplement what your community schools are lacking? If so, what unique skill set/s do you have to offer that might benefit the children in your community? We at SOTRU want to hear from you. To find out more on this neighborhood initiative, email John at JLMABCD@aol.com.

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John McKnight is an expert on communities. An Ohio native who currently lives near Chicago, he has spent decades organizing communities and researching them, primarily in the Windy City itself. In the course of his career, he mobilized neighborhoods during the civil rights movement, wrote several books about community development, created a center for urban affairs at Northwestern University, and even taught the current President a thing or two about advocacy. (Yes, it’s true: way back when, a young and eager Barack Obama interned at McKnight’s training program for community organizers in southeast Chicago). If that’s not enough, he recently co-authored a book called “The Abundant Community: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods.”

State of the Re:Union will be featuring pieces from John McKnight and Peter Block of Abundant Community every other Monday.

In preparation for SOTRU’s new season beginning September 16th, we offer you a sneak peek of a featured city you can look forward to learning more about. This week’s School Spotlight will focus on on two New York City public schools in the Bronx, recently recognized by the NYC Department of Education and the NYC Service initiative during their first annual “Service in School” awards.

These public city schools have refused to tarry at the threshold of a predictable fate confined to mediocrity.  Students are stepping outside of comfort zones (yes, sometimes that “step” is more of a “push” from faculty who believe and dream bigger than expected by students.), taking  back control of their neighborhood with service to the community. They are being recognized for one of two service award categories:

• Excellence in Service, which acknowledges exceptional service programs demonstrating significant student engagement and initiative, community partnerships, and sustainability.
• Remarkable Growth in Service, which recognizes new school service programs that have significantly impacted its community during its first or second year in operation.

Excellence in Service Winners

P.S. 132 Garret A. Morgan completes a series of community-based service projects. Students are able to witness the direct impact of their community service efforts through projects like school beautification on Earth Day and a grassroots campaign to raise asthma awareness among parents. They also engage service partnerships with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Remarkable Growth in Service

Bronx Early College Academy for Teaching
and Learning

Two afterschool clubs at the Bronx Early College Academy for Teaching and Learning give students an opportunity to improve their community. The “Community Service Club” and “No Place For Hate: the Anti-bias Club” have generated partnerships with community organizations like City Harvest, the Anti-Defamation League, the LGBT Community Center, and an orphanage in Uganda.

The Mission for Service in Schools: Strive to expand the number of NYC students engaged in transformative community service and service-learning experiences that enable them to use their voice, skills, and critical thinking to affect positive change in their communities and the world.

These are just two of the schools in New York City participating in the Service in Schools program. There are many more students who are rising to the call and rallying for the betterment of their community through actions of service. To find out more about the program and additional schools awarded, click here.

Through the Service in Schools program,  they are taking control of their futures, for both children and community. Young men and women are learning firsthand how being a responsible and caring steward of their neighborhoods can influence lives. They are rising above and wiping away the less-than-stellar stigma associated with this borough. Small steps pave the way to hope, and these small steps will affect a change raising the bar that was set too low in past years. These Bronx youths are now being held to higher standards, creating an understanding of just how capable of they are achieving extraordinary goals.

A few years ago, downtown Belleville, Illinois, was notable for vacant storefronts and empty buildings, having fallen prey like many older commercial districts to tough economic times. Local leaders hit on an improbable prescription for revitalizing the DT—they started an art fair.

From its humble beginnings in 2002, the art fair quickly established itself as one of the best in the country. In 2004 it was named “Best Small Town Art Fair in America” and by 2006, it was ranked in the top 10 of all shows.

Last May about 90,000 visitors thronged downtown for the three day Art on the Square festival, which was named “Top Art Festival” in the country for the third time in four years. Event planners from as far away as Disney World and Sausalito, California, have been known to visit the all-volunteer effort to see how they mange to pull it off.

The success of the art fair seems to have turned Belleville into a city of festivals and annual events. On any given week, you might stumble upon a Downtown Diva Night, a Downtown Chili Cook-off, Downtown Classic Car Show, Oktoberfest, Law Day Run, Gingerbread Walk/Run, etc.

A “Paint the Town” event, sponsored by syndicated radio host Delilah and Big Shoes Productions, mobilized more than 1,000 volunteers from civic groups, churches schools and other organizations for a two day marathon in which 60 buildings were painted, using an estimated 14,000 gallons of paint donated by area businesses.

