Real Communities Continue to Expand
Real Communities Continue to Expand
The Global Growers Network has teamed up with the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) as a new Real Communities Initiative to encourage international refugees and people with and without disabilities to come together and unite as an inclusive, welcoming community. Located in the City of Clarkston,GA which is known for its diversity with refugees and immigrants from nearly 60 different countries across the world, the main goal of the new project will be to create two small gardens for all community members to get involved with and call their own.
The project will be led by Basmat Ahmed, who started as the community builder in late November 2011. As a native from Sudan and with a sibling with disabilities, this project is close to her heart.
“My goal is to combine international families and people with and without disabilities to make them feel like the gardens are a common base where they can feel comfortable, interact with each other and see they can make an impact on the entire community,” said Ahmed.
Although the project has not broken ground yet, there will be a community garden located in Forty Oaks Park, owned by the county, and one in the Southern Place apartment complex. There are already people from 10 different countries interested in participating, and each person or family involved will have a small portion of land to grow his or her own vegetables, flowers, herbs and more.
In order to get people in Clarkston active in the project, Ahmed has been making house visits to let them know they will be welcomed. She wants to make people feel that if they are from a different country or have a disability, they do not have to remain isolated in the community. The gardens are an opportunity to create independence, connect with others and change the mentality of stigmas as a whole in the community.
As the Real Communities Initiative continues to develop, GCDD will provide financial support, continued community growth through learning journeys and opportunities for Ahmed to collaborate and gain insight from other community builders and projects.
“It’s important to make everyone who feels they need a network in the community feel connected through the gardens,” added Ahmed.
First TimeBank is Launched in Metro Atlanta
One of the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities’ (GCDD) seven Real Communities, the Gwinnett Gives TimeBank, recently launched the first TimeBank in metro Atlanta. TimeBanks are an international movement that promote equality and build caring community economies through the inclusive and reciprocal exchange of time and talent. With over 300 TimeBanks across the US and world, this will be the first TimeBank in metro Atlanta and the second in the State of Georgia.
Detrice Gilbert, a parent of a child with disabilities and the community builder for Gwinnett Gives, advocated to develop a TimeBank project in this area as a way to create a network for an integrated and welcoming community. “The idea is about taking care of each other and giving back,” said Gilbert.
TimeBanks provide people typically marginalized in society such as those with disabilities, the elderly or stay-at-home moms, whose work is not usually valued from an economic standpoint, with the opportunity to contribute. The basis of the project is a time exchange of services. Regardless of the type of service provided, whether it is child care, handiwork, transportation, complimentary therapies or tech help, for every hour each member donates, they can receive the same amount of time for help with any service offered at the TimeBank.
The Gwinnett Gives TimeBank was officially launched in January 2012 and has been assisted by GCDD throughout the process. GCDD previously sponsored a learning journey opportunity for the group to visit a TimeBank in Madison, WI to help the group learn how to initiate their own TimeBank model in the community. Additionally, GCDD will also fund new software for the group, so they can track people’s hours automatically.
“We are just getting started, but my goal is to make people feel like this is our project,” shared Gilbert. “It is important everyone has a sense of responsibility and ownership in this project because it is about making the community better for all.”
