Celebrating 15 Years of Strengthening Neighborhoods

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ProgramFor 15 years, Strengthening Neighborhoods (SN) has been The Denver

Foundation’s grassroots neighborhood development program.

SN helps residents of ten partner neighborhoods use their existing

strengths and assets to make their communities better places to live.

History: In 1996, The Denver Foundation asked 100 leading membersof the community to share ideas about how the Foundation could expand its impact. Their number one suggestion was “Neighborhoodand Community Capacity Building.” In response, The Denver Foundation created Strengthening Neighborhoods.

Partner Neighborhoods (through 2012): Commerce City, Original Aurora, and the Denver neighborhoods of Clayton, Elyria Swansea, Globeville, Highland, Northeast Park Hill, Skyland, Sunnyside, and Whittier.

Grants: For a complete list of grants, please visit www.strengtheningneighborhoods.org.

Strengthening Neighborhoods

Patrick Horvath LaDawn Sullivan David Portillo Mario Flores

SN TIMELINE

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The Denver Foundation convenes 100 community leaders who recommend creating a program to help strengthen the Denver region’s neighborhoods.199

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The Denver Foundation launches the Strengthening Neighborhoods Initiative, and its first grant helps createCommerce City Community Enterprise.19

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SN has helped neighborhood residents in its partner communities by:

• Awarding planning and project grants to groups of neighbors seeking to make change in their communities

• Offering advice and resources as people are gettingtheir projects started and throughout their projects

• Providing leadership development in English and Spanish

Strengthening Neighborhoods Committee 2011-2012Ginny BaylessSarah BockLinda Campbell, Chair Jack FoxDavid GoensMaría GonzalezRuben MedinaPaul TamburelloMaría Zubia

55 Madison Street, 8th FloorDenver, CO 80206

www.strengtheningneighborhoods.orgwww.denverfoundation.orgG

OA

LS

RELATIONSHIPS

LEADERSHIP

SOCIAL JUSTICE

CONVENING

PARTNERSHIP

SN makes its first “small grant” to Walter Keller at the Lumber Baron Innfor a slide show on home renovation for Highland residents.199

8 SN and its neighborhood partners hostthe first Strengthening NeighborhoodsCelebration at Pecos Community Center in Highland.19

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RelationshipsCommerce City is a blend of quiet residential neighborhoods

and industrial areas, perched just north of I-70 on the southern

edge of Adams County. With its close proximity to downtown

Denver and the airport, the community has seen tremendous

growth in recent years. At the same time, many local residents

are seeking to maintain the strong sense of community that

has typified Commerce City for generations.

Fifteen years ago, The Denver Foundation saw great promise in Commerce City and chose the city to be one of its original partners in the newly formed Strengthening Neighborhoods Initiative. The new initiative made one of its first grants to launch anew group called “Commerce City Community Enterprise” (CCCE) as a citizen-centered nonprofit that would help residents marshal theassets and relationships already present in their community to take action on issues that were important to them.

Now in 2012, Cristie Jophlin-Martin, Executive Director since 2003 and an employee since 2000, can tell stories for hoursof working with local leaders to build relationships between diverse parts of the community. One hard-fought success was the creation of curbside recycling. “We helped a group of neighbors create Commerce City Citizens for Recycling. They conducted a campaign to build support – a campaign run one hundred percent by the residents themselves as volunteers,” says Jophlin-Martin. “It took a year, but we now have curbside recycling throughout the entire city.”

CCCE has also taken on many community-wide efforts, such as serving as the lead for an immigrant integration and community inclusiveness project called Commerce City One Community. In partnership with the city, they help over 1,000 immigrants and other community members with basic human needs, and offer amonthly legal seminar on immigration and other issues.

Commerce City Community Enterprise

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Cristie Jophlin-Martin pointsout, “… the residents can more easily speak with a specific voice about their vision for their future…”

Top photo: Community Enterpriseleaders listen to residents during adoor knocking campaign. Bottomphoto: Children of new CommerceCity leaders at their organic garden.

SN holds its first Spanish-languagecommunity meeting.

