by Kenneth Moerbe
As you satisfy your book addiction at the upcoming 52nd Annual Friends of the Library Book Sale, I want you to realize that in this case, satisfying an addiction, is also doing something very supportive of the Waco-McLennan Libraries. Yes, your uncontrollable craving for the latest book by Jodi Picoult or John Grisham, or David Baldacci, or Tom Clancy, or Barbara Kingsolver can result in something very, very positive for our local libraries! What do I mean suggesting that an addiction can be positive for our community?
Let me explain. The four day book sale, probably one of the largest in the State of Texas, generates funds to provide many wonderful experiences in our libraries for thousands of our children and adults. We are blessed to have a committed city government that has budgeted something over $3.5 million this year to provide the vast bulk of the materials and staff support for our libraries. But the real ‘icing on the cake’ of our local libraries is provided by the funds generated by the book sale. The Friends of the Waco/McLennan County Library is a volunteer organization that exists for the sole purpose of improving the quality of life in our community through support of the Waco-McLennan County Library. The hours of hard work devoted to the book sale by dozens of members and supporters of the Friends of the Library combined with your lust for historical fiction, or poetry, or non-fiction,or romance novels, or any of a dozen other genres that we folks who love to read can’t resist, pays for the programming that makes our libaries a hub of community life.
Here are just a few of the efforts which have been funded so far in 2014 through this annual Book Sale:
- Author presentations and signings
- Free Children’s activities like the Crafty Kids Class, Sensory Storytime, Kids’Computer Classes, Spanish Storytime, Rubber Band Weaving MEET UP, Family Nights @ CENTRAL, Toddler Time, Storytime for Ages 3-6, Baby Time @ West Waco, Block Party @ Central
- Summer Reading Club Performer Fees, Children’s Summer Reading Club Incentives, Tween/Teen Summer Reading Club Incentives, Adult Summer Reading Club Incentives, Book Club Kits for County Libraries, Legos Lab @ Central
- Support and Grants for Little Free Libraries (LFLs) sponsored by Waco Community Development, LFLs created and developed by Rapoport Academy students
- Books for after-school reading instruction sponsored at Estella Maxey by Restoration Haven, Books in English provided over the summer through the Hewitt Library for children of migrant workers
- Material budget supplements of $35,000 for additional materials needed by Central, West Waco, East Waco, and South Waco Libraries, as well as the Genealogy Library, located a the West Waco Library, and the e-book services throughout the library system
- Library awareness and marketing services through bus benches and billboards, Chamber of Commerce directories, sponsorships of the Greater Waco Education Summit Scholarships, and One Book One Waco
- In-kind donations including thousands of items which were added to the Library collections, as well as given to the Hewitt, West, Moody, and McGregor libraries, donated through the Book Sale
- Photo Scanner for The Local History and Archives Project, automatic letter folder for Technical Services, a media browsing chest and additional shelving for DVD and Books-on-CDs for South Waco
Need I say more? Please plan to come and ‘satisfy’ your addictions for good reading at the 52nd Annual Library Book Sale sponsored by the Friends of the Waco McLennan County Library. November 6-9, at the Extraco Center’s Creative Arts and General Exhibits Building. For all the details, click here: 52nd Annual Friends of the Library Book Sale. See you there!
This post was written by Kenneth Moerbe. Kenneth is a Lutheran minister and the former executive director of Caritas. He has participated on just about every committee and task force in town that has anything at all to do with increasing food security or reducing poverty. When he and his wife, Paula, are not gallivanting all over the world on one of their many travels, they are busy serving on various boards, delivering Meals on Wheels and generally being two of the finest and most fun folks in Waco.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
by Liz Ligawa
Chances are you have reached this article through a post on your Facebook newsfeed. Being well-versed in the ins and outs of this media outlet, you are probably well aware of a coveted, and infamous symbol. A symbol that is used to convey quick, but not necessarily thorough, feedback. A symbol that will be used 1.8 million times in the next 60 seconds. A symbol that right now probably sits lonely and desaturated in shades of grey and disregard; but by the end of this article, may glow with an affirmative shade of blue: the “Like” button.
Now, imagine with me the completely unlikely event that you reach the end of this article and find yourself dissatisfied with the exposition of this subject, or at odds with the perspective of its astute author. If you find that you do not like this article, do you have the same options available to you to “dislike” as you do to “like”? The answer is no, and this absence speaks volumes about our culture’s relationship with dissent. But is agreement the only useful reply?
In social work, one of the skills we are required to learn and develop in becoming competent practitioners is a skill called Reaching for Negative Feedback. When using this skill, the social worker intentionally asks his client for feedback concerning unmet expectations, incompatible goals, unwanted outcomes, or any client experience which could be improved upon. It is a vulnerable yet valuable position for the social worker, and an honoring position for the client. At first, I did not comprehend the necessity of this skill, nor understand why we had to inquire about discontent. That was until I considered our boardrooms, our workrooms, our classrooms, even our living rooms — all common places in which we do not readily give permission to disagree. When was the last time you disagreed about a certain course of action where you work, or learn? When was the last time you were asked about it?
