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"Barn Raising" In The City [Community Highlights] [Success Stories] [Press Release] [Future Plans] In America's rural past, people would gather together to help a farmer put up a barn. What was virtually impossible for one family to do on its own could be done in a day or a weekend when friends and neighbors pitched in. Now in its sixth year, Kalamazoo's Building Blocks program has shown that city residents are just as eager to work together when they see that their efforts improve the looks and livability of their neighborhoods. Citizens who have participated in the program have had the opportunity to demonstrate not only how much they care about their neighborhoods, but also their knowledge and skills. The Building Blocks program operates under the Kalamazoo Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. umbrella. It enables neighborhood associations to use student organizers drawn from a seminar taught at Kalamazoo College. Going door-to-door, the students help local residents plan and implement small-scale fix-up and beautification projects. Work days are set aside in mid-May each year to do the actual work. Block Grant dollars from the City of Kalamazoo and private grants are used to purchase necessary building materials. Although the work days in May produce the project's most visible outcomes, the program's ultimate goal is to bring people together - to support informal networks and link concerned residents. "Before the project," stated Tammy Barnes from the Edison neighborhood, "I didn't know my neighbors very well, and I was a little afraid. Now I realize they are people just like me." Another Edison resident told how Building Blocks helped her overcome a long-time, largely baseless feud with a neighbor. "I found we had so many common interests. Now I feel better about sending my children to play up the street. I know people will be looking out for them." Neighborhood associations draw strength in other ways from the program, often engaging local street-level leaders. Leslie Decker, long-time director of the Stuart Area Restoration Association, described the powerful impact of Building Blocks. "For the residents, the project's success is as much about friendships, block-level networking, and a sense of neighborhood security as it is about 'bricks and mortar.' Building Blocks provides strong glue to hold a neighborhood together." The Building Blocks program is showing us that "raising barns" is an activity that is just as vital for today's urban neighborhoods as it was for rural communities in the past. By working together, we can build on the strengths in our people, reviving our cities and our society. Contributed by:
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