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0 SN holds over 30 neighborhood outreachmeetings in most SN partner neighbor-hoods to help neighbors learn from oneanother and develop ideas for projects. 20

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RelacionesCommerce City es una mezcla de vecindarios residenciales

tranquilos y zonas industriales, ubicadas justo al norte de la

I-70 en el borde sur del condado de Adams. Con su cercanía

al centro de Denver y al aeropuerto, la comunidad ha visto

un enorme crecimiento en los últimos años. Al mismo tiempo,

muchos residentes locales están tratando de mantener

el sentido fuerte de comunidad que ha caracterizado a

Commerce City por generaciones.

Hace quince años, "The Denver Foundation" vió mucho potencial en Commerce City y eligió la ciudad como uno de sus vecindarios asociados originales en la iniciativa recién formada deFortalecimiento de Vecindarios. La nueva iniciativa hizo una de susprimeras concesiones de subsidios para lanzar un grupo nuevo llamado "Commerce City Community Enterprise" (CCCE por sus siglas en inglés) como una organización sin fines de lucro centrada en el ciudadano que ayudaría a los residentes a estar a cargo de losrecursos y las relaciones ya presentes en su comunidad y adoptar decisiones sobre cuestiones que son importantes para ellos.

Ahora en el 2012, Cristie Jophlin-Martin, Directora Ejecutivadesde el 2003 y una empleada desde el año 2000, puede contar historias durante horas del trabajo con líderes localespara crear relaciones entre las partes diversas de la comunidad. Un éxito duro de alcanzar fue la creación del reciclaje en la acera. "Hemos ayudado a un grupo de vecinos a crear Ciudadanos de Commerce City a Favor del Reciclaje. Ellos llevaron a cabo una campaña para promover el apoyo – una campaña dirigida un cien por ciento por los propios habitantes como voluntarios," dice Jophlin-Martin. "Tomó un año,pero ahora tenemos reciclaje en la acera a lo largo de toda la ciudad."

CCCE también ha hecho muchos esfuerzos en toda la comunidad,tales como servir de dirigente para una integración de los inmigrantes y el proyecto de inclusividad de la comunidad llamado Commerce City Una Comunidad. En asociación con la ciudad, ayudaron a más de 1,000 inmigrantes y otros miembros de la comunidad con las necesidades humanas básicas, ofrecieron un seminario legal mensual sobre inmigración y otros asuntos.

Commerce City Community Enterprise (Commerce City Empresa Comunitaria)

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Cristie Jophlin-Martin señala,"... los residentes pueden hablarmás fácil con una voz específicaacerca de su visión y de su futuro..."

Foto superior: Los líderes de "Community Enterprise" escuchan a los residentes durante una campaña de tocar puertas. Fotoabajo: Los niños de los líderesnuevos de Commerce City en sujardín orgánico.

SN celebra su primera reunión de la comunidad hispano hablante.

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0 SN tiene más de 30 reuniones en los vecindarios asociados para ayudar alos vecinos a aprender unos de otros ydesarrollar ideas para proyectos. 20

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These projects would not be possible without the active support ofresident leaders like Guillermo Serna and Mariá Gonzalez. Both haveserved on The Denver Foundation committee that oversees SN’s work,and have participated in SN’s Neighborhood Leadership DevelopmentProgram. CCCE has now created its own version of the program,using a national curriculum that they helped develop for use with native Spanish-speakers. “Building on what SN taught us, we’ve expanded from 8 sessions to 20, and we had 19 graduates in our lastround of classes,” says Jophlin-Martin.

Commerce City still faces challenges with helping bring together thevery different groups that are driving its growth and development,which include low-income immigrant communities and higher income homeowners. One tool CCCE has used to build relationships and bridge gaps is NeighborCircles, a series of dinners that helpsneighbors know one another and determine how they can work together to build community.

What will CCCE take on in the years to come? Right now, CCCE and its resident leaders are working with the city to name all the neighborhoods in Commerce City, and to give the newly-identifiedcommunities a specific voice in city planning and decision-making.

As Jophlin-Martin points out, “Oncethese neighborhoods have an identity,the residents can more easily speak with a specific voice about their visionfor their future, and more easily garner resources like community development block grants.”

