The meeting began with individual and project introductions, to provide a basis for sharing lessons and drawing out common themes - and pursuing mutual interests at meals and breaks over the next two days. That means we do a lot of partnering with community groups. And it takes patience, because these conditions didn't just happen over night, and change takes time, too.
Implementation is the key.
Felix Velasquez described the key to CCRP's strategy as community organizing, whether through neighborhood councils, tenant groups or youth councils. The group is emphasizing an employment strategy tied to access to health care and day care. Deputy Director Boyd Ward described his project's evolution, from an early focus on middle school youth with the goals of reducing teen pregnancy and drop-out rates and improving education and employability. After fumbling about the process for several years we realized that it's not just about youth - we have to zero in on whole families and communities, too. New Futures has analyzed the range of reasons children drop out of school, and tried to develop integrated services linked with schools to provide them and their families with the support they need.