The city undertook a $7 million face lift known as the Downtown Streetscape Project to widen sidewalks, plant trees, put in new light polls, decorative banners and hanging plants, some new park benches, bike racks and new signs. Downtown business owners have taken to rehabbing their storefronts.

All of this has brought new nightlife to the downtown. Now, instead of empty streets and darkened buildings, downtown Belleville at night is a well lit public space where people come together to have dinner, shop or walk around.

Complementing the city’s downtown revitalization projects is a “Buy Belleville First” Campaign designed to increase local sales receipts and tax revenues. For the past three years, groups of volunteers have hand delivered letters to about 17,000 households, describing how the city’s budget works and how reliant it is on local sales tax.

Participating local merchants offer discounts and special offers to shoppers carrying a Buy Belleville First Card. The Belleville Main Street organization coordinates the program and prints up the cards. The city touts the program to residents and visitors alike.

The campaign captured the attention of CNN, which did a holiday season shopping story about Belleville and its buy local program in 2009. That same year sales tax revenue in November and December were up by 45 percent over the year before, despite a worsening economy.

Other cities in the region have begun to copy the “buy local” campaign. Local residents now think twice about where they buy gas or a sack of groceries, and more often than not, they think Belleville. They also think about where some of the money goes, to the city to support services such as police and fire.

Belleville embodies a kind of collaborative community spirit you can find in towns and cities of all sizes throughout the country, despite the tough economic times and general feeling of distrust for institutions. It was named an All-America City in June, 2011. You can view a stream of their presentation to the AAC jury by linking here.

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Mike McGrath is senior editor and chief information officer for the National Civic League. A former newspaper reporter and magazine writer, he is editor of the quarterly National Civic Review, which will be beginning its centennial year of publishing this spring.

Mike’s posts will appear every Thursday on the State of the Re:Union website.

SOTRU and Ropeadope are teaming up to celebrate and support American communities – on your shirt.

Can a T-shirt be more than just a T-shirt? What if instead of just a  stylish illustration, it’s design symbolizes a place and the  stories, struggles and triumphs of the people that call that place  home? What if the shirt has a greater purpose than just being a  comfortable garment to wear?

State of the Re:Union (SOTRU) has teamed up with the purveyors of  cool at Ropeadope.com to aid community charities across the country.  Representing select cities from past SOTRU episodes, each of these  designs has been created by an artist local to that area, and  proceeds from each sale go directly to a specific charity in that  community. Featured cities include:

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Brooklyn, New York

These shirts were inspired by our Brooklyn episode, touting artwork from the local Brooklyn artist, Aerosyn-Lex, and the proceeds will benefit Urban Word NYC. These tees are the first of some quality choice threads that have the power to make friends and influence people, or at the very least inspire some interesting conversation.

Las Vegas, Nevada

For those of you out there who like to take a gamble on what they wear, then this tee is certainly worth your while. The SOTRU episode on Las Vegas, NV, exploring the unfamiliar and lackluster side of Sin City.  The local artist, Stephan Maman, created a SOTRU tee that will really get the dialogue going. The proceeds for these shirts will benefit the Shine a Light organization which provides living essentials (water, food, clothing, etc.) and services to those who live in the tunnels beneath Las Vegas.

Los Angeles, California

SOTRU’s Los Angeles episode spotlighting the city of the Angels in California, gave inspiration to the creator of these tees by L.A.’s  Jim Darling, with the proceeds helping the People Assisting the Homeless (PATH). This organization provides the tools that men and women need to help them become self-sufficient and successful at remaining off of the streets.

Austin, Texas

Another opportunity to add to your already profound wardrobe is the tee designed by local Austin, TX artist, Brandon Ortwein. This tee’s design represents some of the interesting characters that are discovered in SOTRU’s Austin episode These proceeds will directly benefit the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM).

Will wearing one of these T-shirts help you change the world? No,  that’s still up to you. But it will showcase your brilliant taste in  public media, look good and benefit programs dedicated to making their communities a better place.

Click here to place your order today.

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About Ropeadope
Ropeadope is a record label and coveted clothing brand that uses the tee shirt as a medium for knowledge and pride. Past collaborations with Blue Note Records, Okayplayer, The Love Movement and others have been well received amongst community tastemakers and fans. Ropeadope’s message has always been one of knowing your history and supporting community. Ropeadope is proud to bring their talents to this collaboration, supporting American communities.