CCCE has just merged with the organization Partnerships for HealthyCommunities so that it can expand itshighly-regarded resident leadershipwork into south Thornton, south Westminster, and the Perl Mack community. The new organization,called simply Community Enterprise,

will combine CCCE’s resident action model with a focus onhealthy eating and staying active. “We eventually hope tohave an annual summit of neighbors from throughoutsouth Adams County coming together to take action,”states Jophlin-Martin.

Fifteen years after its founding, SN can be proud of theoutstanding work of Community Enterprise and its neighborhood leaders. Together, they are creating a community that provides opportunity and connection for all of its residents.

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The Denver Foundation’s Board votes to makeStrengthening Neighborhoods an ongoingprogram, and SN creates the NeighborhoodLeadership Development Program.2002 SN is featured at The Denver Foundation’s

Annual Meeting. Over 800 guests from all over the region stroll through make-believe“neighborhoods” and chat with SN grantees.20

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Commerce City celebrates community projects hosted by CCCE.

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LeadershipIn the ebb and flow of community leadership, passing the baton

is essential to a consistently strong community voice in any

neighborhood. This is especially true in Skyland (North City Park).

Al Rue, the recently deceased past president of North City ParkCivic Association (NCPCA), was determined to change how leadership operated and to get others involved. “We werestumped,” stated Rue in a 2009 interview. “We had just beendoing things by the seat of our pants. We had to learn not to tellothers what to do, but how to encourage others to be involved, to lead.” Rue participated in the Strengthening Neighborhoods Neighborhood Leadership Development Program (NLDP), throughwhich local resident leaders learned how to reach out and draw newpeople into their work. “Being a part of the Neighborhood Leadership Development Program opened our eyes to new ways to re-energizethe Association,” Rue reflected.

As a result of lessons learned in the NLDP, as Rue prepared to hand off the leadership mantle in 2007, Elder James Brown was ready to to step up. “I committed to this organization in 2005,” says Brown, “I did so with a promise to be available 24/7.” Brown also brought a community village concept to the work. “The true meaning of community is when we all know each other and share,” he says, “…not just in the good times but with all the ills and hurts.”

Passing the Baton

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“The true meaning of community is when we all knoweach other and share,” ElderJames Brown says, “…not justin the good times but with allthe ills and hurts.”

David Goens (top) andElder James Brown

SN expands to include Original Auroraas its tenth partner neighborhood.

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4 SN Committee announces five new program goals, focused onbuilding connections between neighbors, leadership develop-ment, social change, cross-neighborhood collaboration, andhelping institutions include resident voices. 20

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Following the tradition of leadership and community engagement fostered by Rue and Brown, Dave Goens stepped into NCPCA’s leadrole in 2008, ready to stretch the neighborhood’s vision for itself.“I got involved in NCPCA because I truly believe that the more folksare involved, the stronger their community will be. I looked aroundthis community and I saw people with ideas for projects - ways tobring connection between diverse neighbors and buy-in by the community,” says Goens. “My job was to help prioritize, and ensure we had all the resources, including people and solid plans, to be successful.”

Now Deborah Fard, a long-time resident deeply involved in the neighborhood’s life, is leading NCPCA as the organization broaches a new frontier of community development and creates a long-term vision.

“As the new and current President of NCPCA, my vision is a collectiveone. It is inclusive of our children, seniors, businesses, and all residents. I believe I am continuing the same vision that past presidents have embraced,” states Deborah. “It has been 30 yearssince NCPCA had a woman at the helm. In addition, our neighborhoodis more diverse than it has ever been. Embracing culturally intelligentpractices is a necessary skill in successful leadership today. Successful leadership skills tend to be more relationship-oriented,team-collaborative, and include innovative structures for harmoniousand successful outcomes.”

Big plans are on the horizon for NCPCA – the Skyland Cop Shop (a citizen safety office, conceived and staffed by community volunteers), a model seed harvesting and garden program, and

community engagement to reopen discussions for the redevelopment of theformer East Denver YMCA, a communityspace that long-served as a hub of neighborhood life. These are just a few of the undertakings in this reenergized community.

Through this legacy of leadership – from Al Rue to Elder Brown, Dave Goens, andnow Deborah Fard – the neighborhoodhas become a stronger community, filledwith hope and pride. The only questionis – who will be next to take the baton?

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SN and its partners celebrate 10 years of neighbors building theircommunities!