In her TED talk, speaking about the power of disagreement, Margaret Heffernan shares the benefits that disagreement has on progress and development. According to Heffernan, great teams and businesses are created when “people are allowed to deeply disagree.” This concept seems to go against what we have been taught about leadership and management. How do we build consensus if we encourage disagreement? What levels of success might we expect from a company that approves dissent? The issue that Heffernan raises is that it’s not that we never disagree with matters in our workplace, homes, or our communities; it is that most of us simply never voice it.
During a recent meeting I had with my mentor, I found myself struggling with the experience of a lack of permission to disagree. My mentor listened intently as I described my attempts to resolve a progressively, deteriorating dilemma. She would interject, calmly, and pause – giving me time to recognize in my own voice the discomfort I was experiencing. Suddenly, in the midst of my exasperation, she said, “You can say that, Liz. You need to know you can say that.” I stopped. She waited. Everything paused as I observed this unfamiliar, yet deeply empowering gift of permission. I did not know it, but I had been struggling with respecting the power of dissent.
What was your response the last time you were uninterested, or displeased with a post? Sometimes dissent will be referenced in the comments, but most of the time, it will simply be through the “Like” button left to its passive, default grey. This lack of comment, lack of dissent, takes a significant toll on the strength of our organizations. We sacrifice critical thinking, creativity, and growth. What tends to grow in this type of environment is a sterilizing culture of fear and resentment.
Are we bold enough to hear what others have to say? Am I bold enough to receive negative feedback from this post? Waco, we have a lot to offer one another. We are enriched by our many voices; if only we will give them room to be. The integrity of our ideas is not held together by neatly spaced stitches of affirmation, or commendation. Our ideas should show indications of wear, and use. They should have fingerprints and smudges; evidence of being held and evaluated by others. Let them be worn and disheveled; let them be tattered and renovated. Let them be anything other than praised without inspection.
For two decades, Dr. Alice Stewart was the sole dissenter against using radiology on pregnant women due to the effects she observed in the unborn child. In our own country, the Civil Rights Movement was carried by those willing to stand for a collective voice of dissent to the nation’s laws. In Ferguson, a heartbroken community seeks justice through its gathered voice of dissent. Dissent should not be as easy to disregard in our everyday lives as it is on social media. It should find a common respect among other celebrated forms of communication.
You have now reached the end of this article. Consider this my formal attempt at Reaching for Negative Feedback. When was the last time you heard, “Dissenting opinions accepted here”?
This post was written by Liz Ligawa. Liz is a graduate student of Baylor University where she has found the perfect expression of her community-centered heart in the MDiv/MSW degree program. With a concentration on Community Practice, she is also the adoring mother of one son, Elijah, who prefers to be regarded in public as Spider-Man. She may be reached at [email protected].
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
by Stephanie Drum
Did you know that alcohol is the most abused drug among youth and young adults in the state of Texas? Did you know that providing alcohol to minors is a more serious offense than a DWI?
I am the new VASA coordinator for McLennan County. VASA stands for “VOICE Against Substance Abuse.” VASA is a community coalition, a group of concerned adults and youth working together to address issues related to underage/binge drinking, marijuana use, and prescription drug abuse in McLennan County. Our vision is creating a drug and alcohol free culture for youth and young adults.
Last month, I was in Austin with coalition representatives from all over the state of Texas, learning how to identify and address alcohol, marijuana and prescription drug abuse in young adults. I was particularly interested in the success stories shared by seasoned professionals. During the presentations, I furiously scribbled notes about potential strategies we could utilize in McLennan County. I was heartened because many of the communities who were sharing success stories started out by doing exactly what our VASA is doing right now: gathering data.
Specifically, we are gathering data to identify the status of alcohol, marijuana and prescription drug use and abuse in our county. We are in the process of conducting a survey of McLennan County residents, including students, parents and community members, to analyze the use and abuse of alcohol, marijuana and prescription drugs among young adults. The data will also provide an understanding of the community’s perception of substance use and abuse.
In addition to gathering information, we are implementing environmental strategies such as media campaigns to raise awareness of the dangers of alcohol use and abuse by minors during prom and graduation seasons and the consequences faced by adults who purchase alcohol for minors.
We would love for everyone in McLennan County to know about the VASA and to join us in our work. Here are three basic facts to get you started:
- The VASA coalition is a partnership comprised of community members from various sectors, including students, parents, volunteers, law enforcement, health agencies and many others, who have a stake in the well-being of their community regarding substance abuse.
- The purpose of the coalition is to encourage community mobilization to make changes in community policies, laws and social norms by utilizing data gathered through research and implementing strategies that been proven to be effective in other communities around the state.
- The Texas Department of State Health Services is funding the coalition for five years; the goal is for it to become self-sustaining when the grant ends. The grant is administered locally by VOICE, the largest provider of youth substance abuse prevention services in Texas.
Just like you, I desire safe and healthy environments in which our children and youth can grow and develop into responsible adults, capable of making good decisions. I believe that we can make great strides towards this goal by working together to change the ways in which illicit consumption of alcohol, marijuana and prescription drugs are identified and addressed in our community.
To learn more about the VASA Community Coalition and how you can be a part of our efforts, please contact me.
Stephanie Drum is the VASA Community Coalition Coordinator and works at VOICE. She has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and a MDiv/MSW from Truett Seminary and Baylor University. She loves baking, the country and all kinds of art. Please contact her at [email protected] or (254) 741-9222 – she would love to share more about VASA Community Coalition!
