Public Interest; Community Groups: Call the Roll
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COMMUNITY organizing seems nearly always to begin with anger. Frustration, often escalating into rage, is common when you see a drug dealer selling his stuff on your street corner each night, or an overpriced grocery store selling rotten vegetables, or a landlord repeatedly refusing to fix whatever is leaking, dripping or malfunctioning. A first step is finding like-minded and equally incensed neighbors who are willing to devote the time and energy to fight back. Here is a representative sampling of community organizations, listed by category, that have done something about their problems. Many started with a few people and no money. Youth and Family NEW YORK ACORN Founded in 1980, this citywide group, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, tries to improve living conditions in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. Each family in the 20 neighborhood chapters pays $5 a month to maintain a staff of 35 and a team of 1,000 volunteers who organize community meetings and attack problems typical of low-income neighborhoods. In its first major project, in the early 80’s, 150 Acorn members squatted in abandoned city-owned apartment buildings in Brooklyn until they were given to the organization to turn into low-income housing. Its latest project, in partnership with the City Board of Education, is the development of new public high schools and elementary schools in Brooklyn and Queens, where parents will be involved with curriculums and the daily mechanics of running the schools. The group’s board is made up of neighborhood residents, who volunteer and work with other, smaller community groups. “When you join Acorn, you don’t just pay your dues,” said Steven Kest, executive director of national Acorn, which has representation in 30 cities. “You go to demonstrations at City Hall, knock on doors, circulate petitions, a whole host of things.” (718) 693-6700. These are other groups that work on similar issues: MOTHERS AGAINST VIOLENCE (South Bronx) Resolves conflicts and helps build leadership among youths from 8 to 22 years of age. (718) 617-6020. CORNELIA STREET BLOCK 1 ASSOCIATION (Bushwick) Tutors children from 3 to 17. (718) 453-5747. CROWN HEIGHTS YOUTH COLLECTIVE (Crown Heights) Does many youth-assistance projects, including art and homework-help programs; helped keep peace among some youths during the Crown Heights disturbances. (718) 756-7600. IMANI ALTISIMO INC. (East New York) Works to foster cultural understanding and tolerance by having youths from local schools design comic books portraying a diverse group of superheroes and historical characters. (718) 495-2812. POMONOK NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER (Flushing) Reaches out to 300 at-risk youths, with peer counselors offering advice on drugs, AIDS and other topics. (718) 591-6060. Multi-Issue Organizing HARLEM INITIATIVES TOGETHER This group began two years ago as an effort by 25 churches and community groups to increase people’s sense of their own power. Members meet one-on-one with community residents to discuss their concerns and suggest ways to act on them. Its best-known success, after six months of protests, was forcing 17 neighborhood supermarkets to clean up and improve maintenance. “Harlem tends to get treated differently,” said Stefan Robisson, an organizer. Residents “get treated badly in terms of city services and their fair share of decency and respect,” he said. (212) 368-7466. More : query.nytimes.com |