Stories & Resources
Stories
Community Building isn’t a field – but should it be?
Whenever there’s a conference of neighboring professionals there’s always the same moment. We go around the room and say what...
2024 End of Year Report
In 2024, we celebrated a number of milestones as an organization and we were able to support a growing movement of Community...
Emerging Leaders: Celebrating Chet in Columbus, Ohio
As shared with us by Chet: In 2017, I received a pledge card at a Columbus Foundation “Big Table” event. The prompt read: My...
Emerging Leaders: Celebrating Rolunda
Pictured Above: West of Washington Connectors in Holland, MIA few months back, Makya and Robin (Neighborhood Connectors in South...
Celebrating the Potential of Place: Godfrey Lee Listeners
When Jeffrey first moved to the Godfrey Lee neighborhood, he knew he wanted to get involved. He soon found Godfrey Lee Listeners...
Neighborhood Update: Montello Park
Montello Park is the newest neighborhood in the City of Holland, Michigan to design for social connection. 3Sixty (an...
Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association: Inaugural Winner of the CommunityWorks Seed Grant
Established in 1978, the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association (RPNA) has worked to make the Roosevelt Park neighborhood a...
A Bold Vision for a Better Future
For the past 16 years, Great Lakes Urban has seen communities in Michigan activated to own their story. From community gardens...
Holland-Zeeland Region: An Interview with Jake Norris
Jake Norris graduated from DePaul University with a degree in sociology, where he learned about Asset Based Community...
Godfrey Lee Neighborhood: Meet Doris Perez
Doris Perez was born and raised in the Dominican Republic, where her parents were both heavily involved in their community. They...
Eastcore Neighborhood: Dia De Los Muertos
CommunityWorks is proud to support the work of 3sixty in the Eastcore neighborhood of Holland, Michigan. At the height of a...
Pioneer Village Neighborhood: Meet Robin Klay
Community leader Robin Klay has lived in Pioneer Village for the past four years. Having worked and lived in places like West...
Westcore Neighborhood: Meet Paul Bowles
The work of cultivating connection and change in the Westcore neighborhood is spearheaded by Amy Mares. Amy directs the efforts...
Bates Neighborhood: Growing Friends & Food for Abundant Living
Bates Place Neighbors (BPN), based in Grand Rapids, MI, is passionate about neighborhood strengthening. In 2021, CommunityWorks...
West of Washington: Discovering Gifts with Maddie
Maddie Roberts was born and raised in Illinois and attended Taylor University in Indiana where she majored in Public Health....
Washington School Neighborhood: Schooling us in good neighboring
The work of cultivating connection and change in the Washington School neighborhood is spearheaded by Lisa Kasten. Lisa directs...
Resources
The Strong Neighborhood Scorecard
Strong, thriving neighborhoods provide the resources and relationships for every person to reach their full potential. They are...
The 5 Components of Strong Neighborhoods
A strong, thriving neighborhood provides the resources and relationships for every person to reach their full potential....
Neighboring Reflection Cards & Resolutions
Author Daniel Pink in his book "When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing" found that people are motivated to act and...
Neighborhood Project Planner
Want to complete a project in your neighborhood? Whether it's hosting a block party, a neighborhood clean-up, or getting to know...
The Good Neighbor Guide
A good neighbor is someone just like you. It's people who are looking for deeper connection and meaning, right where they are....
Congregations as Connectors
How can churches leverage what makes them unique for the good of the neighborhood? In this paper, Board Member Jay VanGroningen...
Webinars
Webinar: FORT-ify Neighborhood Accelerator
Learn from Réna Bradley, a Neighborhood Planner and activator for the City of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Réna manages the FORT-ify...
Webinar: The Parish Collective & Missio Dei Lincoln Square
Have you ever wondered if the churches and congregations in your neighborhood see themselves as a neighbor? Or if it is even the...
Webinar: The Holland Story
Our last Bright Spots in ABCD webinar of 2023 celebrated the transformative power of social connection across Holland, MI. From...
Webinar: Edmonton, Canada & the Community League System
Dr. Karen Wilk, an ABCD practitioner and thought leader for over 2 decades across North America, has been central to the...
Webinar: Fragile Neighborhoods with Seth D. Kaplan
Join a conversation with Seth D. Kaplan exploring why American society is in trouble, and how to fix it, starting with the...
Webinar: Civic Action and Grantmaking Fuel Inside-Out Change in Indianapolis, IN
Featuring DeAmon Harges, the renowned Roving Listener of Indianapolis. Also joining us was Guadalupe Pimentel Solano, Director...
Webinar: Neighborhood Lab Sparks Action in Kansas City, Missouri
Featuring Jennifer Prophete, Community Programming Director with The Hopeful Neighborhood Project, a collaborative network...
Webinar: When Citizen Action and Local Government Meet
Visit with Jim Diers, an internationally sought after ABCD speaker, facilitator, activator and author of Neighbor Power:...
Webinar: Animating Gifts and Action in Wichita, Kansas
On December 14 we visited with Adam Barlow-Thompson and the staff at The Neighboring Movement as they discuss their unique...
Webinar: ABCD in Mansfield, Ohio
In September we visited with Deanna West-Torrence and her staff at the North End Community Improvement Collaborative to learn...
Webinar: ABCD and Local Economic Development in Cincinnati, Ohio
On June 8 we visited with Rev. Damon Lynch, III, Gene Ellington, and Amber Twitty to learn how they used Asset Based Community...
Webinar: John McKnight and Cormac Russell
Two of the great luminaries of the global Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) movement -- John McKnight, Co-Founder of the...
Webinar: Growing Change in Grand Rapids, MI
Listen in to a moderated discussion with Wayne Squires, Director of Bates Place Neighbors, and two Community Connectors, Tecca...
Webinar: Learning to Listen in Godfrey Lee
Listen as Wyoming's Mayor, Jack Poll, our community connector in the Godfrey Lee neighborhood, Doris Perez, and Godfrey Lee...
Webinar: Community Safety and Connectors
Listen in as we chat with a sergeant from the City of Holland's police force, as well as local leaders Amy Mares and Jay Van...