Category Archives: Intentional Communities

Strategic work on economic development in Shawnee County pinpointed multiple issues, from a decreasing population to needed improvements in the communitys workforce, or talent pipeline.

City and county leaders track those and other factors as they set policies and goals for the community, said Matt Pivarnik, president and CEO of the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce and GO Topeka. Officials use more than 45 metrics to take Topekas pulse in wide-ranging arenas, from workforce to job creation to items that focus on quality of life.

I actually think metrics are the key to success, he said. Anybody can use activity to make it look like theyre busy or that theyre successful. I think metrics are something to aspire to. They will also be benchmarked against other communities and benchmarked against the economy.

The City of Topeka is working to create appropriate benchmarks for many of the numbers it tracks to keep an eye on how the city is faring, said Nickie Lee, Topekas director of finance and administrative services.

We dont have a formal benchmarking program right now, she said. Ive got a network of finance directors that around budget time, well say: Hey, were forecasting a growth of 2 percent. Where are you guys at?

Creating change through focusing on economic factors such as population growth can be a tough goal. Even in the Market Street report, the writers said population change is not a reliable indicator of a communitys success or future prospects. But fitting into the population growth category are like migration patterns, age dynamics and educational attainment. Each of those can be tracked and targeted with specific programs to effect change, Pivarnik said.

Under each pillar highlighted in the Market Street report are multiple metrics that move the needle on issues, he said, and its often those metrics that officials target as a way to make change. No matter what, theyre a way of taking responsibility and assessing progress.

Were looking to apply smart, specific, measurable, agreed-upon, realistic and timebound metrics, and I think it gives you as a reporter, our elected leaders, even our citizens, it gives them the ability to hold us and the community accountable for the plans that were implementing, he said.

Matt Pivarnik, president and CEO of the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce and GO Topeka.

Topeka interim City Manager Doug Gerber said metrics the city uses and tracks tie in to Momentum 2022.

I think you have to be intentional about everything you do, he said. Yes, youre intentional about attracting people, but you do that through other measures. Theres a big focus right now on quality of life, and what does that even mean. We can do things that impact quality of life, and thats one intentional way we can get toward population growth.

Metrics are tools that provide measures, goals and accountability; they have to be used as such, Pivarnik said.

Lets say we set a metric to create X number of jobs paying X dollars a year or higher. And then in 2019, we go into some deep, deep recession, Pivarnik said. Itll be important to look at that recession and look at that metric, and say: This was set in 2017 when we didnt anticipate a recession in 2019. So obviously, we need to do a mid-course correction and look at that. It gives you something to shoot for.

Quality of life and quality of place are consistent terms in Momentum conversations. Many of the economic measures and issues highlighted in the Market Street report can affect those elements, Pivarnik said.

Approaching concepts such as quality of life through the economic metrics that are part of city strategies, though, creates an interesting debate.

From a resource allocation standpoint, I think that is still a huge debate about how to put that concept into money, Lee said. Generally, its easy to say quality of place is great, we need to improve it. But when it comes down to it, are we as a city willing to spend more money on what you call quality of life issues than public safety, streets, kind of the basics of what cities have always provided? I think cities everywhere are having that philosophical debate is quality of life a basic city service?

The city of Topeka did add quality of life to the list of budget priorities, she said.

Theyve made that first step to say when we talk about what the city wants to do, were going to include it on the list, which goes a long way, Lee said. But have you put that to dollars?

The challenge is translating what (the numbers) show us and what the gap is into some sort of concrete action, said Gerber, adding that city staff are very in tune with numbers they track.

Weve been having a lot of conversations about our streets, he said. Thats one major way we can impact quality of life. Theres a lot of things from the city perspective that we can do to make sure that our buildings are safe, we have good public safety services, other code enforcement efforts are up to date. From a city perspective, its a really holistic approach as well.

Below are a few of the metrics area leaders use to effect change in the capital city:

Revenue indicators: Property tax, sales tax, franchise fees, water fees and waste water fees are all categories of revenue that Lee follows closely. While its important to make sure they all stay with positive growth, it can be challenging to actually change them.

Take, for instance, the franchise fee, which Lee said hasnt been growing at the rate projected, even though the category is up 1.98 percent as of the citys May 2017 report. The franchise fee is essentially a pass-through tax meaning its a tax collected by one entity and passed directly to another collected by utilities at the rate of either 5 or 6 percent, Lee said. Its volatile based on weather and utility rates.

But policies can effect revenue. The property tax can be affected by things like the Land Use Growth Management Plan, the citys plan for growth, Gerber said.

Thats an intentional strategy that was adopted at a policy level by the governing body that says this is how we want to grow, he said. You can really stretch that and say it ties into being good stewards of what we already have rather than extending services to places they dont necessarily need to be the ultimate environmental policy.

Building permits: Lee said the city tracks building permits and other licensing, and they can have an impact on several categories.

We can have a good process, she said. We can help that business get up and going so they can generate sales tax.

Business visits: Jackie Steele Carlson, vice president of business retention and expansion at GO Topeka, said she tracks and sets goals for how many businesses her department visits. Those arent just businesses shes trying to draw to the area, but those already in existence. The visits help her gather insights into what companies need, and shes able to bring that information and data back to elected officials and other leaders.

We look at what capital investments that the businesses are making, how many jobs are we creating, whats the average wage of that job, she said. The part thats probably hard to control is the target. We would like to have three expansion projects this year, which is kind of an unknown we cant really control.

Pivarnik said capital investment is an important number to know.

When you find a company that is making capital investments, it is actually probably the strongest indication of their commitment to a community, he said, adding that on-site company visits are critical to communication and helping companies work on potential issues they might have with expansions.

Average wages: Molly Howey, vice president of business development and attraction at GO Topeka, said shed like to move the needle on the countys average wage.

As we work with prospects and talk with them about their incentives, we do encourage them to pay competitive rates, she said. They have the data that shows what the averages are for their industries.

