Community event feedback

Before the event, I was expecting a lot more of the community residents to participate. There were many people we communicated with that lived in the neighborhood when we passed out fliers a few weeks prior that were not at the event. Those very people showed some of the most interest in seeing a change in their neighborhood, so not seeing them there was a disappointment. But there was a great turnout from those who attend churches in the neighborhood and they were very enthusiastic to help. They didn’t even hesitate when we asked them to fill out our surveys or check out our boards. Some of their primary concerns came up when I mentioned using the site for housing. They felt like housing would solve none of the deep rooted issues of the community. A grocery store on the other hand, was something that they said could really benefit the residents who don’t have reliable transportation. A recreation area for children was also mentioned as a huge need, considering there is little to no green space in the neighborhood.

                Many homeless people showed up as well, and seeing their need was really eye-opening for me. The opportunity that we have as a studio to make a difference in their lives with work force development is substantial. My favorite part of the event was just going up to people and beginning a conversation. I think that should be something that everyone in studio needs to get comfortable doing if we are going to have another community engagement event. If strangers walk toward a tent of people they don’t know and no one gets up to introduce themselves, well, chances are they’ll leave after a quick bite to eat (which did happen several times). We should be doing everything we possibly can to show them that we want to know them and care about what they care about.