02.03.16
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Poverty and Our Community

The Tribune’s City Editor Matt Sanders presented the facts on the number of children receiving free and reduced price lunch in our schools in an op-ed Sunday.  He also outlined what the schools are doing to help children in poverty.  Several of those who commented on the article were less than sympathetic.

What kind of community do we want to be?  “Are We An Us?” was a question raised in our past forums and will be the topic of our next forum scheduled for next Thursday evening, February 11, at the ARC, from 7 to 9 pm.  Join us as we explore questions related to community here in Columbia, MO.

Another opportunity for information and dialogue directly related to the questions Matt raised occurs Monday night, February 8, 6 pm, also at the ARC, as the Cradle to Career Alliance screens the film “Wounded Places“.  This film explores the effects that chronic poverty has on children.  Members of the Minority Men’s Network and the Worley Street Roundtable will facilitate the post movie discussion.

And if you want to take Matt’s challenge to explore your assumptions about poverty, here is a place to begin: Poverty USA.

01.29.16
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Q&A: Columbia Neighborhood Services Manager

What do you think people can gain out of donating their time to volunteerism?

There are many benefits to volunteering. Each person is unique in why they volunteer and what they get out of it – and sometimes they leave with more than they expect! People volunteer to help others, to get to know their community and meet new people, make a difference and have fun! Many volunteers are able to get a life experience that is much different than that they do for employment, and that is appealing. The City of Columbia provides unique opportunities to gain ownership in our local community and make an impact in a broad way. The work done in our parks or along our streets is enjoyed by the entire community, and the work our boards and commissions do influences policies and programs throughout local government.

Can you talk a little bit about the importance of volunteers to some programs in the city?

Volunteers allow the City of Columbia to get things accomplished that we could not do otherwise. In our last fiscal year, volunteers shared more than 34,000 hours of service which is an incredible contribution. Volunteers help keep our City looking great by beautifying our right of way and picking up litter along our streets and in our parks. Volunteers help us hold many special events and festivals as well as programs for kids and families in our Parks & Recreation and Health Departments. They help the City promote recycling and waste reduction and also extend the resources of our Police and Fire Departments. There are many things volunteers do that would simply go undone without the time and energy shared by volunteers.

If someone wanted to get involved and find an opportunity for themselves how might they do so?

The City of Columbia website is the best source for opportunities in the City – www.GoColumbiaMo.com/Volunteer. Over the last few years we have updated our online volunteer management system to make it easier for volunteers to sign up for our scheduled events. Residents can also call us at 874-7499. There are also many other community resources for volunteering including the Voluntary Action Center or the United Way. There is a great online tool, volunteermatch.com, to help find volunteer opportunities as well.

Are there any programs that have an extra need for volunteers at this time?

Spring is a great time for those interested in volunteering as we have many opportunities! We will be holding a training session for our Recycling Ambassadors program on February 25. Parks volunteer programs will hold trainings in March – March 19 for TreeKeepers and March 15 & 22 for the Columbia Aquatic Restoration Project or CARP. Cleanup Columbia, a city-wide litter pick up event, will be held April 9. Soon we will be starting a new volunteer program to remove illegal signs from along our streets. There are many events and activities that start this spring, and there are always opportunities for volunteers to Adopt A Spot for litter control or beautification. We would love to hear from people interested in volunteering with the City of Columbia.

01.26.16
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Addressing Inequities

Unequal opportunities and access to resources is another factor that strains community.  More than 40% of our school age children qualify for free and reduced price lunch.  Our school district is experimenting with different approaches to ensure that all children have the food they need to learn.  Many of our children also lack access to regular health care, including needed mental health resources.  In 2012 our county passed a tax to create a Children’s Services Fund, and recently launched a new Family Access Center to connect families to needed resources.  But a recent study also showed Boone County to be one of the least likely counties to provide a path out of poverty.  Much more can be done to reduce inequities in our community.  What would you propose?

01.25.16
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A Bridge Begun

The healing power of music was evident on Saturday night as the Columbia Chorale, Columbia Youth Choirs and Community Gospel Choir combined for a community concert promoting unity at the Missouri United Methodist Church.  The choir was diverse, the audience was diverse and the music was enjoyed by all who packed the pews, both on the main floor and the balcony. The program notes for “Where Do We Go From Here”, composed by the Community Gospel Choir conductor Lamont Walker and featuring the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., included this statement:

Right now, the Columbia Community is in need of unity to usher in healing to the broken, hurting, wounded, and oppressed. Sincere, authentic, and unconditional love for mankind will break down all of the walls and barriers that divide us.  It is that love that will bind hate, pierce color lines, and demand justice for all.”

Judging from the attendance, there are many in Columbia looking to bridge that which divides us.

01.22.16
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Upcoming Dialogues At The ARC

There are a number of opportunities to get together with others and talk about how we can strengthen our community.  Here are some upcoming dialogues all of which are being held at the ARC, 1701 W.Ash St.:

The Next Trib Talks Forum:  February 11, at 7 pm  –Dialogue on community, “Are We An Us?”