Steele Carlson said Kansas state government can play a key role in incentivizing people to increase their wages because their incentives are largely tied to income taxes.

The company can get a bigger incentive because theyre paying better, Steele Carlson said.

Education and workforce: The development of a top workforce to address business needs is critical, said Barbara Stapleton, vice president of workforce and education at GO Topeka. Although she tracks employment figures and unemployment, most of the focus is on education.

Were looking to train lifelong learners, she said, adding that her focus is cradle to career, from kindergarten to technical education to college. Such an extensive focus means everything from reaching out to high school students to introduce them to job opportunities to working with employers on workforce needs.

Forge, a new young professionals organization, is a workforce initiative, as is Included, a new diversity and inclusion initiative, said Pivarnik. Workforce is impacted by the same quality of life issues discussed previously.

Were trying to move a metric, and grow a population and grow our available workforce, he said.

Go here to read the rest:

Grow a diverse economy: Tracking metrics will help Topeka leaders determine the right path - Topeka Capital Journal

By Janet JohnsonSpecial to the Mariner

It was on a cool, rainy morning when guests arrived at the United Church of Christ in Norwell to attend a forum with clergy from numerous South Shore faith communities. Guests gathered to enjoy an early breakfast hosted by UCC Norwells Friends of Special Needs who believe that people with developmental disabilities thrive when they are fully included into their church community, thereby enjoying friendships and support beyond their daily work and activities. The purpose of the forum was to reveal a deeper understanding of the difficulties faced by families of children with disabilities. As people of faith, we believe it is our privilege and responsibility to develop and expand more intentional opportunities for engagement with all people in our homes of worship.

Several speakers were invited to share their experiences that helped to inform the forum guests. Emily Colson, noted speaker and author of Life with Max, shared the experiences and the challenges she encountered while being a single parent and raising her son who has autism. She spoke of her desire to attend church when Max was growing up, but found it almost impossible due to his often disruptive behavior. Emily also shared the heartwarming news that her church - North River Community Church of Pembroke never gave up trying to welcome Max in a way that would work for him. The ingenuity shared by a loving church community enabled Max and Emily to feel valued and loved, and to know that they truly belonged! This welcoming created a feeling of inclusiveness within the hearts of a loving church family and enriched everyones lives.

State Sen. Patrick OConnor, R-Weymouth,was invited to share his thoughts about how the special needs community is being served in Massachusetts. He reinforced his ongoing commitment to serve and advocate for people with disabilities and confirmed that his door is always open to his constituents.

Two participants at Friendship Home in Norwell, Martha Willson and J.R. Foley, who attend its social and work related programs, spoke of the positive impact that acceptance and welcoming in both the secular and the church community have had on their lives. Their desire, like those of so many people with special needs, is to be fully contributing members of their own communities and beyond. People soon focus on their abilities rather than challenges and learn and love the gifts that they share with others.

Jack Spurr, a business leader and long-time chairman of Friendship Home, shared how he became involved with people with disabilities many years ago and how he now is the proud grandparent of five children, one of whom is a 9-year-old boy who has Aspergers syndrome and legally blind. His relationship with people of differing abilities is powerfully meaningful and has added a very special dimension to Jacks life.

Thefinal speaker was Mary Kate Gallagher, a 2017 graduate of Notre Dame Academy, who at age 11 attended a Friendship Home Ice Cream Social and became friends with Sophie, a girl her age who has autism. Mary Kate was very moved and said to her mom, We have to do something for Sophie. Within a year, she and her mom, along with two dear friends, started the Friendship Home Middle School program which is now in its sith year. One young person made an incredible difference!

Toward the end of the mornings program, there was a time of open sharing among the guests when questions, personal experiences and future insights about moving forward were explored. As the closing of the breakfast forum drew near, it was clear to all that faith communities have a unique opportunity to be places of welcome and that we are called by our faith to do this. Expanding and moving this desire forward is what the Friends of Special Needs hopes to do. For anyone wishing additional information about this program, through August, please call Wilma Goodhue 781 659-7233 - after that, contact Reverend Leanne Walt, Lead Pastor of the United Church of Christ in Norwell at 781-659-2887. Leanne was instrumental in sponsoring this program and moderated the event. It is her belief that it is Gods will that everyone is welcome and that it is our obligation to make church a place of understanding, acceptance and loving engagement.

As the forum guests left, the rain had abated, the morning chill was gone and the sun was shining - a very good sign for the future!

Go here to see the original:

UCC Norwell hosts special needs forum - Wicked Local Norwell

BALTIMORE -- Last week, the number of homicides in Baltimore surpassed 200, making 2017 a record-setting year for violence on the city's streets.

As the body count rises, the police department has reassigned 150 officers to the city's most dangerous areas, but is still struggling to curb the bloodshed amid internal turmoil and mounting criticism. Mayor Catherine Pugh said she's developed a plan to stop the violence, but hasn't yet made it public.

In the meantime, Baltimore residents are taking matters into their own hands, proposing a 72-hour cease fire that would go into effect Friday and last at least through Sunday.

Erricka Bridgeford, a professional conflict mediator in Baltimore, is one of the organizers of the cease-fire, whose motto is "Nobody Kill Anybody."

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Bridgeford says no individual or organization alone has taken credit for the event, and that's intentional: That way, she said, it belongs to every single Baltimore resident.

The idea is to persuade shooters to put down their guns for three whole days, and remember what it feels like to make a positive decision for themselves, and for their city.

"We understand that this is not what normal should be, and we deserve something better," Bridgeford said. "Looking at each other and saying, 'We deserve peace, for three whole days' - that's powerful."

Bridgeford is no stranger to the effect of violence on communities: She first saw someone shot and killed when she was just 12 years old.

"I heard shots that woke me up out of my sleep (when) my friend Mike was shot. I saw him on the blacktop, I heard him crying not to let him die," she said. "I went to funerals all through high school."

She's lost friends and cousins to gunshots, she said. "So many cousins."