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
by Ashley Bean Thornton
I love that Waco is small-big town or maybe a big-small city. We are small enough that rush hour is still more like “rush 15-minutes” and big enough to have a public radio station to listen to if you happen to get stuck at a light. (Thank you KWBU!) We are small enough that I run into people I know at the grocery store, and big enough that I meet new people with new ideas every day. We are a great size for a city…umm…town…umm…whatever…
Of course there are some challenges with being big-small. As sort of a “small town,” we might be tempted to believe that we all have the same ideas about what Waco should be, and how to go about getting there. In fact, we are big enough and diverse enough that there are many ideas about Waco. We need to make a point of listening to each other to pull those varied ideas together into one coherent vision. On the other hand, as sort of a “big city” we might be tempted to lapse into “big city apathy”– the unfortunate habit of letting “them” make all the decisions and then getting mad at “them” when “they” do something we don’t like. In fact, we are small enough that almost any of us could organize a group of like-minded residents and influence just about any decision being made in our city/town.
Because we are small-ish we all have the very real opportunity and responsibility to participate in the discussions and decisions that shape our community. Because we are big-ish, we need to take communication and participation seriously. It doesn’t just happen automatically. We have to be intentional about it. Our local government, school district and other institutions need to continue to provide opportunities for input, to make sure those opportunities are accessible to a wide range of people, and to publicize those opportunities far and wide in plenty of time for people to plan to participate. “We the people” need to take full advantage of the numerous opportunities available to us to join in the civic conversation. (The phrase “use it or lose it” comes to mind.) Here are a few ideas for doing that:
Participate in city planning with the new “Plan Greater Waco” on-line site at wacoplan.mindmixer.com. – The City of Waco and the Waco Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) are working right now on long-term plans that will shape and guide Waco for the next 10, 20, 30 years. The “Plan Greater Waco” site is open for everyone in the community to pitch ideas and give feedback on topics like “What are the three most important challenges facing Waco and McLennan County that we need to address between now and 2040?” and “What are our best resources that we should build on to strengthen our community?” On the site, you can give your own input, and see and comment on what your fellow residents are saying. It’s easy, and fun, and your feedback goes directly to the folks in the planning office.
Get involved with “Prosper Waco.” – Prosper Waco is our community-wide initiative to address challenges related to the high rate of poverty in Waco. Those guiding this initiative have wisely adopted a holistic approach of simultaneously working on health, education and financial stability. The initiative is designed based on the “Collective Impact” philosophy that calls for all of us to work together on a common agenda. Prosper Waco has been years in the making and has already benefitted from the input of many, many voices. If you would like to receive updates about the progress of Prosper Waco, send a note expressing your interest and requesting to be placed on the distribution list to [email protected].
Keep an eye out for town hall meetings and information sessions, and go! – Our various institutions – the city, the school district, the public health district, Waco Transit etc. – regularly hold town hall meetings and public information sessions for the express purpose of getting more community input into issues that affect our community. Even in this age of Facebook and Twitter, going to meeting is still a great way to get to know like-minded and different-minded neighbors, and to get to know the people who work for you in the various city, school-district, county and other public offices. Two great places to find out about meetings are the Waco Trib and Actlocallywaco.org. If you hear about a meeting that sounds important and interesting make it a habit to call a friend or neighbor and go!
Serve on a board, commission or committee – The civic work of our big-small community gets done to a large extent by boards, commissions and committees. There are over 30 boards and commissions listed on the City of Waco website and they welcome applications from every Waco resident. In addition to city boards and commissions, every non-profit in town has a board to help plan its work and committees to help carry out that work. Participation on one of these boards can give you a whole new appreciation for what is required to build a great community. Not sure you have the skills to serve on a board? Consider applying to participate in “Leadership Plenty,” a free 10-week leadership development program available to Wacoans who want to prepare themselves for effective civic participation. For more information, google “Leadership Plenty Institute Waco.”
Waco is a terrific place to live. We are big enough to dream audaciously, and small enough to know that we have to depend on each other and work together to make those dreams come true. A big “Thanks!” to all of you who are already working hard to make our community great. If you haven’t gotten involved yet, there’s no time like the present for joining in! Start with something small like leaving a comment on the wacoplan.mindmixer.com site or going to a meeting. Before you know it, you will be the one inviting others to the party!
This Act Locally Waco blog post is by Ashley Bean Thornton, the Manager of the www.www.actlocallywaco.org website and the editor of the Friday Update newsletter. The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
By Ashley Bean Thornton
Listen to the chatter on the street in Waco right now and this is what you will hear: “Have you been to the new stadium yet?” “Did you go to the first game?” “Amazing, right?!?”
You could probably throw a rock anywhere in Waco and hit fifteen people who are more devoted football fans than I am. But, despite my un-partriotically lukewarm attitude toward the national sport of Texas, I can’t help but be impressed by McLane Stadium. Wow! If you have to watch a football game, that is one fine place to do it!
Like about nine million other Baylor alums (give or take a few), I couldn’t resist snapping a pic of the new stadium and posting it on Facebook. A friend of mine commented on my post, “Does George Jetson have his own parking space?” His comment summed up what I was feeling when I took the picture. Gleaming on the banks of the Brazos, McLane Stadium looks like the future.