2007

Claudette and Al Rue

First Spanish-language NeighborhoodLeadership Development Program

2006

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PartnershipFifteen years ago, The Denver Foundation asked 100 local

leaders for their advice about how the Foundation could play

a more proactive role in the community. Their number one

recommendation was to "strengthen neighborhoods in metro

Denver." The Foundation’s response was to create the

Strengthening Neighborhoods Program (SN), which set out

to help residents of low-income neighborhoods improve life

for themselves and their neighbors by building on the

strengths and assets they already have.

Where does this work begin? The first step is always

relationship building.

“SN recognized that the most critical foundation for communitychange is a platform built of relationships and committed common interests, where residents, local associations, congregations, business,and agencies can all come together,” states Mike Green, a consultantwith the Asset Based Community Development Institute and a long-time partner with SN.

“It was about providing financial support to help people make theircommunities how they wanted them to be,” says Christine Soto, who developed SN as a Program Officer and then Vice President of The Denver Foundation’s Programs Department. “We made a concentrated effort to reach out to folks in the community throughone-on-one meetings and by hosting gatherings of residents. It reallyhelped to transform the reputation of the Foundation into the placethat it is today—a place that cares about people in all levels of society.”

After focusing so much early effort on building relationships, in 2001SN was asked by leaders in several of its partner neighborhoods tocreate a leadership program to strengthen existing leaders’ skills and to help them develop additional skills that would serve them well inneighborhood settings. Eventually a second track was added to

Fostering Community Transformation

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According to Mike Green, “… conviction can transform people, groups, and whole neighborhoods into organized and united communities that

have the power to create the world they want.”

Gerie Grimes of the Holly AreaRedevelopment Project Committee and John Arigoni of Boys and Girls Clubs at the announcement of the Nancy P. Anschutz CommunityCenter in the Holly

SN creates first nonprofit learning circle, in Original Aurora, to help community nonprofits improve their effectiveness by connecting more directly with residents.20

08 SN begins working with the Urban Land Conservancy

and residents of Northeast Park Hill to create a community vision for the redevelopment of the HollyShopping Center and surrounding neighborhood.20

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support the leadership needs of monolingual Spanish speakers. Over 200 people from all of SN’s partner communities have graduatedfrom the two programs.

Years after the founding of SN, the fruits of relationship building andleadership development are being harvested in Northeast Park Hill.After an arson-induced blaze that leveled the Holly Shopping Center,SN was approached by Aaron Miripol, Executive Director of the UrbanLand Conservancy (ULC), about engaging Northeast Park Hill leadersin rebuilding the burnt-out property. SN’s LaDawn Sullivan thoughtSN could help to connect resident leaders with the ULC – which hadjust purchased the property and was trying to decide what to do withit. The outcome was that the ULC and SN partnered to create theHolly Area Redevelopment Project (HARP), a group of communitystakeholders who were deeply committed to developing a vision forredevelopment that could transform the neighborhood.

The leaders of HARP worked with the ULC to develop a set of GoodNeighboring Principles that the ULC agreed to use when seeking development partners for the property. Neighborhood leaderslearned how to assess development proposals and interview potentialdevelopers. The result of the HARP process is that a new Boys andGirls Club, chosen by HARP and the ULC as a result of the communityvisioning process, will break ground on a portion of the Holly propertyin late 2012.

The importance of SN’s role connecting resident leaders to the development process is recognized by Dave Younggren, Senior VicePresident of the Gary-Williams Energy Company and ULC Board Chair,who observes that “Strengthening Neighborhoods is a critical partnerin helping ULC effectively bring the community into our ‘place making’process. Their expertise in community outreach and organizing makesit possible for ULC to successfully target real estate investments to fillpriority needs that can be the catalyst for strengthening the fabric ofour communities.”

The Denver Foundation’s President, David Miller, calls the union between SN and ULC a “symbiotic” relationship. “Both sides have benefited enormously. The ULC has provided real estate assets andexpertise, while SN has used its neighborhood relationships and skills.”

What SN has accomplished is rare, according to community development expert Mike Green. “SN holds the deeply genuine conviction that all people have gifts and everyone needs to be included. This conviction can transform people, groups, and wholeneighborhoods into organized and united communities that have thepower to create the world they want. SN has always been about valuing the wisdom in communities, and understanding that peopleknow best what they need and want.”