As James Evans, a Baltimore-based advertising executive, watched the body count in Baltimore skyrocket earlier this year, he thought he might be able to help. How? By reaching the unreachable: those most likely to pick up a gun and pull the trigger.

Erricka Bridgeford cries at the "Stop the Violence" rally at the intersection of Edmondson Avenue and Wildwood Parkway during the 72 hour community-led Baltimore Ceasefire against gun violence in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. August 4, 2017.

Reuters / Sait Serkan Gurbuz

Evans' firm, Illume, is behind the "Stop Shooting, Start Living" slogan used by a local chapter of the community-based anti-violence organization Safe Streets. Now, he's trying to combat the bloodshed with an advertising campaign.

As he does with any campaign, Evans said he treats his anti-violence pitch like a product he's selling. He said he's conducted focus groups with victims, active shooters and drug dealers to try to figure out how best to market the message. In one video, a fight breaks out and a man opens fire on a group, only to have his infant daughter caught in the crossfire.

"Humanizing the victims is really important," Evans said. "People talk about Baltimore city and crime, and they talk about it in the voice of fear, not the voice of empathy. The voice of fear suggests that crime just exists here, not that victims exist here.

"We're incentivizing kids not to become criminals in the first place. You could go from being a hardworking citizen, lose your temper, do the wrong thing and become a criminal in five seconds. When you're 18, you're living in an underserved community, you're frightened all the time. People don't understand how quickly these kids need to react. That is what we're trying to do: empathize with these young guys, and say, 'We understand that your situation is challenging; don't make it more so.'"

Evans created the campaign after discussing the idea with Daniel Webster, the director of Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research.

Tyree Colion is on a mission to convert areas of gun violence into "No Shoot Zones."

He tries to create what he calls "invisible force fields" against violence by spray-painting messages on buildings and other structures where violence has occurred.

Those most likely to pick up guns recognize these zones and neutral areas: They respect the space, he says.

The messages "stop shootings, first and foremost," Colion said. "At worst, it looks like graffiti. But to different gangs, they know what this means: 'I don't fear police, I don't respect anything else, but I respect this.'"

He's christened 27 such zones in Baltimore city. The fatal shooting of a 13-year-old girl Tuesday is what brought him across the line into Baltimore County for the first time.

He'd come to paint a brick wall behind a convenience store, near where the shooting had taken place.

The paint hadn't even begun to dry when four police cars and six uniformed officers showed up on the scene. The wall Colion had painted was privately owned, they said. Colion insisted he'd gotten permission from a store owner. After 20 minutes of back and forth, Colion was arrested and charged with destruction of property.

"You can't stop this," Colion said to an officer as he was being handcuffed, pointing his chin toward a memorial to the girl set up on a staircase and decorated with teddy bears and a big bunch of balloons.

"I can."

Read more:

Baltimore residents plea for 3-day ceasefire from violence - CBS News

When I was in middle school, I had a private (or so I thought) online blog that I used as a personal journal for myself. After a particularly I decided to write a post on my blog in which I basically just bashed all of my friends. I wrote a paragraph about each friend, detailing the qualities I didnt like, and ultimately questioned my friendships with each member of the group. Obviosuly, this was a bad idea. One of my friends found the blog post, forwarded it to the rest of the group, and suddenly I was experiencing a collective friend break-up with all of them. I cried and cried, feeling very much like my entire world was ending. How would I go to school the next day? Who would I sit with at lunch? Who would I spend time with on the weekends?

Not all friend breakups are this dramatic or have an obvious cause, but many friend breakups can feel like the world is ending or at least changing, in a painful and confusing way. In fact, friend breakups feel a lot like romantic breakups. And thats because, well, they really arent that different from one another.

Whether a friendship ends because of an emotional fight, a betrayal, natural growing apart, or a transition like switching schools, and whether or not you are the person who chooses to end the friendship, it hurts to lose someone who we trust and care about. So why arent friend breakups always taken as seriously as romantic breakups?

According to therapist Isaiah Bartlett , LCSW, We live in this culture that is so obsessed with romantic relationships and really belittles the importance of friendship. But the reality is that the majority of the relationships we experience throughout our lives are actually non-romantic.

The connections we make throughout our lives especially close friendships can still hold the same intensity, intimacy, and importance that we associate with romantic relationships. Depending on our family situation, or through particularly formative times in our lives, friendships can take on even more responsibility and initiate stronger attachment bonds than other relationships. So when those connections end, it hits us hard.

Those who are part of marginalized communities can have an especially difficult time processing and experiencing friend breakups, Bartlett notes. For queer people or anybody who experiences marginalization, the possibilities for friendship and creating intentional communities can give birth to so many different types of relating, he said. Friend breakups can be more intense and intimate for these folks because of the work that went into creating those relationships in the first place, along with being in a marginalized position already.

When I went through my big friend breakup in middle school, I remember feeling like my reaction was overly dramatic. As a closeted queer person, I was nervous that the emotional response I had to losing my friends (a group of cis girls) was abnormal. I didnt want to express how sad and hurt I was because I was afraid people would judge my feelings as indication that I was gay. There seems to be this idea, Bartlett shares, that if we fully experience the loss of a friend, that it must signify something more than a friendshipbut that is part of the patriarchal construct we live in, in which everything is organized around heterosexual monogamy. The truth is that we connect with others in a variety of different ways that greatly affect how we grow, understand ourselves, and relate to others, and which exist outside of heterosexual, romantic relationships, regardless of sexuality.

There isnt a dialogue around friend breakups, so there is shame that can be associated with the loss of friendship, Bartlett continues. People have this idea that a broken heart from a romance is what is supposed to be mourned, while a broken heart from a friendship isnt. But this doesnt make sense at all...and it means that people try to prematurely push themselves into feeling better when they are not yet ready to do so.

Bartlett recommends the practice of radical acceptance for anyone experiencing a friend breakup. Radical acceptance means that we accept our realities without judgement. In the case of a friend breakup, it means accepting that the relationship is over but also acknowledging that it was an important and meaningful relationship, which deserves to be mourned.

If you are experiencing a friend breakup, allow yourself to feel whatever emotions come up, without judgement, for however long you need to, and understand that what you feel is valid and part of your own personal healing journey. Create boundaries for yourself when necessary (and respect those that others involved may make), and make sure to reach out for professional help if you feel like you need assistance processing your emotions. Above all, know that friend breakups are a normal part of growing up for everybody.

Related: Breaking Up With a Friend Is Hard to DoBut Here's How (and Why Sometimes It's Just Gotta Happen)

Go here to read the rest:

How to Handle a Friend Breakup - TeenVogue.com

By JULIET LINDERMAN , Associated Press August 04, 2017 - 2:10 AM

BALTIMORE Last week, the number of homicides in Baltimore surpassed 200, making 2017 a record-setting year for violence on the city's streets.

As the body count rises, the police department has reassigned 150 officers to the city's most dangerous areas, but is still struggling to curb the bloodshed amid internal turmoil and mounting criticism. Mayor Catherine Pugh said she's developed a plan to stop the violence, but hasn't yet made it public.

In the meantime, Baltimore residents are taking matters into their own hands, proposing a 72-hour cease fire that would go into effect Friday and last at least through Sunday.

___

"NOBODY KILL ANYBODY"

Erricka Bridgeford, a professional conflict mediator in Baltimore, is one of the organizers of the cease-fire, whose motto is "Nobody Kill Anybody."

Bridgeford says no individual or organization alone has taken credit for the event, and that's intentional: That way, she said, it belongs to every single Baltimore resident.

The idea is to persuade shooters to put down their guns for three whole days, and remember what it feels like to make a positive decision for themselves, and for their city.

"We understand that this is not what normal should be, and we deserve something better," Bridgeford said. "Looking at each other and saying, 'We deserve peace, for three whole days' that's powerful."

Bridgeford is no stranger to the effect of violence on communities: She first saw someone shot and killed when she was just 12 years old.

"I heard shots that woke me up out of my sleep (when) my friend Mike was shot. I saw him on the blacktop, I heard him crying not to let him die," she said. "I went to funerals all through high school."

She's lost friends and cousins to gunshots, she said. "So many cousins."

___

OPPOSITION TO VIOLENCE THROUGH ADVERTISING

As James Evans, a Baltimore-based advertising executive, watched the body count in Baltimore skyrocket earlier this year, he thought he might be able to help. How? By reaching the unreachable: those most likely to pick up a gun and pull the trigger.

Evans' firm, Illume, is behind the "Stop Shooting, Start Living" slogan used by a local chapter of the community-based anti-violence organization Safe Streets. Now, he's trying to combat the bloodshed with an advertising campaign.

As he does with any campaign, Evans said he treats his anti-violence pitch like a product he's selling. He said he's conducted focus groups with victims, active shooters and drug dealers to try to figure out how best to market the message. In one video, a fight breaks out and a man opens fire on a group, only to have his infant daughter caught in the crossfire.

"Humanizing the victims is really important," Evans said. "People talk about Baltimore city and crime, and they talk about it in the voice of fear, not the voice of empathy. The voice of fear suggests that crime just exists here, not that victims exist here.

"We're incentivizing kids not to become criminals in the first place. You could go from being a hardworking citizen, lose your temper, do the wrong thing and become a criminal in five seconds. When you're 18, you're living in an underserved community, you're frightened all the time. People don't understand how quickly these kids need to react. That is what we're trying to do: empathize with these young guys, and say, 'We understand that your situation is challenging; don't make it more so.'"

Evans created the campaign after discussing the idea with Daniel Webster, the director of Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research.

___

"NO SHOOT ZONES"

Tyree Colion is on a mission to convert areas of gun violence into "No Shoot Zones."

He tries to create what he calls "invisible force fields" against violence by spray-painting messages on buildings and other structures where violence has occurred.

Those most likely to pick up guns recognize these zones and neutral areas: They respect the space, he says.

The messages "stop shootings, first and foremost," Colion said. "At worst, it looks like graffiti. But to different gangs, they know what this means: 'I don't fear police, I don't respect anything else, but I respect this.'"

He's christened 27 such zones in Baltimore city. The fatal shooting of a 13-year-old girl Tuesday is what brought him across the line into Baltimore County for the first time.

He'd come to paint a brick wall behind a convenience store, near where the shooting had taken place.

The paint hadn't even begun to dry when four police cars and six uniformed officers showed up on the scene. The wall Colion had painted was privately owned, they said. Colion insisted he'd gotten permission from a store owner. After 20 minutes of back and forth, Colion was arrested and charged with destruction of property.

"You can't stop this," Colion said to an officer as he was being handcuffed, pointing his chin toward a memorial to the girl set up on a staircase and decorated with teddy bears and a big bunch of balloons.

"I can."

Read this article:

Baltimore residents propose 3-day cease-fire - Minneapolis Star Tribune

The volunteersload the hot lunches and pantry boxes of canned goodsinto the back of the car before venturing down the bumpy dirt road to the far side of the mountain holler. Eventually,the car slows to a stop when it reaches acreek itcant traverse.

You have to cross this bitty bridge or wade across the stream, and then someone will meet you down there, and theyll have a little ATV or something for the meal, says Milton Ready, a Madison County resident who helps distribute food to those in need. Then theyll take you up to this cabin where an old woman lives she never learned how to drive and now lives by herself since everyone else has died off.

Stories such as Readys are the reality of poverty in rural mountain areas, marked by a lack of transportation, infrastructure and access. In June, July and August, the problems worsen, says Kara Irani, director of communications and marketing for MANNA FoodBank, as the children of families who relyon free or reduced-price school lunches are home on summer break.

Everything is different every single organization does it differently but at the end of the day, people just want to get more food to kids, Irani says. One in every four children doesnt know where their next meal is coming from but it doesnt take much to get food out to people if you know what it is that youre capable of doing and what you can offer.

