HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?
I have lived in the St. Roch neighborhood for a little over ten years.
HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?
I first started getting involved through my church, St. Roch Community Church. Our church is very involved in the life of our community. Eventually FSRIA started hosting their meetings at the church and that’s how I learned about and started serving with the neighborhood association.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?
The people!! St. Roch is a beautiful and unique community of the best people you’ll ever meet! It’s full of neighbors who look out for one another, truly care for one another, and also love to have fun!
WHAT SUCCESSES HAVE YOU HAD IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?
One of the successes of FSRIA is simply our monthly meeting where we have built a strong network of city departments and community organizations that show up every month to serve our community and share information and resources. It’s a place where questions can get answered and action can be implemented. I like to think it’s also a fun and welcoming place to be as we try to have local for dinner each month and try to sprinkle some fun activities in as well.
Each year we host a Back to School Jam event in August and Night Out Against Crime event in October. These events have been huge successes in bringing together and serving our community.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?
This year we are really focusing on growing FSRIA as an organization by building on many of the things we are already doing. We are implementing committees again as we empower leaders in the community to bolster their efforts with FSRIA’s support and opportunities for expanding projects and initiatives by adding more people to a formal and organized committee. The two committees we are focusing in on are the Green-space Committee and the Blight Committee.
ANY WORDS OF ADVICE FOR OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS AND CHANGE MAKERS?
Listen and collaborate. It’s important for us to really listen to one another and work together in such a way where everyone’s voice can be heard, respected, and valued. This is the recipe for beautiful and powerful change.
Seek out and reach out to those whose voices tend not to be heard as loudly. Especially the elderly within our communities.
There are so many wonderful people - old, young, and in between - in all of our communities who have great ideas, passions, talents, and gifts to offer in serving our neighborhoods. We must work together, lift one another up, and encourage one another as we care for our communities.