Community in Action

On Saturday, February 10, over 90 people spent five hours talking about their vision for the Harambee Neighborhood.





Left, Alderman Michael McGee, Jr. addresses the crowd, and encourages the residents to get involved and work together.

Right, Facilitator J. Otis Smith from Philadelphia lays the groundrules for engagement. The poster behind him says: "Communication - Can we talk with each other about everything and not protect each other from the truth (as we know it)."








Left, Sharon Mays Ferguson asks how residents can know that the effort they put in to planning (again) will actually produce results.


Residents can make a difference. The seriousness with which investors, funders and policy makers treat this plan depends on each and every person who attended on February 10 to invite at least three more people they know to get involved.

At the end of the day, participants were invited to sign up for any of ten work groups, focused on Seniors, Housing, Youth and Recreation, Greening and Environment, Economic Development, and Workforce Development, to name a few. Watch the blog for updates on these groups. And if you know anyone else who can play a role in devising strategies, building connections, advocating for support, or just rolling up their sleeves and working, please get them in touch with Steve Adams, Neighborhood Development Specialist at Riverworks at 906-9650.