Neighborhood Sharing - Part 3

This post is a continuation of neighborhood sharing. A local business man opened his facility to thirty two faith-based nonprofits. This allows for collaboration, creativity and resource sharing. David Madore, owner of US Digital Outreach, provides a secretary, and facilities manager. He provides a lunch room, conference rooms, an exercise room for their use. Downstairs there is a cafe. He stocks the cafe and 100% of proceeds helps to support these nonprofits on a rotating basis. This allows nonprofits to cut operating costs, and funnel their finances to provide services. There is a wide range which includes home schooling, school mentors, youth theater, missions organizations, and more. His willingness to provide space for nonprofits, brought resources to one location which has improved schools, helped local neighborhoods, provided needed resources for families, and opportunities to work with local churches, nonprofits and businesses to magnify the benefits. His business which has to do with solar panels has flourished. There is a big push for public-private relationships. Building relationships with the city, community organizers, and other groups may allow for creative use of public spaces and resources to benefit neighborhoods. In the absence of these partnerships, neighborhood associations may promote the idea by asking local churches and businesses to make room for business start ups and small nonprofits, particularly those with a neighborhood focus. Extend these agreements and grow gardens in the space between the sidewalk and street. This is a popular trend in low income and wealthier neighborhoods. Those who have no interest in gardening, can make the space available for those who have no access to land, have too much shade to grow a garden, for a produce sharing arrangement, to build community relationships or to donate the produce to neighbors in need. This can also be done block by block. Residents can commit to a single task (such as building planting boxes, adopt a planting box to maintain, or a block of time. Water is furnished by the homeowner. It doesn't require much water to garden on this scale, however making use of this space can produce a lot of food to help build relationships, improve neighborhood food security, nutrition, education and foster creativity. High school youth now need service credits to graduate. What better way than to serve those in their own community.