Do you think ten years ago there was someone…some starry-eyed, Pollyanna-ish, naïve Baylor supporter….imagining that in ten years the talk of the town would be “sail-gating” at the new on-campus, on-the-river stadium?
Think about it…Ten years ago, in 2004, no one I knew had heard the name “RG3.” Art Briles was happily racking up wins down the road in Houston. Baylor was coming off one disappointing season (3 wins, 9 losses), and heading into another (3 wins, 8 losses). Do you think there was anyone anywhere imagining that in ten years we would be hearing people say, like ESPN said recently, “Few college football cathedrals can match McLane … They don’t have to dream anymore on BU’s campus. All the pieces are in place to cement a spot among the nation’s best, year in and year out”? Really, do you think anyone back then was imagining we would be hearing that kind of pro-Baylor-speak from the TV sports people?
Yes, I think there were people who were imagining that very thing.
Even when it looked wildly improbable, there must have been people who expected we would get here. Yes, when they talked about it their friends rolled their eyes and smiled indulgently, but they kept talking about it anyway. When things looked like they were getting worse instead of better, they still promoted their vision every chance they got. Even when it was embarrassing and people were tired of hearing about it, they kept plugging away. They must’ve been constantly on the alert to seize opportunities, to put a piece in place here, another piece in place there until finally all the pieces came together. I’m pretty sure if there hadn’t been people like that then, we wouldn’t be hearing people say things like, “Awesome!” and “Fabulous!” now.
So, with great appreciation for the football visonaries of 10 years ago, and with our new shiny “cathedral” on the river as inspiration, let’s talk about the kinds of things we believe people could be saying in Waco ten years from now – in 2024:
“We thought about moving out of town, but we stayed for the schools.” — Ten years from now our school system is a magnet drawing people into Waco and keeping them here. College professors and employers are raving about Waco ISD grads. “They’re so well prepared.” “They know how to think.” “They’re such terrific problem solvers.” Our very own WISD grads are the technicians, engineers, health providers, teachers, artists and entrepreneurs who are pushing the Waco economy to new heights.
“I found a great job in Waco!” – The businesses we have now are expanding and hiring. Businesses and industry from other places have moved into Waco and started hiring. Our hometown entrepreneurs are growing and hiring. College grads are looking here first to start their careers. I imagine sitting on the plane from Dallas to Waco, overhearing the person sitting behind me tell her companion, “Waco is a great place to work. There are all kinds of new opportunities cropping up all the time. You’ll be glad you came.”
“This is such an easy town to be healthy in.” — I heard someone say this once about Austin, in the future we’ll be saying it about Waco. I envision healthy food readily accessible everywhere in town, in every neighborhood. Even hard-case fast food junkies like me will be giving in to peer pressure and starting to eat healthy. Parks, bike lanes, trails, and gyms will be bustling with activity as we have fun, get to know each other, and get fit all at the same time.
“How about if I meet you downtown somewhere? We can decide what to do when we get there.” — Ten years from now, people will be taking for granted that there’s always something great to do downtown. Downtown will be our gathering place, the hub of our community, the place where we run into our neighbors and friends, the place where we meet new people. It will be bubbling with enterprise, diversity, art, ideas, and great food! Businesses will be fighting for spots on Austin and Elm and 25th Street. Downtown residents will be enjoying their morning cups of coffee as they walk or bike to work.
“Let’s just take the bus.” – In ten years, people of all different income levels will be taking full advantage of our excellent public transportation system. We will all be enjoying the option to ride the bus to work, or to the doctor, or to meet friends to hear some music downtown. This freedom of movement will open up new job opportunities for many of us. We’ll be healthier, our streets will be less congested, our air will be cleaner, and we’ll be saving money because of it.
And, finally, the best thing we’ll be hearing in Waco in 2024…
“I wish I had invested in Waco ten years ago!”
This Act Locally Waco blog post is by Ashley Bean Thornton, the Manager of the www.www.actlocallywaco.org website and the editor of the Friday Update newsletter. The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
by Fernando Arroyo
She was only four feet tall. But, with a grip like a vice, she yanked at my arm while scolding me — in Mayan, in a voice that would rival Chef Gordon Ramsay of “Kitchen Nightmares” fame — to immediately stop stirring the pot of maize that was simmering on the open fire in front of me. I was learning about the roots of my Mexican indigenous culture, and evidently I was not a very good student. I had only ONE JOB, to stir the pot, and I couldn’t do it right! My eyes searched one of the many one-room, thatched-roof huts that dotted the village as I looked desperately for my professor who grew up in this village and was my translator.
The translation was, “You’ll spoil it! We must take great care in how we do this. Every step of the meal matters. Stir the maize in one direction. If you start stirring in the opposite direction, you will undo the care, work and energy that began in the stirring of the pot. Only one direction next time. Give it to me!”
Even though I did not master that art of making campfire joloch tamales that day, the instruction and wisdom I gleaned from the little Mayan chef was far more profound. She gave me eyes to see the wonder in our ordinary actions. I was struck by how even the most seemingly ordinary tasks and processes of the community had an incredible significance and power within them.
How do I use my new eyes at home in my own neighborhood? Through sharing.
