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Community is All Around Us When We Open Our Eyes and Hearts

I come from a small town and know firsthand that change is not always widely accepted or embraced. But in light of this pandemic, I’ve seen our community rally together and change has happened organically and fast.

A few weeks ago, my local church had planned its annual Irish Stew night. 24 hours before the event, we got notice that large gatherings were to be cancelled or suspended. This is a big social event for our church members and community, and cancelling it meant socializing would be lost. So, we got creative.

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Social Connection Needed in Battle Against Coronavirus

In the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak, public health officials are warning us to practice social distancing. That seems like good advice given the contagious nature of the disease, but it is also essential that we connect.

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90+ McCauley Residents Pull Off Investment Miracle

Community development is in its prime when a community identifies an aspiration, organizes a collaborative plan, and invests local talent, time, and money in the cause. Ideally, the community will own and control what it has created; community development practitioners know, however, that community ownership of a venture or initiative is a rarity.

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The Importance of Stories in Community Work

Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) is simple, usable and transferable to any community. The basis on an ABCD approach is that local assets are identified, and unconnected assets are connected by a local connector.

The ABCD approach is also simple because it focuses on 6 assets - individual resident capacities, local associations, neighbourhood institutions, physical assets, exchange between neighbours, and lastly, maybe even most importantly, stories.

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2 Key Elements for Building Community Safety & Well-Being Plans

Recently, on a webinar called Building Social Capital through Community Development, we asked the 160 participants what their ideal community looks and feels like. Here's what we heard; 

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Taking Risks

As you work at deepening community in your life and for those you care about, consider...Taking Risks

“Determination, energy and courage appear spontaneously when we care deeply about something. We take risks that are unimaginable in any other context.” - Meg Wheatley

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