In Western North Carolina, just gaining access to rural communities is one of the biggest challenges that food distribution sites face, Irani says. WNC is really unique when it comes to being able to provide direct service to people the rural isolation, the lack of major highways or even just us being able to drive our big trucks out there, she says. Theres no mass transit here; people already struggle just trying to get from home to job, especially in those rural areas where theres not a lot of employment very close by. Imagine kids stuck at home in the summer: If youre not at a camp or dropped off at a church or something, youre pretty isolated.

Across the nation, summer meals are provided for children ages 2-18 as part of the U.S. Department of Agricultures Summer Food Service Program. Federally funded open-site feeding locations sponsored by school districts, local organizations and individuals tend to be located at area pools, community centers and in densely populated neighborhoods.

In Buncombe County, school nutrition officials work with community members to identify areas where children from all socio-economic backgrounds can come and access a hot meal, says Lisa Payne,Buncombe County Schools nutrition director. We turn over every stone, drive down every rural road and consult our bus drivers, local churches who know the areas and talk to community members to find the areas with the most need.

Yet the model is less applicable when examining rural areas of WNC, Irani says. Its a fabulous program, and theyve really helped a lot of people, but for our area, unfortunately, its not that effective, she explains. You have to eat a meal on-site, and you cant take any food with you, so its still the whole problem of getting kids to those locations. For that, isolation continues to be the issue, even when there is a meal available, whether its at a community pool or a lot of trailer parks that have a community meal.

To bypass the transportation issue, community groups are creating innovative ways to bring much-needed food to the children and families who depend on it.This summer, Henderson County Schools debuted its Meals on the Bus initiative a refurbished bus that stops and brings food to six open-site feeding locations throughout the county, says Amanda Stansbury, child nutrition supervisor for Henderson County Schools.

We have a population of about 13,000 children in our county, and 50-55 percent of those kids are dependent on free and reduced lunches during the school year. Unfortunately, the hunger doesnt go away, Stansbury says. The kids are familiar with the bus stop, they associate it with transportation, and its accessible to them, which is really the target to make them feel comfortable with a place they can walk to, to feel safe there. Theres a trust element as well that they get on the bus here to go to school, and then they get food there in the summer.

Meals on the Bus serves an average of 120 meals a day, Stansbury says a number expected to grow as the bus gains exposure. Theres a lot of hype about it, which is exciting because its such a community-involved program, she says. Obviously, were not touching every child this is a pilot program, and if we can reach as many kids as we can, theres so much growth potential in the future.

Further spearheading the movement to make mobile food distribution commonplace is the YMCA of Western North Carolina. In addition to supplying a free meal at all of itssummer camp programs, the YMCA has three mobile food distribution units, a mobile produce market and two mobile kitchens, says Cory Jackson, nutrition and wellness director for the YMCA of WNC.

When we launched our first food pantry, what we noticed was that people were driving from about 45 minutes away. Wed have families coming from past Madison County to our pantry, Jackson explains. And we learned two things: one, that we really need to meet the population where they are. If people are driving this far to go to our pantry to get healthy foods that meet our standards, we owe it to them to make this more accessible closer to them. And also, it really debunked the myth that a lot of people have that low-income families and those [experiencing] hunger do not care about the nutritional quality of what they consume.

At each stop, the program, which operates from a renovated bus and two vans,provides produce to families and offerscooking demonstrations. The focus is on shaking the ambiguity surrounding the term healthy food while making nutritionally sound options accessible to rural, impoverished areas, says Jackson. Weve been able to define healthy as a practical thing, and thats really been our leverage. Theres a vast need to meet the meal gap, and as the Y and as a very strong local nonprofit that focuses on healthy living, we have an opportunity to make sure that were not just feeding a kid to feed a kid, but feeding them with some intentional purpose.

Additionally, MANNA is continuing its Summer Pack program, which provides 1,150 children with a weeks worth of food for them and their families. In order to get the packs in the hands of the children who need them, Irani says, MANNA relies on partnerships with local nonprofits, clubs and religious organizations.

In the far reaches of Madison County, the majority of the food distribution programs are run by local churches, says Willow Wyatt, a member of Mars Hill Baptist Church and longtime volunteer with the MANNA Packs program. Since transportation is such an issue, its often up to smaller congregations to ensure that food is brought to those who need it, she explains.

Ready agrees. The people have just been left alone, politically and socially, to their own devices. Its their churches and their families, and thats it, he says. Delivering food works, but its still just a drop in the bucket.

Lack of infrastructure aside, an undercurrent of mountain pride makes providing meals for these rural populations more difficult, Irani says. Its such an interesting dynamic here, she reiterates. We really approach it from a place of total respect these people are living with absolutely nothing, and they are just resilient as hell. The strongest thing that we can say is that if you need help, come get help, and if you dont need help, come help.

As someone who works extensively in remote mountain areas, Wyatt sees this Appalachian mindset as just another obstacle to overcome once you get into the communities and offer to help, they quickly tend to accept it, she says. In her perspective, the biggest thing that can be done to address these attitudes while helping impoverished children is to have people open more USDA feeding sites.The more we have, the more people in these rural parts of Madison County can access food, she says. And we can help get the food and get the word out. We just need more people taking initiative, Wyatt says.

Reflecting on the unique movement that the YMCAs mobile units have prompted, Jackson sees the future of rural food distribution moving in a more transportable direction. When you look at it, it can be incredibly daunting, he says. But it didnt happen overnight. It started with a supersmall pantry and a small idea, and we really used the community to dictate where we went. Start small, let the community tell you where to go and dont really force it.

As the summer winds down, Stansbury believes that while it might take some effort to create sustainable and innovative options to bring food to rural families, the sheer fact that so many kids were hungry and inaccessible during the summer was enough of a reason to try and make a change.

I have all the information I need to say this is successful, because of all the good things that are happening, Stansbury explains. Now whether we feed 10children who need it or 10million who dont really need it, Im all about those 10kids who are benefiting. And thats our goal: to feed every kid that needs it, regardless of barriers.

