Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Laura Suda on September 5, 2011 at 3:12pm

Hi Margy,

I thought we would have more responses to your request here and I'm sorry that I'm the first and that it's taken me this long to respond. I knew that I would not be able to commit to doing a lot because I already have a full-time job, a family, and meetings to attend - there are never enough hours in the day to get what I want done! However, Inglewood Drive had our 2nd annual block party and block sale in August - I took advantage to accumulate as many names, addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers as I could to add to my database of neighbors. With this list (currently at 77 neighbors - a couple are not on Inglewood, but requested they be added to the list and, unfortunately, many have not provided email addresses), I send out emails informing the neighbors of anything they might be interested in - burglaries and other crime alerts, notices of meetings, neighbor status', etc. It's been a lot of fun meeting the neighbors and they seem to appreciate the emails (no one has requested being removed from the list yet). As I am not the block president, I don't feel it is my place to initiate meetings or activities, but I know more neighbors (besides myself) would like more activity for the block. I guess my next move is to figure out how to get more activities, get more people involved (especially those without email), and help in putting it all together. I did get a request for information for starting a block club from a neighbor on Post Ave. - I sent him a lot of information including contacts, but I haven't heard from him since (I hope I didn't overwhelm him!) Your previous posting regarding Asset Based Community Development was very interesting - things I'd like to see done here in the 19th Ward. Have you had much response to that?

I hope we are not losing momentum from the Summer 2011 World Cafe - we need to keep the neighbors interested.