7

SN leads The Denver Foundation into a new partnership to ensurethat the buildout of the region’s mass transit system helps residentsof low-income neighborhoods gain greater access to economic opportunity and to live in healthier transit-oriented communities.20

11

NEPH youth care for theHolly garden boxes (top),Holly Square sign (bottom)

SN advances its resident leadership and communitydecision-making goals outside its core group of tenpartner neighborhoods.

2010

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In 2013 and beyond, The Denver Foundation will integrate

the goals of Strengthening Neighborhoods into its grantmaking

and action to improve life in Metro

Denver in the areas of Basic Human Needs,

Education, and Economic Opportunity.

The Foundation looks forward to working with

residents to address these critical issues.

Goals:

• Support positive relationships among residents based on equality and the valuing of everyone's contributions

• Support resident leaders

• Help residents organize to create positive change in their communities

• Connect residents and resident-led groups across neighborhoods so they can learn from one another and take action on common concerns

• Bring new partners to the work of resident-centered community building

AboutStrengthening Neighborhoodsis The Denver Foundation’s grassroots neighborhood development program.

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A complete list of SN grants is available at

www.strengtheningneighborhoods.org

Bridges of Silence (in Commerce City)uses sign language to bridge hearingand non-hearing community members.

SN and its partners celebrate 15 years of resident-ledcommunity strengthening, and prepare to incorporateopportunities for resident leadership into all aspects ofThe Denver Foundation’s new ten-year strategic plan. 2012

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support the leadership needs of monolingual Spanish speakers. Over 200 people from all of SN’s partner communities have graduatedfrom the two programs.

Years after the founding of SN, the fruits of relationship building andleadership development are being harvested in Northeast Park Hill.After an arson-induced blaze that leveled the Holly Shopping Center,SN was approached by Aaron Miripol, Executive Director of the UrbanLand Conservancy (ULC), about engaging Northeast Park Hill leadersin rebuilding the burnt-out property. SN’s LaDawn Sullivan thoughtSN could help to connect resident leaders with the ULC – which hadjust purchased the property and was trying to decide what to do withit. The outcome was that the ULC and SN partnered to create theHolly Area Redevelopment Project (HARP), a group of communitystakeholders who were deeply committed to developing a vision forredevelopment that could transform the neighborhood.

The leaders of HARP worked with the ULC to develop a set of GoodNeighboring Principles that the ULC agreed to use when seeking development partners for the property. Neighborhood leaderslearned how to assess development proposals and interview potentialdevelopers. The result of the HARP process is that a new Boys andGirls Club, chosen by HARP and the ULC as a result of the communityvisioning process, will break ground on a portion of the Holly propertyin late 2012.

The importance of SN’s role connecting resident leaders to the development process is recognized by Dave Younggren, Senior VicePresident of the Gary-Williams Energy Company and ULC Board Chair,who observes that “Strengthening Neighborhoods is a critical partnerin helping ULC effectively bring the community into our ‘place making’process. Their expertise in community outreach and organizing makesit possible for ULC to successfully target real estate investments to fillpriority needs that can be the catalyst for strengthening the fabric ofour communities.”

The Denver Foundation’s President, David Miller, calls the union between SN and ULC a “symbiotic” relationship. “Both sides have benefited enormously. The ULC has provided real estate assets andexpertise, while SN has used its neighborhood relationships and skills.”

What SN has accomplished is rare, according to community development expert Mike Green. “SN holds the deeply genuine conviction that all people have gifts and everyone needs to be included. This conviction can transform people, groups, and wholeneighborhoods into organized and united communities that have thepower to create the world they want. SN has always been about valuing the wisdom in communities, and understanding that peopleknow best what they need and want.”

7

SN leads The Denver Foundation into a new partnership to ensurethat the buildout of the region’s mass transit system helps residentsof low-income neighborhoods gain greater access to economic opportunity and to live in healthier transit-oriented communities.20

11

NEPH youth care for theHolly garden boxes (top),Holly Square sign (bottom)

SN advances its resident leadership and communitydecision-making goals outside its core group of tenpartner neighborhoods.

2010

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