GCDD's Real Communities Promoting Community Connections from MAD Winter'13
The following is the Real Communities Initiative article from the Winter 2013 Making a Difference magazine.
Gwinnett Gives TimeBank Throws a Launch Party
The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities'(GCDD) Real Communities project, the Gwinnett Gives TimeBank hosted a launch party on November 3, 2012 to introduce their project in the community. TimeBanking is an international movement that promotes equality and builds caring community economies through the inclusive and reciprocal exchange of time and talent.
Detrice Jupiter, the Gwinnett Gives Real Communities Community Builder, said the turnout was promising with around 25 - 30 people in the community attending the launch party.
"I was pleased with the participation among our community members," added Jupiter. "But of course we always want to keep expanding and get more people involved."
Those community members who attended had the unique opportunity to learn more about the project, as well as interact and meet other members of their community. Kids and teens got to know each other through fun craft activities such as making bracelets, while the adults played ice breaker games that allowed everyone to learn something new about their neighbor and the gifts and talents each can contribute to the overall community.
"My main goal is to see the project grow and be successful," shared Jupiter. "I want to do more than get people signed up. I want to get people actively involved and engaged in sharing their gifts and exchanging time, and our launch party was a great first step."
The City of Milton Better Together Graduates from the Real Communities Initiative
GCDD's Real Communities project, the City of Milton's Better Together, is graduating from the Real Communities Initiative and is ready to sustain itself with the assistance of the city and the residents of Milton. Since 2009, GCDD has been working with the City of Milton and Better Together as a part of Real Communities to ensure Milton is truly welcoming to all who live there and to provide opportunities for citizen engagement and involvement in the community.
As Milton Better Together becomes independent, they completed their video project, which shares how they actively engage in projects that bring together all types of community members, create avenues for inclusion and promote making a welcoming community for all. Eric Jacobson, GCDD executive director, values their past partnership and says this video is an excellent opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of Better Together and allows other communities to learn from their efforts. To view the City of Milton's Better Together video project, visit http://www.gcdd.org/news-a-media/videos/viewvideo/25/gcdd-better-together-in-milton-georgia-a-real-communities-initiative-project.html.
Creating Welcoming Communities Through Connections
Creating welcoming communities is all about staying connected, so what better way to promote community inclusion than collaboration between all of the Developmental Disabilities Councils?
In collaboration with the National Association of Councils for Developmental Disabilities (NACDD), GCDD hosted an opportunity in November for all of the Councils to join together and create a national partnership. The main goal was to discuss ways to promote welcoming communities to all through ideas from Asset-Based Community Development and GCDD's Real Communities Initiative.
Forty people representing 22 states and Developmental Disabilities Councils around the country attended the day-and-a-half meeting in Chicago to think about how to integrate these innovative initiatives into their state and learn from each other about new opportunities.
"This was a great first step toward building a national alliance between all of the Developmental Disabilities Councils," said Jacobson. "We can all benefit from staying connected and maintaining an open dialogue on creating positive changes for all communities."
John McKnight, co-founder of the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) Institute, presented an overview to the group on their initiative, which focuses on using local assets as the primary building blocks to support sustainable community development and people's gifts and interests. ABCD draws upon the supporting functions of local formal and informal associations in the community such as support groups, book clubs and church groups, to strengthen the community and connect all local residents together.
Rosita De LaRosa, a local resident in the community shared her own community-building project in the Logan's Square neighborhood of Chicago that fits into the principles of GCDD's Real Communities Initiative and ABCD. For more than 10 years, she has been dedicated to connecting people with disabilities to local associations and groups in their community so they can get out of their homes or facilities and actively engage with their neighbors.
Attendees also got to hear first-hand accounts on community-building methods from Bruce Anderson, director of Community Activators. Anderson has a project in Vashon Island, WA that started out focused solely on connecting people with disabilities to the community, but has evolved into a community-wide effort to make a more welcoming community for everyone.
As a facilitator, GCDD also shared on its Real Communities Initiative and debuted its video "Getting Real in Georgia," an overview explaining what each of GCDD's Real Communities projects are all about.
"I think people are interested in the Real Communities Initiative because there are such a wide range of projects than can allow people to be creative in promoting welcoming communities, while connecting them with their neighbors," said Jacobson.
Currently, there are seven or eight other Developmental Disabilities Councils that are ready and interested in moving forward with their own projects similar to the Real Communities Initiative and the ABCD principles. GCDD plans on continuing this open dialogue with its fellow Developmental Disabilities Councils and will help guide others in getting their own initiatives started. The best way to support more welcoming communities is to facilitate connections in the community for not only people with disabilities, but for everyone.
