"The William Julius Wilson Institute, founded by the Harlem Children's Zone, champions the belief that ZIP codes should not determine futures. Its work is evidence-based, long-term and unapologetically rooted in neighborhoods (place-based). As Christian Rhodes, chief national impact officer of Harlem Children's Zone, reminded us, this movement is "about people who refuse to accept poverty as destiny." Those words resonated deeply."
"Because in East San Jose's Mayfair neighborhood, we've been championing the same truth for over a decade. Through the Sí Se Puede Collective, organizations like SOMOS Mayfair, the School of Arts and Culture at the Mexican Heritage Plaza, Veggielution, Grail Family Services and Amigos de Guadalupe have built a model of resilience, collaboration and love that echoes the Harlem Children's Zone."
"Four women came together because they were tired of competing for resources that were never enough to meet the needs of our community. They worked through their differences to center the youth and families of Mayfair - and to demand more. During COVID-19, the collective mobilized faster than government systems could, protecting our community when it mattered most."
The William Julius Wilson Institute promotes the belief that ZIP codes should not determine futures through evidence-based, long-term, place-based work. Christian Rhodes described the movement as "about people who refuse to accept poverty as destiny." In East San Jose's Mayfair neighborhood, the Sí Se Puede Collective and partners like SOMOS Mayfair, the School of Arts and Culture at the Mexican Heritage Plaza, Veggielution, Grail Family Services and Amigos de Guadalupe built a resilient, collaborative model rooted in community love. Four women founded the collective to stop resource competition, center youth and families, and mobilize rapidly during COVID-19. The collective emphasizes systemic collaboration, building bridges between systems, and keeping focus to prevent children from falling through the cracks.
#place-based-community-development #collective-impact #poverty-alleviation #covid-19-community-response
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