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No vacation from hunger: Addressing summer food insecurity in WNC's rural communities - Mountain Xpress

As Bernie SandersBernie SandersDemocrats new 'Better Deal' comes up short for people of color Economy-focused Dems headlining Iowa fundraiser OPINION | Tomi Lahren: The liberal media twisted my words on ObamaCare MORE considers another White House bid, advisers and confidants are urging him to spend more time in the South in an effort to woo black voters.

While Sanders won over many white working class and millennial voters in his 2016 campaign, he failed to secure black voters and particularly support from older black women when he challenged Hillary ClintonHillary Rodham ClintonCongress wants Trump Jr. phone records related to Russia meeting Zuckerberg hires top Clinton pollster amid rumors of presidential run: report Democrats new 'Better Deal' comes up short for people of color MORE for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Sanders appeared at the NAACP national conventionin Baltimorelate last month, where he criticized the Senate health care bill, which ultimately failed.

He also stopped in states like Kentucky and West Virginia for rallies slamming Republicans on the issue.

Last month, he endorsedformer NAACP chiefBen Jealous for governor of Maryland, a move one Sanders confidant said was no accident.

In March, Sanders also marched in Mississippi with thousands of Nissan workers at a rally for organized labor. At the pro-union rally, he congratulated the workers for "standing up for justice."

People close to Sanders want him to spend more time in Alabama, Tennessee and other southern states, where Sanders took a beating in last years primaries.

In Tennessee, Clinton won 82 percent of the black vote, while Sanders received 12 percent support, according to a CNN exit poll. In Virginia, Clinton won 84 percent of the black vote, while she took 83 percent in Georgia. She coasted to huge victories in all of these states, running up her delegate lead on Sanders.

In 2020, if Sanders runs he is unlikely to have to face the Clinton machine. But hell have to do better with black voters regardless of the competition.

Bernie Sanders was popular with white intellectuals and with many white liberals but he didnt have much of a brand with older African Americans, said Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons.

The real challenge with Sanders is how to court older black voters, said Simmons, who called them the bedrock of Clintons campaign.

Even if Sanders doesnt run for president, broadening his base could give him more political power and influence. Simmons noted that black voters propelled former President Obamas campaign, but that his coalition was broad.

A new GenForward survey obtained by The Hill shows that millennial voters are divided when it comes to who should lead the Democratic Party.

African Americans and Asian Americans would like to see Obama lead the party, while white and Latino voters prefer Sanders.

Sanders has represented the largely white state of Vermont during his congressional career, first in the House and then in the Senate.

The reality of being elected by a state with little gun violence led Sanders in 2005 to support legislation preventing victims of gun violence from suing companies making and selling guns. Clinton used this against Sanders during the campaign, particularly as a wedge issue with blacks.

Before the senator launched his 2016 presidential bid, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, told Sanders he needed to make inroads with Black communities.

I just want to be really frank, Lee told Sanders in one small meeting in late 2014 with other Sanders supporters, according to attendees. You are someone who represents a white state and you dont have any connection to the African American community and that will hurt you.

The advice stuck with those in the room and replayed over the course of the campaign, sources close to Sanders say.

At one 2015 event in Seattle, Sanders was confronted by three Black Lives Matter protestors who wanted him to focus on the anniversary of the shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed black man in Ferguson, Mo. The protestors confronted Sanders and demanded to speak and themoment caused headlines, portraying Sanders as out of touch with the needs of some African Americans.

Its a soft spot, one Sanders adviser acknowledged. He's gotta work on it and repair it.

Symone Sanders has been one confidante who has been getting in her former boss's ear about what he needs to do to fix his 2016 mistakes.

I think he's been receptive to this idea, Sanders said. He's someone who clearly keen on what he wants but he is definitely open to sound and concrete suggestions and adviceespecially to help bridge some of these gaps.

Another Sanders confidant added thatSanders is aware that he lacked support from black voters in 2016and is more intentional about issues serving the black community more than people.

He knows that as a country we have to work on it and not just check the box and say oh we took care of that, the confidant said. He believes we need to find issues that link us together and stay on those issues.

In his speech to the NAACP, Sanderskept the focus on the Republican health care bill, calling it "the most destructive and irresponsible pieces of legislation brought to the U.S. Senate in the modern history of our country."

He touched briefly on the need to fix a broken criminal justice system along with "the outrageously high level" of youth unemployment." He also mentioned the need for police reform, "and the need to cut back on the use of lethal force, so that innocent people, often black, are not shot down in cold blood."

Those close to Sanders say hell increasingly speak about issues important to black communities from racial justice issues to the economy. And hell look to talk to voters not just at rallies but in smaller settings in churches and colleges.

I think it would behoove him and other folks in the party to go out there and talk to various parts of the electorate, Symone Sanders said. Its only logical.

This story was updated at 9:23 a.m.

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Sanders urged to woo black voters - The Hill

Early rains threatened to dampen spirits Tuesday evening, but the skies cleared in time for Northfield Night to Unite neighborhood parties to go off as planned.

By Tuesday, there were 43 neighborhoods signed up for the event, which represented a record for Northfield and more than double last years total. Night to Unite is celebrated statewide, as neighborhoods within communities get together for potlucks and activities, generally joined by area law enforcement and emergency service personnel.

Northfield Police Department Chief Monte Nelson was thrilled with the turnout this year.

The number of parties we got this year is just fantastic. We had a challenge of getting our officers out to all the parties, but thats a great challenge to have, he said. Every party has its own complexion. It was retired people down in Estate Lane, and then I came up here in the Viking Terrace area and I met lots of kids and parents and grandparents.

The idea behind Night to Unite is to forge relationships between community members and with local leaders.

These are the type of events, whether formal or informal, that we value as a city, because it makes for better communities and neighborhoods, he said. This also gives us that opportunity where we get to have some questions asked of us that maybe residents dont normally get the opportunity to ask.

Organizers of the Northfield Night to Unite this year were intentional in getting some of the citys Latino-populated neighborhoods involved. Maelynn Rosas, of Growing up Healthy, was active in making that happen.