Sanger Heights Neighborhood Association
I decided to discover my neighbors’ stories and to share my own. In doing so I found that creative energy and radical acts of kindness cascade from our neighbors and surge through our streets, parks, buildings and yards. In my neighborhood, Sanger Heights, strangers and friends are joining to share life, resources and transformation. Shareable.net describes what I see and hear in my neighborhood:
“When individuals embrace sharing as a worldview and practice, they experience a new, enlivening way to be in the world. Sharing heals the painful disconnect we feel within ourselves, with each other, and the places we love. Sharing opens a channel to our creative potential. Sharing is fun, practical, and perhaps most of all, it’s empowering. It enables us to experience and do things we never thought possible.”
Most of these kinds of connections are not begun by programs or institutions but by decentralized and self-organized groups stepping out to be intentional neighbors. Here are some experiments that my family and I have tried to expand our sharing opportunities:
Toy Swaps — I exchanged some toys collecting dust with new-to-the-Arroyo-kids toys at no other cost.
Clothing Swaps — We de-cluttered our closet and got a new wardrobe exchanging clothes in good condition
Meal-sharing — I cooked four casserole dishes with spaghetti and froze them. During a swap night with other families, I traded three of my frozen dinners for three different ones. Bam! I had three heat and ready-to-eat unique dinners I didn’t have to cook.
Car-sharing — Some friends are eschewing purchasing individual vehicles and instead are sharing a car, a van, and a truck. They share the maintenance costs and save themselves the full expense of vehicle ownership. Plus, they decrease their gas use and car pollution.
Cow-sharing — For the last two years, my friend and I have shared the purchase of a grass-fed cow from World Hunger Relief, Inc. A quarter of Rico the Cow fed my family for a year!
Do-It-Ourselves Education — On Tuesdays, my children and I meet up with other families from inside and outside the neighborhood to build balloon rockets, conduct archaeological digs, investigate erosion principles, and much more. On Fridays, I co-lead a neighborhood Spanish-exposure time helping children and their parents fall in love with languages, especially Spanish, my native tongue.
Peer-to-Peer Lending — Congregation members of a local church called Hope Fellowship are experimenting in lending to one another at zero percent interest as a way to disrupt the negative debt cycles crated by Cash-Advance/Payday Lending institutions and to invest in one another instead of the financial markets alone. This idea and practice was inspired by theologian Ched Myer’s Sabbath Economics series. Members of this project, called the Mustard Seed Fund, are excited about sharing the good news of supplemental economic systems that value people and places over profits.
Nuestra Voz
Nuestra Voz Open Mic Night — Artists, musicians, poets, writers and more gather the second Saturday of every month at 7PM at The Art Forum of Waco (1826 Morrow) to share their stories and create space for good ol’ fashioned “analog” social networks. I co-founded this event in partnership with Jenuine Poetess from Word Around Waco, and the Art Forum of Waco.
Halloween On Colcord — Ghosts, Ghouls, and Goblins from all walks of life gather to enjoy the sights, sounds and candy at this yearly neighborhood event. Last year over a thousand hotdogs were devoured. Neighborhood churches, organizations, and groups host front yard activities. Contact me if you are interested in hosting a yard or an activity.
Dia de los Ninos
Sanger-Heights Neighborhood Association — I’m on the board. We’re working on ways to boost our neighborhood economy. We are conspiring to help create celebrations that represent our neighbors’ stories like Dia de los Niños and more. We are developing our 501(c)3 status and laboring together to help repair our sidewalks and our homes that are layered with history and culture.
According to Robert Sampson’s Great American City, the most resilient and cohesive neighborhoods, where neighbors take joy in the life of the neighborhood, are those where neighbors know one another and know that those around them will help in their time of need. In other words, people love their neighborhoods when they know each others’ stories and are there for one another when things go down.
Live these stories with me…or live into the ones in your own neighborhood. Move your barbecue pit and lawn chairs from your fenced-in backyard to the front yard and share a meal with a stranger or a new friend down the street. For a more enriching experience, share that meal with folks from another faith tradition, financial bracket, or cultural experience.
We are all social beings and our relationships and places make us who and what we are. Become an active part of one anothers’ stories. In the process, you too will receive new eyes to experience the exquisiteness of love and life in your place.
What kinds of stories do you see in your neighborhood? Share your stories in the comments. Contact me for more information.
This blog post was written by Fernando Arroyo. Fernando migrated from the Yucatan Peninsula to Waco and lives in the Sanger-Heights Neighborhood with his wife/best friend, three young children, (too many) ornery chickens, his wire-haired dog, and delightful neighbors. He works as a corporate instructor with Temple College and McLennan Community College teaching courses in workforce development, technology, leadership and management. Fernando’s experience includes being on staff and on the board of a number of nonprofit and for-profit organizations improving affordable housing, youth violence reduction, youth entrepreneurship, immigrant advocacy, public and private education, and community and economic development. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Baylor University and a Master’s from Concordia University. His mission is to serve as a catalyst for peace, healing, justice, and reconciliation. Contact him at l[email protected]. The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
by Phil York
Football season is here. As an Aggie transplant to Waco, I have a new struggle: competing loyalties as I slowly learn to cheer for my new home team, Baylor University.
On August 28th, the Family Health Center auditorium was buzzing with the energy of a packed football stadium on the Brazos. But, unlike a crowd that is divided by team loyalties, this audience was united by a powerful bond.
More than 80 Wacoans met under the leadership of Citizens for Responsible Lending (CRL), a group established this year by and for Wacoans for the purpose of advocating for an economically healthy Waco. The event was dubbed, “The State of Pay Day Lending Rally.”
Robin Reid spoke first at the Rally. Robin was the true expert in the room: she took out a pay day loan several years ago and had the courage to share her personal story with us. Robin reminded us that pay day loans provide an important service that is not provided by traditional banks. However, predatory practices such as intimidating phone calls at her home and workplace, automatic renewals, and exorbitant fees are not acceptable. As Robin highlighted, the discussion that night was not about being anti-business; but about being pro-good business.
After Robin, representatives from CRL (Alexis Christensen, Ryn Farmer, Rucker Preston and Josh Caballero), Texas Appleseed (Ann Baddour), and Texas Catholic Conference (Jennifer Carr Allmon) provided an update about Pay Day lending on the national, state and local levels. Together, the presenters answered several important questions, including these:
- Why should we care about pay day lending in Waco?
- What further steps can you take about pay day lending?
Why should we care about pay day lending in Waco?
We should care about Pay Day lending because of the negative impact it has on our local economy. Pay Day lending is a big presence in Waco. Waco has 29 licensed Pay Day Loan/Title Loan storefronts. That is more than the total number of McDonalds (8) and Starbucks (5) combined! Under the current laws that do not limit fees, size of the loan, rollovers or refinances, and do not consider the ability to repay based on income, Pay Day lending is a big loser for the Waco community.
Here are a few facts to give you a sense of the economic impact:
- Borrowers pay an average of $23 in fees every 2-4 weeks for every $100 borrowed. Installment payday borrowers pay about $100 in fees per $100 borrowed.
- 602 cars were repossessed last year by auto title lenders in the Waco area. To put that in perspective, there are 1,900 parking spaces available in downtown Waco for Baylor Football games. Imagine the cars in almost a third of those spaces being repossessed and their drivers left without transportation to get to work or to take care of the other necessessities of life.
- 10.5 million dollars were drained from the Waco area economy in 2013 because of excessive fees.
What further steps can you take about Pay Day lending?
Join us! – This powerful rally was the result of concerned Wacoans coming together. When I spoke to Jennifer of the Texas Catholic Conference after the rally, she commented that Waco is one of the most proactive and caring communities she has visited in her Texas-wide research. Whereas other communities need extra support, Wacoans boldy say “we got this!” You can join your neighbors and friends who are already part of Citizens for Responsible Lending (CRL). Contact Alexis Christensen at [email protected] or 254-235-7358 to learn more.
Know your rights – Organizations such as the Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid provide literature about pay day lending. If you or some of your friends and family are already ensnared in debt related to Pay Day or Title lending, one of the most powerful tools for reducing the negative effect is to know your rights. Here are two helpful bulletins:
Share your opinion with the Waco City Council – At the rally, Council Member Toni Herbert (District 4) reminded us that there is a designated item on each Council meeting agenda called “hearing of visitors.” This is time specifically set aside for citizens to have a chance to voice concerns. You could use this time to voice your concerns about Pay Day lending. Council meetings are held the first and third Tuesdays of every month. Here’s a link to more information about how our city council works: Waco City Council.
Sign the petition supporting a Waco City Council resolution about Pay Day Lending – The Citizens for Responsible Lending have drafted a resolution that we would like for the Waco City Council to adopt. If adopted, it would state that our city council resolves to:
- Urge the Texas Legislature and Governor of Texas to adopt a 36% annual percentage cap on fees/interest,
- Encourage the City of Waco to explore alternatives and ordinances,
- Follow the same format of cities such as Bryan and College Station that passed ordinances. Currently. (18 cities have passed ordinances)
If you would like to sign the petition urging our city council to adopt this resolution, contact [email protected].
Alas, football season is here.
Football seasons have winners and losers, and they come and go. Some seasons are filled with “band-wagoners” who follow in the wake of the winning team. Unlike the fickle nature of football followership, the diligent passion, care and concern of Wacoans is as constant as the river Brazos.
Robin Reid’s story is our story. Predatory lending practices that threaten the financial security of many Waco residents are a concern for all Waco residents. These practices threaten the economic health of our whole community by preying on residents who are working hard to gain a financial foothold. We know how to join hands and act locally to insist on fair, pro-good business practices, and that is exactly what we are doing.
Phil York, Director of Development at Waco Habitat for Humanity, is a self-described “policy nerd;” he is also the Act Locally Waco housing and homelessness policy blogger. You can direct questions to Phil to [email protected]. Would you be interested in blogging for Act Locally Waco? If so please email [email protected].
by Julie Talbert
After being laid off from her first job, Doll Wilkerson spent time caring for her sick mother until she passed away. Earlier this year, she decided it was time to find a new job. Doll has a disability and thanks MHMR for helping her get hired at Big Lots. The final challenge for Doll was to figure out how to get home from work at night.
Doll, who lives in north Waco, shares this challenge with as many as 26% of residents living in parts of north and east Waco who do not have access to vehicle. Waco Transit’s bus service stops running at 7:15 p.m., leaving many without a way to get to or from work at night.
For now, a solution exists. Doll was excited to learn about the Evening LINK; the first-ever evening transportation service available Monday – Saturday from 8:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. Evening LINK is a project of Workforce Solutions in partnership with Waco Transit and several other local agencies.
The Evening LINK is successfully addressing a growing need of residents working non-standard hours. Jobs in the food service, retail, health and medical, and manufacturing industries often require employees to work nights. The Evening LINK provides approximately 400 passenger trips a month using three vehicles and a reservation system to get workers in the greater Waco area to and from work safely, reliably, and affordably. Eighty percent of passengers are employed full time and 90% report that the service is extremely important to keeping their job. More than 60 businesses have employees who have used the Evening LINK.
Doll has been riding the Evening LINK five nights a week for the last three months. The service is helping her meet her goal of “living a healthy and independent life.” At 40, feeling independent is important to Doll and she expresses her excitement about her new life by saying, “My disability may slow me down, but it won’t stop me.”
This Act Locally Waco blog post was written by Julie Talbert. Julie manages the child care and public transportation contracts for Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas. She believes that access to affordable, dependable and high-quality early education and public transportation systems are critical to a vibrant community. They are necessary to help us realize a vision of healthy children, strong families, and thriving economic opportunities.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
by Kari Tingle
Before you continue reading this blog post, I’m going to ask you to do something out of the ordinary: I want you to go grab a piece of food. It can be anything you like, though I suggest you grab a whole food of some sort, like a piece of fruit or vegetable. Don’t eat it just yet.
I know some of you did not take me seriously, just like some of my students this summer! But I am quite serious. Go grab a snack. This post will be here when you get back.
Now that you have your snack of choice I want you to do a few things. First, look at your snack. What color is it? Does it have a rough or a smooth texture? Is it flexible, like spinach, or is it rigid, like a carrot? Does it have a particular shape? How would you describe its smell? Now I want you to take a bite, but don’t chew. Just hold that piece of food on your tongue. Does its texture feel different from when you held it in your hands? Use your tongue to move it around in your mouth – I know this seems strange, but I want you to get a good idea of what the food feels like. Now bite down slowly. How does the food taste? Is it sour or sweet? Is it creamy or crunchy? Is it a little slimy or sticky or spicy? If you can, take a minute to close your eyes and simply enjoy eating that snack.
What you just did was practice mindful tasting, using all or most of your senses in the process of eating your food. I work as a Prevention Specialist at VOICE, an organization which seeks to bring lasting and positive change in the lives of the people with whom we work. This summer I was part of a pilot program in the Kate Ross public housing community in which we used an evidence-based curriculum to teach children how to live mindfully aware of their surroundings. Through a series of 15 lessons we focused on three major sections of the brain: the prefrontal cortex, the amygdala, and the hippocampus. We talked about how each of these parts of the brain guides the way we respond to certain situations. In addition to mindful tasting we practiced mindful seeing, mindful smelling, mindful listening, mindful movement, and being mindful of the way we interact with others. We sought, together, to choose optimism, to open ourselves to seeing things from another’s perspective, and to take moments to be thankful for the good things in our lives.
In addition to lessons we gathered each afternoon for a book club, meeting in the Kate Ross community center to work on reading skills. We used books that our curriculum suggested, books that helped to reinforce those lessons of mindful awareness. And, over the course of the summer, we witnessed real improvement in the reading comprehension of some of our students. We also spent Fridays at the Acts Church community garden, harvesting zucchini, onions, and potatoes while planting pumpkins, digging new rows, weeding the existing beds, and watering the plants. For us, mindful awareness included mindfully caring for the land we have been given.
Before starting our program I wondered, “Is this actually going to work?” The curriculum was written for use in school classrooms, and we certainly were no school. We partnered with Acts Church. They generously provided wonderful volunteers for our reading club and they let us use the apartment they maintain within the Kate Ross housing complex. We taught our lesson in that apartment. Our gathering space was a living room, we served snacks from the kitchen, we held class in the bedrooms-turned-classrooms, and we had picnic-style lunches under tents in the common yard on days when there was no rain (which, this being Waco, means most days). There were times when the curriculum simply didn’t connect and we had to quickly improvise before the kids got antsy. There were other times when the curriculum connected so well it brought tears to my eyes because the kids were actually getting it. They were being mindful of themselves and of their surroundings and it was beautiful.
Our work this summer was work worth doing. Our students looked forward to learning new things. My coworkers and I looked forward to learning new things. The experience opened my eyes to a way of being community that I have rarely seen in other places, a way of truly loving your neighbor as you might love yourself. I met mothers and fathers and aunts and grandmas who involve themselves in the lives of their children, who care about their children’s education, and who care about each other. And in the moments when my students reminded me to practice mindful awareness I felt a change within myself. I felt the significance of being alive.
We all come from different backgrounds. We all have different perspectives on life. But one thing I hope we can all agree on is that life is lived best when it is lived to the fullest. Waco has so many good things happening within it, so many people committed to helping make Waco a great place to be. I love this place, and I think it is made better when I live mindfully. I don’t create policies or work on the level of systemic change. But I can work in a grass-roots movement to act out of kindness, honesty, and love toward my neighbor. I can work to be the change I wish to see in the world.
Will you join me?
