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What makes Holistic Neighborhood Development unique?
Place-Based
One of the greatest indicators of one’s life-long economic mobility is the neighborhood in which one lives. HND asserts that place is the most important factor to consider when seeking long-term outcomes, and it is one of the most neglected lenses within traditional poverty alleviation tactics. Place allows us to go deep, work broadly, and invest in the long-haul for real results.
Proximity
We cannot solve anything from a distance. We have to draw near, enter into relationship, and open ourselves up to the possibility of mutual transformation. Transactional giving between strangers will never end poverty. You cannot serve someone out of poverty. HND leads with neighboring and relationship.
Integrative
Poverty is neither caused, sustained, or solved by any one thing; it is the dynamic intersection of multiple factors, systems, and circumstances. The “holistic” dimension of HND is about committing to comprehensive engagement that seeks innovative, integrative strategies for long-term outcomes.
Agile
Cities, people, opinions, policies, and economies can all change in the blink of an eye. Strategies that worked last year might night work in the next. Work done for months may come up empty and expectations may get upended at a moment’s notice. HND can create real change because it is flexible and adaptive, constantly committed to the best, healthiest approach, even if that means a radical course correction mid-stream. We do not seek the perpetuation of our program; it is always about the thriving of a community and whatever it takes to make that happen.
Impact-Oriented
Results matter. Not activity, not busyness, not arbitrary program numbers, but impact. They may be hard to come by, hard to define, or hard to measure, but they are core to what it means to commit to HND. We want to see lives and communities thriving, not dependent on external support year after year. We do not settle for less than true and lasting change.
Data-Driven
Flourishing communities is not just a big vision for us. It is a process we have developed with tools to track and measure the health of a place. This process will define and create the strategies that will lead to long-term, lasting change in your neighborhood.
Inclusive Economic Development
What would it mean to put the lens of place on how we judge the health and effectiveness of our Economic Development efforts? What if it is not just about jobs or services or tax revenue? What if the purpose of Economic Development was to create neighborhoods of vibrant social connectivity, pride in neighborhood identity, and accessible opportunities for people of all income levels to grow personally and professionally while increasing the wealth and well-being of all? In this episode, we are talking about the future of Historic South Atlanta’s economic development by comparing and contrasting some common models of economic development with the place-based mindset FCS brings to the work.
Inside Community Grounds
We are thrilled to give you an inside look at our local businesses by introducing you to the amazing people who run them each day welcoming customers and ensuring we remain deeply connected to the neighborhood. This week we are focusing on Community Grounds, our neighborhood coffee shop, and cafe FCS opened to create a local third space – a safe, welcoming environment for neighbors to connect, belong, curate neighborhood identity, and care for each other.
Listen in on two of our leaders at Community Grounds: Carlissa Woodruff who is the Kitchen Lead and Brittley Pearson our Barista Lead. Not only are they employees and leaders, but they are also residents of Historic South Atlanta.
Inside Carver Market
We are especially excited to give you an inside look at our local businesses by introducing you to the amazing people who run them each day welcoming customers and ensuring we remain deeply connected to the neighborhood. Hear an inside look inside Carver Market, the neighborhood grocery store FCS opened in 2016 to end a food desert and catalyze an oasis of connection.
This is an eye-opening conversation with two of our leaders at Carver Market, Michelle Thomas who is the Shift Lead, and Sherry Pyburn our Grocery Lead. Not only are they employees and leaders, but they are also residents of Historic South Atlanta.