I think tonight was important in our community just because of the sort of environment and tension recently. I think its important to show that our police officers in Northfield are safe and that we can count on them, she said.

Gloria Quintero, 71, is a resident of the Jefferson Square neighborhood in Northfield. She was excited to see the Night to Unite gathering in her own backyard this year, and she even traveled with Growing Up Healthy representative Laura Tiano to a few other block parties.

Its very important that we learn from each other, about each other, she said. I like these events, because, for example, the police and the mayor (Rhonda Pownell) are interested in us. Thats very important.

Reach Reporter Philip Weyhe at 507-333-3132 or follow him on Twitter @nfnphilweyhe.

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GALLERY: Northfield Night to Unite brings out the neighbors - Southernminn.com

Aug 1 FEATURE SIDEBAR, Live Local, NEWS & VIEWS No Comments on LIVE LOCAL, LIVE SMALL: Remembering and thanking my community for the riches of life

There are obvious pieces: Lysistrata with Picasso illustrations, for example. Or anything signed by one of my heroes. Or really arcane theatre books. But there are books that stop me in my tracks and can absorb entire days of productivityand not because of any perceived monetary value.

A few years ago a large oversized paperback appeared in a box I was unpacking. I had seen another copy of it years earlierbut not another since. Yet, there it was in my hands: Communities Directory. What many people would think of as a commune (in the 60s sense) is described by the 100,000-plus people who live communal lifestyles as Intentional Community. The scale of shared life and possessions runs the gamut, from shared housing to no ownership of possessions, with each community deciding how they can best function. Published by Fellowship for Intentional Community, the book is an international listing guide for communities around the world. Besides such basic information as locationand whether they are open to visitors or notit also answers questions as to structure and focus: Co-housing? Sustainable? Religious?

I flipped through to the letter K. There it was: the listing for the community that took me in and changed my life over a decade earlier.

So, yes, that book went home with me. Periodically, I leaf through it when I need to take a trip down nostalgia lane or remind myself of values and priorities I have embraced and struggled to live for most of my adult life. What I didnt understand at the time was how I really found Utopia. But it was ephemeral, a moment in time I couldnt sustain and had not yet experienced enough of life to truly appreciate.

I lived on a beautiful organic farm on more than 300 acres of land in the Appalachian Mountains, with a greenhouse that covered a third of an acre, five smaller greenhouses, solar power, gravity-fed spring water, buildings as close to zero impact as possibleincluding designs based on Buckminster Fullers work. It was heaven on earth, people searching for something deeper, something more meaningful to belong to.

I left the farm when the land was sold and the dream had run its course. Ive heard myself say a lot of things about the farm out loud over the years:

It was easy to be vegan living on an organic farm, but when I went to college, it just meant eating junk food.

I learned permaculture by living it.

We were as close to off-the-grid and self-sustaining as we could get.

Living in that level of intimacy and honesty with a group of people is much harder than most would think.

I dont think I could go back to it now.

Kate Spring published a piece titled To Grow Love: A Farmers Manifesto in the most recent issue of Taproot magazine. Included was this gem:

Let that love grow a community; self-sufficiency is a myth. Become community sufficient, and you will find space and peace in the strength of many hands; you will have solace and support in the ugly moments.

It started stirring thoughts that had been slowly and quietly fermenting for the last few yearsbringing them to the surface and forming into words. Jock and I try to live centered around doing rather than ordering and putting things on a credit card. If something breaks, we fix itor learn how to. We continue to deepen our relationship with food, and we strive for more and more preparedness and sufficiency.

Years ago Jock impressed upon me that if the world fell apart for usand there were years we played foreclosure roulettethe real capital we had in our lives was not in the bank but among friends and neighbors.

I think I am realizing (though, I left the farm geographically) what really happened is the essence of the farmwhat I needed to learn from itis being lived in a larger geographic area. The intentional community I work with, struggle with and strive with isnt bordered by a mountain-ridge line, a driveway or any survey marker.

Do I still learn permaculture by doing it? Yes, and it will be a lifelong study. Permaculture is a fancy word for intentionally designed sustainable farming. I am slowlyvery slowlyworking on integrating food-producing plants into the landscape design for my house on Market Street. More days and hours than I can count have been devoted to planning, rethinking, replanning, reworking, and observing the yard, to try and develop something with thoughtful harmony as my guiding principal.

I still wrestle with food choices; the moral, ethical, political, and health impacts of those choices. Perhaps they frustrate me now more than when I was 17 and had the certainty and absolute convictions of adolescence. I used to be good at giving things up (dairy, sodas, coffee); all forms of denial made me feel like I was somehow achieving or contributing to the betterment of the worldor at the very least my body and life. Now, Im not so sure, and I wrestle, painfully at times. I am so lucky and privileged; there are so many people who would love to have the luxuries I take for granted: ice cream on demand, for example. That sounds foolish. But I am fortunate enough to be able to buy ice cream if I want it at 3 p.m. or 3 a.m., seven days a week. Thats not the case everywhere in the worldor even the country. A few years ago I startled Jock and a few close friends by experimenting with eating meat, something I hadnt done in over a quarter of a century.

Why now? Nini asked.

I just felt a need to revisit these choices that were made by someone who wasnt an adultby a child, reallyand see if they were still valid; if they were still the right choices for me. The unexamined life is not worth living.

One of the issues many communities face is the need for revenue to keep the resources flowing, taxes paid and wolves from the door. Twin Oaks, an incredibly long-lasting community founded in 1967 (inspired by the principals in the book Walden Two by B. F. Skinner), makes and sells hammocks, tempeh, garden plants, and seeds. Their off-shoot community, Acorn, sells seeds and was involved in a lawsuit against Monsanto.

The farm I lived on had no source of revenue that we all participated in. Everyone was responsible for their own finances. Though we contributed labor to the running of the farm (from producing food for everyone to maintaining the physical plant), we did not have a monetary fund to support our future endeavors; to invest in our future and shared growth. That, more than anything else, was what did us in.