Columbia Parents For Public Schools:  January 30, at 9 am – Dialogue using the guide “Ensuring Our Future: What Communities Can Do To Help All Kids Succeed”

Cradle to Career Alliance Raising of America Series:

  • February 8, 6 pm: Wounded Places

  • March 14, 6 pm: DNA Is Not Destiny

  • April 11, 6 pm: Are We Crazy About Our Kids?

  • Learn more at: http://raisingofamerica.org/

We hope you can join in for one or more.

01.20.16
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New Dialogue On Community Violence

A fourth community dialogue has been scheduled, following up on the work done by the  Mayor’s Community Violence Task Force, appointed in 2013, and its recommendations, published at the end of 2014.

The dialogue will be held on Monday, Jan. 25 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall, 701 E. Broadway.

The dialogue will be an open forum for discussion of the Community Violence Task Force recommendations and the progress of facilitating those recommendations.

01.20.16
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Building Bridges

Another strategy identified in past forums for restoring a sense of community was for different groups to get together with those they don’t regularly talk or work with in order to get to know each other.  And participants emphasized the importance of listening.

These last two weeks provided several opportunities for people to come together, whether to talk about common interests, such as the dialogue held by the Cradle to Career Alliance on January 11 as part of their “Raising of America” video series; to celebrate our diverse community as many did at the 2016 Columbia Values Diversity celebration; or simply to come together in fellowship and support as others did at the breakfast buffet held at St. Luke United Methodist Church.

Here are some quotes from the week, all aligned with the strategy of building bridges:

“We are one. There’s no color -we’re all just one.  And when we can decide that we’re one, then Columbia can unite together.”  – Rev. James Gray, Second Missionary Baptist Church, quoted in the Columbia Missourian Jan. 19, 2016

“There are people that need a meal, and we have a meal for them.” – Annabelle Simmons, St. Luke United Methodist Church, quoted in the Columbia Daily Tribune Jan. 18, 2016

“We stop exploring, we stop challenging ourselves to learn.” – Brenda Jackson, Stephens College Student Government Association President, quoted in the Columbia Daily Tribune, Jan. 19, 2016

“I’m pleased we honor diversity, and eventually we will get to a more accepting community – we just have to keep moving forward in recognizing and accepting each other’s differences.”  Barbra Horrell,  Columbia Values Diversity 2016 Individual Honoree, quoted in the Columbia Daily Tribune, Jan. 14, 2016

 

01.08.16
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Citizen-Centered Planning

What is citizen-centered planning?  Our forums identified at least three factors:

  • Adequate notice and opportunities to be heard.
  • Opportunities for meaningful input.
  • “Reporting back.”

What is adequate notice and opportunity to be heard?  It includes reaching out to citizens in ways that get their attention and adequately inform them why input is needed.  Consider Dave Meslin’s Ted Talk “The Antidote to Apathy” for ideas on how this area of planning might be improved.  Ideas shared by our participants included more readable notices provided in a variety of formats, scheduling meetings at different times of day, and at accessible places served by public transit.

What makes for meaningful input?  This would include opportunities to help define the problems to be solved, not just comment on proposed solutions.  It includes timely provision of information — citizens should not be asked to a meeting and then told a 100+ page report has been issued just that afternoon.  It also includes efforts to help break down complex issues and provide information in context and formats that help citizens digest that information.  Boone County’s recently released Citizen’s Guide to County Finances is a good example of one effort to do just that.  “Meaningful input” also means that there is actually a possibility that the input will make a difference.  It is the opposite of what our participants described here:

“With the trash issue, the city asked for opinions, and then it appeared they were definitely going to use roll carts. At that point I stopped responding to surveys.”

“Was the city really “up in the air” about rollcarts, and wanting to gauge opinions, or were they trying to find out “If we do this thing, how many people will hate it?” I am being facetious but the perceptions were there that participation was meaningless.”

Reporting back simply means communication on what input was received, how it was used, the decisions made, and the reasons for these decisions.  Forum participants thought this was an area where significant improvements could be made.

Share your thoughts on “citizen-centered planning” in the comments. Where do you see it? What changes would you make?

 

01.08.16
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Are We An Us?

The Trib Talks forums to date have made it clear that the citizens of Columbia are concerned about where we are going as a community.  The rapid growth over the last 10 years has resulted in tensions and stressed existing divides of place and race, town and gown, “old” and “new” Columbia.  How can we as citizens heal the divides?  Key approaches discussed during the forums were to use more “citizen centered” planning,  address existing inequities, and build bridges between groups. We will consider each of these further on this blog, and on our February 11 forum.  Add your thoughts below, or take our survey.

01.04.16
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Upcoming Event: January 11, 2016

The Cradle to Career Alliance is hosting its second dialogue event featuring films in The Raising of America film series at the ARC, 1701 w. Ash St., on January 11, 2016.  The featured film will be “Once Upon A Time When Childcare for All Wasn’t Just A Fairy Tale”. The film screening begins at 6 pm. The film is about 30 minutes and dialogue will follow. Dialogue will be facilitated by Columbia Parents for Public Schools.  Over 90 people attended the first event.  If you are concerned about our kids and our working families, this would be a great event to attend.

Join others in the community who care about our kids: January 11, 6 pm, at the ARC!