NEIGHBORHOOD TRANSFORMATION

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NEIGHBORHOOD TRANSFORMATION
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Transformation Is
A permanent change in peoples attitude, belief
and behavior in all areas of their life
(physical, spiritual, emotional, social) who then
facilitate the same changes in others who change
their neighborhood from the inside out.
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Whats Needed for Transformation
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Vision For The City
See a city transformed, neighborhood by
neighborhood, in all areas of life. Neighborhoods
are networked together so eventually the city is
transformed as a whole.
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Neighborhood Based

• A Neighborhood is
• Small in geographic size
• Built around an elementary school or
• A Census Track in US Census terms
• (Census ZIP Code is too large)
• Many time 10 to 12 square blocks in size
• Most cities have established neighborhoods set by
  the city government and historical precedence.

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Observed Needs Of The Urban Poor

• Alcohol and drug dependency
• Spousal and child abuse
• Poverty
• No or sub-standard jobs
• Single moms on welfare
• Poor living conditions

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But There Are Many Assets Also

• There are many assets found in people living in
  the neighborhood as well as local associations
  and networks already functioning in the
  neighborhood.
• They are waiting to be used.
• Its reinstituting neighbor helping neighbor

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Ministry Approach

• A multi-faceted, neighborhood-based, development
  strategy that deals with the WHOLE person in
  urban under resourced neighborhood which builds
  on their assets.

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What Neighborhood Transformation Is Built On

• Identifying and utilizing the assets already
  found in the neighborhood.
• Mobilizing individuals, associations and
  institutions. to come together to build on their
  assets and not concentrate on their needs.
• Reawakens neighbor helping neighbor instead of
  being dependent on professionals.

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Finding Assets In Your Neighborhood

• Individual Skills And Abilities
• Identify skills and assets of individuals and
  what they are willing to share.
• Association
• Identify what informal groups are involved in
  the neighborhood already.
• Institutions
• Identify formal organizations government,
  for- profit and non-profit organizations.

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Mobilizing a Neighborhood

• After Finding Assets in The Neighborhood
• Connect individuals to others and
• groups to use their skills and abilities.
• Build relationships among associations
• for common goals of neighborhood
  transformation built on assets.
• Form broadly based collaborative committed to
  further mobilizing existing assets for good of
  the neighborhood.

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Ways to Help a Neighborhood

• Relief Ministries - Provides temporary assistance
  without addressing long term needs nor using
  assets found in the neighborhood.
• Betterment Ministries - Tend to create short term
  positive, caring beneficial environments and
  relationships that offer participants respite or
  positive experiences.
• Development Ministries - Focus on measured
  changes in knowledge, skills abilities or
  conditions of the participants

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How Urban Settings Are Different Then Rural
Settings for CHE

• People come from all over
• Few people know each other in the neighborhood
• Sense of isolation
• No sense of community or unity
• Hold very few things in common.
• Professionals do everything for poor

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Neighborhood Transformation Is
Committed To

• Partnering with groups already in the
  neighborhood.
• Promoting self-help within the neighborhood, not
  providing services to the neighborhood.
• Finding local leadership, training them how to
  solve their needs with people in their area and
  releasing them to do it.
• Discovering and using
• local resources found in
• their neighborhood.

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NEIGHBORHOOD TRANSFORMATION GROUPS
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Training/Facilitation Team

• Initiates the program and creates awareness in
  the neighborhood.
• Begins the process by identifying individual
• assets and skills and associations within the
  neighborhood.
• Made up of a group of people with different
  skills and background equipped how to help
  the neighborhood.
• Trains the Committee and
• Neighborhood Mobilizers.

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Training of the Facilitation Team

• Either of Three Ways
• Seven Saturdays spread over 24 months
• Three weekends spread over 24 months
• One five day Intensive training

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Committee

• Local people chosen by their neighbors to lead
  and manage the work.
• A group representing different segments of the
  area.
• Trained by the Training Team to be a good
  functioning committee.
• Initial 18 hour training then
• on-going as needed.

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Neighborhood Agents of Change

• Volunteers who have a heart to see their area
  changed physically, spiritually, emotionally and
  socially.
• Trained by the facilitation team on the
  identified priority needs of that area.
• Who Put into practice what they have learned.
• Share what they have learned regularly with 10 to
  15 of their neighbors.

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Expectations For Ministry

• Transformed neighborhoods from the inside.
• People know neighbors and helping each other.
• People knowing and growing in Christ.
• People taking responsibility for their own lives.
• Healthy growing churches.
• Improvement in employment and living conditions.
• Reduction in disease, crime, drug and alcohol
  addiction.
• Neighborhoods throughout city using the urban
  ministry networked together to learn from and
  encourage each other.

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PO Box 576645 Modesto CA 95357 www.lifewind.org