Gentrification with Justice

Some ideas and things happening around the country to help people in the housing crisis. This is a topic that warrants discussion in our community– especially as we develop a downtown master plan and more developments like CCC’s in North Park.

From the Christian Community Development Association’s April eRestorer newsletter:

http://www.ccda.org/erestorer-april-2009-train-p1

Breaking Ground

Today was a big day. For me, it started at 5 am. But the big stuff happened at 11. And then for a few hours after that.

It was such a blessing to have so many supporters for the North Park Development Project Groundbreaking. We had quite a crowd– somewhat unexpected. It is an exciting project. I was tasked with making introductions of dignitaries and partners “exciting” which I tried to accomplish into weaving everyone into a story. I think it worked pretty well.

The stories I liked best today were from our neighbors at lunch, though. We asked them to come with stories and pictures from when they were younger and attended the elementary school that used to be on the property where CCC is building. They shared about being the school queen (and the tornado alert that interrupted the ceremony), about the nice, good teachers, and the fun things they did. And they shared stories about why and how the Friendship House has made a difference to them. Wow. It was a blessing to be there to be reminded about why we do what we do each day.

Getting Over It?

A few weeks ago I posted about folks not “getting it”. Though I wouldn’t necessarily call these folks “irrational” for it, today’s post by Jeff Brooks (a nonprofit marketing blogger) still seemed to speak to this same issue. He quotes a mutual blogger we both read, Seth Godin.

Read Jeff’s post here.

They will never “get it” like you. Get over it. Get on with life, and [give them what they need.]

Administration Muck

I’ve been working on administrative tasks on overdrive lately. Seems like for months. Now that I think about it, it seems like I’ve already posted about this. Hmm…

I had great plans to get it done by the end of 2008. Now I’m hoping to get it done…well just get it done.

My goal is to keep it simple and easy. Recently, a successful businessman in a learning community I’m in said he had a couple of rules: “Don’t lie. Don’t steal. That’s all you really need. Everything else will work out.” As his company grew– he now has hundreds of employees– he had someone come in to do the official HR manual with all the leave request mumbo jumbo for him. I like this plan.

I wish I could afford to have someone come in to do the mumbo jumbo part for me. But I research and borrow, adapt and type to create comprehensive policies while maintaining flexibility while ensuring our risk is covered.

This is why they encourage folks to do good…without making it into a organization, business or institution. Too many distractions here. Perhaps I’ll get to poke my head out soon!

Getting It.

A friend (and co-worker) and I have an ongoing conversation about how difficult it is to communicate what Connecting Caring Communities does and is. You won’t know from reading this blog. Maybe not from hearing one of our presentations or reading our fantastic website.

CCC exists to build meaningful relationships that foster safe, caring, whole communities. We are about what our name says: connecting, caring and our communities/neighborhoods/city. I just presented it with some stories to a group of about 15 wonderful ladies. But, like many, I don’t know if they get IT.

I came back to my office to an email from this friend (who is also talking with folks today). Her aha’s this morning:

We don’t get IT because we’ve already got it. (resources/connections)
We don’t get IT because we can’t see IT.  (Beyond words…must be experienced from the inside out = stories)

We don’t get IT because it is so simple.

We don’t get IT because it is so huge–and WILL change the world. (The Kingdom of Heaven)

We don’t get IT, just like the people in Jesus’ day didn’t get IT. IT is too good to be true!

We will only get IT when we WAKE UP…and WAKING UP is a process. When it happens, you can never not get IT again.

We’re all still waking up. Let’s rise and shine!

Ten Till 8

There’s a clock in my bathroom. It was put there for the same reason we put clocks anywhere. To tell us what time it is. Rather, to tell us how little time we have left to do what we’re doing.

Several months ago (a year ago?), the battery died in that bathroom clock. It has read 7:51:44 ever since. Ten till 8. That’s a good time.

Ten till 8 means that in the morning as I’m getting ready after having had breakfast, overseen kids doing chores, and making the bed that it’s still early.

Ten till 8 after dinner means that it’s bedtime for the kiddos!

Ten till 8 after they are actually in bed and the dishes are washed means that the night is still young with the house cleaned up and the kids in bed! Plenty of time to relax or get something accomplished.

Of course, ten til 8 only lasts for a brief moment. I still look at the clock each morning and evening. I still don’t remember it’s stopped until about 5 seconds after I see ten til 8. Then I relax for a moment remembering how early it is…until I walk out.

