Communities take reins in Good Neighborhoods program

“The Cody /Rouge neighborhood is the hidden jewel of the city of Detroit. We now look at ourselves as trailblazers for transformation.”   — Kenyetta Peoples

“Mass transit is coming to our neighborhood. The light rail system will bring jobs, businesses and homeowners.  I want everyone to remember that Northend Central Woodward is the heart of Detroit.” — Lamont Cole 

Something historic and hopeful is happening in six Detroit neighborhoods. The pride and promise is reflected in the words of Kenyetta Peoples and Lamont Cole, who serve as Skillman Foundation Good Neighborhoods liaisons in two of the six neighborhoods that have recently elected governing bodies responsible for developing comprehensive community plans that address the needs of children.    

On Feb. 23, in the basement of Mt. Olive Baptist Church, the newly elected board with deep roots in the Northend Central Woodward Neighborhood gathered for a meeting that Skillman Foundation President & CEO Carol Goss called “historic.”

It had been four years since Skillman had asked residents and stakeholders to come together to set a goal for themselves and their children. On this night, in a scene that was soon to play out with similar panels in the Brightmoor, Chadsey Condon, Cody/Rouge, Osborn and Southwest Detroit neighborhoods, was the handoff.

“In the beginning, we set the meeting and announced what we thought would be the next step.  We listened, and now, we’ve handed off the microphone and setting the agenda to the neighborhoods.  They’re taking the lead and we’re supporting them,” said Ed Egnatios, Skillman senior program officer.

With the transfer of leadership came a promise to count on. The Foundation would be there with side-by-side support through its 10-year Good Neighborhoods program. It will be grounded in realities in a time of economic turmoil for the city, state, and nation.   

“This is a marathon, not a sprint,” said Goss. 

The neighborhood has changed. In fact, the world has changed. Community development goals established in 2006 have been nullified by the foreclosure crisis, school closings, joblessness and severe budget cuts that impact everyone.

Instead of yielding to the chaos, neighborhoods adopting the Skillman 2016 goals will depend on sustained Foundation support in grant-making and change-making approaches on behalf of their young people, with assurances of educational opportunities and youth development experiences over the next six years.

By the end of 2016, educational opportunities would be defined as such: 

• 51% of school-age youth would have access to “high performing” or “almost there” schools in or near their neighborhood 
• 80% of households with school-age children receive information to choose the best school 
• 50% of neighborhood children ages birth to 5 receive high-quality early care and education experiences 
• A vehicle for assisting with college enrollment and financing post-secondary education

Specific goals in development of a system of supports and opportunities include:

• 3-5 high-quality hubs (a cluster of activities, including schools in safe child and family friendly spaces) that serve 60% of 11-18 year olds and their families 
• Youth employment preparation and employment opportunities that serve 40% of 14-18 year olds 
• Volunteer and college and career exposure opportunities that serve 14-18 year olds

Skillman grantmaking will support neighborhood initiatives on behalf of kids to further progress toward the 2016 goals, but communities will also be seeking funding for development projects that will revitalize the neighborhoods. Resources must be found to address housing, business development, public safety and other issues, as well.

“Every neighborhood said to us, ‘If we want to do something that is outside these goals that you set with us, will you help us?’  And we said to them … we will stand with you. We will advocate on your behalf. We’ll go out and find a partner and bring that partner to the table and work side by side with you,” said Egnatios. “Making the neighborhood better is the most important thing. For every dollar we spend, five dollars of other investment needs to be attracted into our neighborhoods.”

Dr. Patricia Butler, president of the Cody/Rouge Community Alliance, cites safety and transportation issues and the repurposing of vacant commercial buildings and schools as priorities. 

“We want to make sure that this community is vital and that the changes we make are sustainable,” said Butler.

Kirk Mayes, Skillman community liaison for the Brightmoor Alliance, is encouraged by progress that has been made in the relatively short period since the partnership with Skillman began. “There was a leadership structure in place eight or nine years before this governing body was formed,” said Mayes.

He considers this infrastructure of residents and stakeholders who have long been active in neighborhood improvements to be a key strength. With the city’s plans to downsize and educational reforms that will alter the landscape of neighborhood schools, Brightmoor will have its own plan with a mechanism for advocacy and change.

“Poverty and other difficult challenges can cause people to fragment, and, for residents and stakeholders to control their own destiny, it really helps that they learn how to work together,” said Egnatios.

The partnerships provide the crucial element of advocacy. As Chadsey Condon community liaison Adisa Chaney puts it, “We’re trying to raise all the boats and improve life for everyone in the community.”

The timing is right for cultivating the necessary sense of unity. Quincy Jones, liaison serving the Osborn Community Alliance, anticipates greater mechanisms for connecting the people in the neighborhood and keeping them informed about local health and education initiatives, along with other issues.

“The economy here made everyone even more conscious of the need to work together now,” said Jones.

Improved communication is the key, and steps are being taken to remove the obstacles.

“In my community, everything goes out in three languages – Spanish, Arabic and English – and being able to do that consistently has allowed us to be successful,” said Maria Salinas, liaison for the Southwest Detroit Neighborhoods Congress of Communities. The partnership provides resources for child care, food and transportation, which is essential in neighborhoods in which families tend to travel together to meetings. 

Dorlester (Dottie) Sharp, Board chair for Southwest Detroit Neighborhoods, believes the connections between the four communities allow for quick response to seize opportunities and address concerns.  

“What happens in one community is representative of what happens in another, and we’ll have even more resources because four communities are involved,” said Sharp.

With staffing, resources, connectivity and communication, the six Skillman neighborhoods will be equipped for each step of the marathon. At the finish line in 2016 is an assurance that every child will have access to educational opportunities and experiences that guide them to a better future.

— John O’Donnell is an Ann Arbor-based freelance writer