This Act Locally Waco blog post was written by Kari Tingle. Kari earned a Master of Divinity from George W. Truett Theological Seminary and now works as a Prevention Specialist for VOICE. The purpose of VOICE is to strengthen families and to help young people lead healthy and productive lives. They offer fourteen programs that approach this goal in a variety of ways including support groups and evidence-based curriculum which help young people develop the self-control and sound decision-making strategies to resist drugs, and to achieve success in school and beyond. Please help contribute to VOICE and the work they do by finding and “liking” their Facebook page: Voice Inc – Viable Options in Community Endeavors.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
by Ashley Bean Thornton
For the last few years I’ve enjoyed the privilege, aggravation, exhilaration and frustration of being involved in some of the on-going, city-wide conversations about how to reduce the rate of poverty in Waco. I would not trade this work for anything! What I WOULD trade is the amount of time I’ve spent in meetings because of it. The other day, in one of these meetings, one of my fellow meeters summed up the general sentiment, “When are we going to quit just talking and meeting and start DOING something!” It doesn’t even really matter who said it or what meeting it was, because I’ve heard the same plaintive cry in many, many meetings – sometimes from someone else, sometimes just in my head, often enough coming out of my own mouth. Chalk it up to too much caffeine and not enough prayer and meditation – but sometimes all these meetings wear me out.
When I get frustrated by all the talking and meeting, I have to remind myself that we are already DOING something. In fact we are doing a whole lot. By “we” I mean the community of Waco. I mean our abundance of non-profit, government and faith-based organizations who are supported by a small army of professionals and volunteers and a generous plenty of philanthropists – including the kind who can give hundreds of thousands of dollars and the kind who consistently give fives, tens and twenties.
I seriously think I could list a hundred great things we are doing in Waco without even stopping to take much of a breath. Communities In Schools, and VOICE Inc. and Youth Connection are supporting our young people and helping them succeed in school and make good decisions. AVANCE and Parents as Teachers are helping parents of young children be the best parents they can be. Headstart and Talitha Koum and WIC are helping children get off to a good start in their young lives. And, that’s all in addition to the work that WISD and Rapoport Academy and Waco Charter School and our other schools are doing.
Our Chambers of Commerce are working to bring jobs to Waco. Christian Men’s and Women’s Job Corps and Workforce Solutions and Heart of Texas Goodwill are helping people learn skills to get and keep a job. McLennan Community College Adult Education is running GED classes and ESL classes all over town. Caritas and Salvation Army and Shepherd’s Heart are working to get food to people who need it, and there’s a whole page-long list of other food pantries in the area who are doing the same. And Mission Waco…oh my goodness! Mission Waco is running a boatload of different programs from arts programs for children, to jobs programs for youth, to shelters for homeless people. And what about NeighborWorks, Habitat for Humanity, Waco Community Development Corporation and the City of Waco Department of Housing and Community Development? They have been working for years to build up our neighborhoods and to teach us financial literacy and community leadership. I’m going to stop now just because of space, but there are many, many, many more good things we are doing that I could mention.
We are doing a whole lot. Yet, our rate of poverty remains stubbornly high – higher than other communities our size in Texas. High enough that we cannot afford to do some of the things that we would love to do make our community an even better place to live than it already is. So, it seems that there is more to be done.
Maybe the more-to-be-done is in the spaces above and below and in-between all the good things we are already doing. Maybe our next opportunities for moving forward lie in bridging the spaces between organizations and institutions and programs, between for-profit and not-for-profit, between races and socio-economic statuses and political parties and levels of education and all the other ways we separate ourselves from ourselves.
The challenge in reaching across a divide is that it involves forging new relationships among people who might not be pre-disposed to have a relationship. It involves wrangling with conflicting values, varied personalities, and different cultures and communication styles until we manage to shake out a shared vision and shared vocabulary and shared habits for getting work done together. It involves learning to work with people you don’t understand, who get on your nerves and go way too slow or way too fast for your taste. It involves taking the time to find common higher ground instead of settling for the lowest common denominator. It involves finding the delicate balance when someone offends you between speaking up for the sake of better understanding, and just letting it pass for the sake of keeping things moving. This kind of work can only happen by talking to each other and meeting together. (And, even then, it takes a little faith — there are no guarantees! )
Talking and meeting IS doing something. It may not always be the most fun kind of doing something. It is certainly not the only kind of doing something, maybe not even the most important kind of doing something. But, I think it probably is a necessary kind of doing something. If we want to make much more progress in reducing our rate of poverty I think we are going to have to do more of it and work at getting better at it.
There is an art and science to talking and meeting productively – and to making the transition from talking to more concrete action. In my more positive moments (less caffeine – more prayer and meditation) I believe we are, as a community, getting better at it. Lucky for us, we have some terrific leaders who have dedicated themselves to this work. Also, it’s encouraging that more and more people are joining in the conversation. (Which is great, but makes the meetings take longer!) Like most things worth doing, it takes practice, some coaching, a willingness to be uncomfortable, a little risk-taking, and the tenacity to keep showing up. We are already doing so much good work… we owe it to ourselves to get good at this part of the work too.
Ok, Ok, pull out your calendars…when are we going to get together again?
This Act Locally Waco blog post is by Ashley Bean Thornton, the Manager of the www.www.actlocallywaco.org website and the editor of the Friday Update newsletter. The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.