“Hello” Experiment

Not too long ago Readers Digest had an article about saying “Hello” to everyone you come across– even waving as you pass in the car. The author tried this for a month and shared some ideas and results from his experiment. It broke stereotypes of who he assumed would say “hello” back and who would have a conversation.

This week I tried this at Wal-mart. Not my favorite place to be, but I was there to get a free rental from the Redbox and some milk for breakfast. I decided to say hi to everyone. If someone responded, I’d tell them the code for a free movie rental from the redbox.

Two pairs said hello back. One pair were friends. I was surprised at how many weird looks and total ignoring happened. Where is our friendliness– I even had a baby with me! Some of the folks who ignored me I later saw in the line at the Redbox…they still ignored me there.

I was more suprised than that author at how many folks wouldn’t respond. But I was pleased in how much more fun I had at Wal-mart than usual.

The letter from Millard

It wasnt’ what I expected. Inside an envelope from the Fuller Center for Housing was a DVD, a brochure, probably a newsletter. But also a letter. A personalized letter from Millard.

I was taken aback. Some of it was pretty much a form letter. “As you can see, Brad, I’m enclosing several items which tell you more about the Fuller Center…” Other parts were personalized about where and how we interacted in his recent trip to Abilene: “Finally, of course, that was a special treat for you to pick me up on Thursday morning and drive me to the airport.”

Then there was the rest. The real personalized part. “I deeply appreciate that final bit of time with you….you are doing an outstanding job…May God continue to bless you and…” And talking about our mutual friend, Mack.

I’m a “words of affirmation” person. Telling me something nice goes a long way. This letter– from such an inspiring, global leader who had rocked my world a week earlier– took me by surprise.

Rather than put more of the text here to brag and say “Millard thought I was great, you should, too!” I’d like to briefly reflect on some things I learned about being a leader– particularly a leader of a social benefit organization–from this letter and my encounters with Millard those three days.

• He didn’t just send a form letter. If he didn’t remember, he (or someone) kept good notes on exactly who did what while he was in town. This went a long way.
• The letter didn’t just have my name scattered throughout it. It talked about me and made relevant comments from our discussions and what he had learned of me.
• We found mutual connections and talked of them. Millard even called that mutual friend the morning after our first event to talk to him about us meeting. And then shared encouragement from that friend and mentor.
• He remembered people’s names and faces. My friend Nancy didn’t talk to Millard at the “Sweet Evening” event we held, but she was there. But he recognized her the following day– in the midst of meeting hundreds of people– when she did talk to him at his fourth event of the day at ACU.
• He was himself and he was honest. If he saw or heard something he didn’t think was right, he pointed it out. He was kind, forthright, relaxed and personable. He shared personal details and happenings.
• He learned from others, too. Not only was he a master at the connections and the follow-up, he was learning from other masters.

Some of these things are simple. Some require some practice. All are worthwhile in the important business of leading, visioning, fundraising, and connecting. I learned much about passion and vision from Millard. And about affordable and decent housing and its challenges and virtues. About God’s call. And about leading and making sure people know they count.

Without Community…

In the January 2009 “Neighborhood Network,” the newsletter for Connecting Caring Communities, there is a picture of Millard and Linda Fuller at a work site in Shreveport (posted a few days ago on this blog).  Beneath it is this quote from Millard:

You can build houses, but if you don’t build community it will fall apart.

Millard noted several times in his visit to Abilene that when he started Habitat for Humanity they intentionally chose the word “habitat” and not “houses.” Houses implies simply a structure where someone might live. “Habitat,” however, implies that there is more to living that the physical structure. From the beginning, they knew that to change the world and change lives took more than building houses, it took building community.

That’s why Millard naturally fit with the community renewal vision at Connecting Caring Communities and Community Renewal International. That’s why dozens of families, many evacuees from Katrina, now have new homes in the Higher Ground project in Shreveport.

He knew– as we all do when we stop and think– that life is more than the stuff. He also said at our Sweet Evening event: “He who has the most stuff wins,’ that isn’t true. He who has the most friends wins.”

Relationships cannot be taken for granted. Too often they are. But without community, everything falls apart.

Cleanse the Baggage!

(A little deviation from my lessons learned from Millard)

I ran across this post from the ForImpact.org blog last night.

In short– February is our time to cleanse ourselves of the baggage holding us back from accomplishing our goals and mission. A time to rethink our models and paradigms and bad,dated thinking. Time to cleanse and move forward.

Seems relevant to some changes at my work…and in discussions this morning with other local nonprofit leaders.

I’m ready! Are you?