Past Events
Community Building Workshop
May 28, 2009
With the physical planning for Rebuild Potrero well underway, on Thursday, May 28th, BRIDGE hosted a first meeting focused on Community Building. Thanks to Edward Hatter and the staff of the Neighborhood House for hosting a lively evening of presentations, brainstorming, and enthusiastic volunteering.
Courtesy of the Enterprise Foundation, BRIDGE and about 40 Potrero neighbors welcomed Joy Bryngelson, a Community Builder from Seattle who has worked for over 10 years on the rebuilding of New Holly, a mixed-income redevelopment of a formerly troubled public housing project. Joy’s presentation provided a set of guidelines developed through her community’s rebuilding experience, as well as some inspirational stories of successes and organizational structures that have proven helpful in their work.
Several community members shared thoughts and stories of successes they have experienced in building and maintaining community on the Hill – Maripousa Taufetee, with recent efforts to revitalize the Potrero Terrace Residents Association; Brenda and Eddie Kittrell, in their long-standing efforts on behalf of the Potrero Annex Resident Management Corporation (including the founding of the Family Resource Center); Dick Millett, about the well-established, broad range of activities of the Potrero Hill Boosters; and Mack Burton, about his personal efforts on behalf of the Terrace.
Fortified by Goal Hill pizza, participants formed five discussion groups to brainstorm a broad range of activities, events and programs they would like to see started, re-started, and continued to support the building and rebuilding of a sense of community among and between residents of the Terrace, the Annex, and the full Potrero Hill neighborhood. Each group selected a representative to present highlights from their conversations. Please see the attached materials for a full list of ideas generated at the meeting.
Materials: