Community Building is one of the key elements of Working In Neighborhoods’ (WIN) mission to empower people. WIN brought together five neighborhoods—S. Cumminsville, Millvale, N. Fairmount, S. Fairmount, and English Woods—to increase their ability to influence decisions about their community. This group of Mill Creek communities makes up the Beekman Corridor Coalition.
At the January 22 Coalition meeting, members met with the Mill Creek Alliance (MCA), a local non-profit whose mission is to champion the resurgence of the Mill Creek watershed as a natural and community asset. Coalition members heard about MCA’s efforts to get funding for recreational and water-quality efforst in the creek.
WIN staff helped Coalition members organize the meeting and prepare to speak about their needs. Through the meeting, Coalition members gained a clear picture of how MCA is working to make the area safer by addressing hazardous conditions in the creek and their plans for activating recreational areas. The Coalition and MCA also agreed on several points of collaboration, including:
- Working to use creek-side venues for community events such as The Beekman Community Market
- Working together on joint fundraising opportunities
- Collaborating on MCA events in our neighborhoods.
Partnerships like the MCA partnership are one of the keys to ensuring residents get what they need in their community. WIN’s Community Building efforts ensure residents develop these partnerships.