I have labored lo these many years for the bookstore, the building and the renovation of the house on Market Street to open as a B&B, and I have felt guilt much of the time. That might be a surprising confession. But every time I say no to someone whose books we dont buy; every time I have to explain if you have an event at the bookstore the sales must go through the register because we have utilities, payroll, taxes, etc.; every time someone asks for a job and I dont have one available or the money to fund a position I feel guilty. Even though we make very little money in gross and rarely a little profit, I feel guilty. It is true. Just learning how to say no to myriad requests that would drain all the resources from the bookstore, bankrupt us and render the entire journey moot was hardvery hard. Sharing is not my problemnot giving away everything to the detriment and impovishment of my loved ones is my problem.

The only way I am able to say no and still get through the day is to realize it isnt about me. I have to say no to protect the interests of the staff who depend upon me for payroll, and a safe working environment, and the taxes paid, and the utilities turned on. There is a web of something bigger than me I am beholden to. But I still crumble a little when I cant say yes.

It is a pretty surprising and wonderful group that weaves in and out of our lives around the bookstore, the Market Street house and Full Belly. Without realizing it, Jock and I have found ourselves in the middle of something very similar to what people search for when they look through the Communities Directory. We live very sustainable lives with remarkably little environmental impact. We try to make choices about all the aspects of our lives: housing, food, transportation, clothing, luxuries, all based on something more than greed and gratifying an immediate want. We give back more than we receive, and in turn live lives of far greater wealth than we ever imagined.

Thank you. Thank you so much for every day.

appalachian mountainsB. F. SkinnerBuckminster FullerCommunities DirectoryFellowship for Intentional CommunityFull Belly ProjectGwenyfar RohlerJock BrandisKate SpringLive Local Live SmallLysistrataTo Grow Love: A Farmers ManifestoTwin OaksWalden Two

BREATHING THE FOURTH DIMENSION: Grey Pascal installs new multimedia show, prepares for performance piece on Friday THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT: Praising big-league intellectual excellence

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LIVE LOCAL, LIVE SMALL: Remembering and thanking my community for the riches of life - encore Online

By LISA MARIE PANE and KATE BRUMBACK , Associated Press August 01, 2017 - 2:30 PM

ATLANTA The Trump administration's tough talk on crime and the treatment of suspects has left black police officers worried that efforts to repair the fraught relationship between police and minority communities could be derailed.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday addressed a major black law enforcement group, just days after President Donald Trump said police shouldn't be "nice" to suspects by shielding their heads as they are lowered, handcuffed, into police cars. The comment, now described by the White House as a joke, angered some cops who said it only served to dial back progress they'd made with the people they serve.

In addition, the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration said Saturday in an email to employees that Trump's comments "condoned police misconduct regarding the treatment of individuals placed under arrest by law enforcement." DEA chief Chuck Rosenberg said he thought it important to emphasize the drug agency's operating principles, which include rule of law, respect and compassion and integrity.

Sessions did not directly address the president's comments in his remarks Tuesday, but said police officers need the support of the community as they do a dangerous job.

"You deserve the support and respect of every American, and I'm here today on behalf of President Trump and the Department of Justice to say, 'Thank you.' I am proud to stand with you. The Department of Justice is proud to stand with you," Sessions said, drawing applause from the crowd. "We have your back. We are in this together."

Seattle Assistant Police Chief Perry Tarrant, president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, told reporters Sessions also spoke privately with the organization's leadership. Sessions didn't apologize for the president's comment and said he believes it was made in jest, but said he understands the effect such comments can have and underscored the Department of Justice's commitment to protecting everyone's civil rights, Tarrant said.

When asked if he believes Trump was joking, Tarrant said, "Whether intentional or unintentional, it was heard around the country by the folks, by the very communities that we're trying to build relationships with and I believe it had an impact."

Other conference attendees approached by The Associated Press declined to discuss Trump's comments or Sessions' address.

Black police officers talk of straddling two worlds: the communities where they live, and the police departments where they work. They take seriously their oath to uphold the law and to go after criminals, but they also worry about their own friends, relatives and neighbors who fear the police.

"We live in some of the same communities that are affected by this disparate treatment. We go to church in those neighborhoods. We go to the barbershops. Certain things people don't realize: It's really hard being black and being a police officer when these things happen," said Clarence E. Cox III, former chief of Clayton County Schools in Georgia and incoming president of NOBLE.

Sessions has questioned the federal civil rights investigations that marked the Obama administration's efforts to overhaul troubled police departments, often after high-profile deadly police encounters with black men inflamed tensions and reignited debates over police-community relations.

"We cannot let the politicians and sometimes they do run down the police in communities that are suffering only to see crimes spike in those communities," Sessions said. "In the very neighborhoods that need proactive, community-based policing the most, we don't need to be telling police not to do their job in those communities."

Sessions has said aggressive federal intervention in local law enforcement can malign entire agencies and make officers less effective on the streets, but he has promised to prosecute individual officers who break the law.

Sessions has been traveling the country touting his tough-on-crime agenda. He believes rising violence and the nation's opioid epidemic require a return to tougher tactics, vowing to make fighting ordinary street crime a top priority for a Justice Department.

Tarrant has also expressed concern about Sessions' pledge to dial back civil rights investigations. While some effective interim steps can help address bad departments, he said, "at the end of the day if you have systemic issues in any organization, the Department of Justice has an obligation to intervene."

Trump's remarks came last Friday before law enforcement officers in Suffolk County, New York, during a visit to highlight his administration's efforts to crack down on a street gang known as MS-13.

He spoke dismissively of the practice of shielding the heads of handcuffed suspects as they are placed in patrol cars.

"Don't be too nice," Trump said. "I said, 'You could take the hand away, OK,'" he said.

His remarks were later denounced by the Suffolk County Police Department, which issued a statement saying it has strict rules and procedures about how prisoners should be handled and "we do not and will not tolerate roughing up of prisoners."

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Black police concerned by Trump quips on handling suspects - Minneapolis Star Tribune