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No Price Tags: These Neighbors Built Their Own Economy Without Money

Araz Hachadourian

January 24, 2018 |

Yes! Magazine |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, St. Louis, Missouri

Time-banking is a way of trading goods and skills using labor hours rather than cash. The system connects neighbors to fulfill each other’s needs, everything from bike repairs to cooking and cleaning. More than 2,000 hours have been exchanged through St. Louis’ Cowry Collective, one of the nearly 500 time banks in the United States.

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Nonprofits make rural home ownership more plausible

Jan Anderson

January 10, 2018 |

The Boulder Monitor |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Boulder, Montana

Affordable housing often needs several solutions to make sufficient impact in a community. In Boulder, Montana, several groups and funding sources are working together to keep a diverse stock of affordable housing available to residents who need it most. The National Affordable Housing Network helps fund energy-saving homes in Montana. Some trailer parks have transformed into cooperative systems or community land trusts, so residents have more of a sense of ownership for what they pay.

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How to turn a struggling small town around

Jan Anderson

January 10, 2018 |

The Boulder Monitor |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Boulder, Montana

Boulder, Montana struggled upon learning that a major local employer, the Montana Developmental Center, was going to close. However, the news pushed the town toward a path of redevelopment. The Boulder Transition Advisory Committee stepped up by launching the “Make Boulder’s Future Bright” campaign, which involved citizens in creating goals and strategies to achieve them. Since earning a major grant, the town has been working to revitalize the downtown area. This story is part 1 of a series about housing for rural Montanans.

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Friends Transform Vacant Building Into Popular Community Center

Martha Pskowski

January 09, 2018 |

Yes! Magazine |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Mexico, San Agustín, Ecatepec

Abandoned buildings hold great potential. In Ecatepec, friends got together and transformed an empty commercial space into El Banco, a bustling hub of arts and recreation activities open all day for local kids and families. The community center offers a valuable gathering space amid government neglect and high rates of crime.

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Kenton Women's Village Provides Homes To Homeless Women

Allison Frost Andrew Dorn

December 18, 2017 |

Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) |

Multi-Media |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Portland, Oregon

Providing people with safety and stability can help to break the poverty cycle. In the Kenton neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, the Kenton Women’s Village provides shelter and support for homeless women. The community is supported by staff of the Catholic Charities and the Kenton Neighborhood Association, but is largely run by the women who live there.

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With few resources, block clubs find ways to stabilize and rejuvenate communities across Detroit

Aaron Mondry

December 11, 2017 |

Model D |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

Block clubs act as a more approachable way for residents of a certain area to come together, “and they’re also one of the most essential.” In several neighborhood of Detroit, block clubs have made impactful local changes. From handling safety issues without necessarily involving the police to caring for vacant properties to advocating for brighter street lights, these block clubs are making their communities better.

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Pedal to Porch

Jill Harkins

December 04, 2017 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

In Detroit, Michigan, residents reduce the effects of gentrification through physical activity and shared storytelling. The non-profit Pedal to Porch encourages residents to bike to their neighbors’ homes and record their memories. The effort helps retain some of the identity in Detroit’s changing communities and establishes new connections for the city to grow. Founder Cornetta Lane notes, “communities are more likely to bounce back from social and natural disasters when they know each other.”

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In Woodlawn, a Ground-Up Approach to a Healthier, Safer Community

Brandis Friedman

October 11, 2017 |

WTTW-PBS |

Broadcast TV News |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Urban areas that have more trees tend to have lower crime rates, attracting more investment and have higher income levels. They also make neighborhoods nicer places to live so that’s why Blacks in Green, a community group in Chicago, is focused on building more gardens, planting orchards and trees with the help of the Morton Arboretum, which works with community groups around the city. Blacks in Green has combined the initiative with efforts to provide more jobs for the community’s young people as well.

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In Flint, Block Clubs Make a Difference Worth Millions

Scott Atkinson

August 10, 2017 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Flint, Michigan

Instead of relying on Flint’s municipal government for basic services that it does not have the money for, residents are “picking up the slack” by joining block clubs. These community groups maintain parks, mow lawns, and clean up garbage, saving the city $4.3 million from 2015 to 2017. Though it’s not a permanent fix, block clubs are nonetheless making a significant positive impact on the city.

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This Kansas City neighborhood wrote the blueprint for transforming a community

Nikhil Swaminathan

July 25, 2017 |

Grist |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Kansas City, Missouri

The Kansas City neighborhood of Ivanhoe was once plagued by blight, illegal dumping, drug trade, gun violence, and neglect; neighbors lived in fear or moved away. Inspired by one compassionate and proactive family, the Youngs, the community stepped up, partnering with the local university and a charitable foundation to map out a tangible blueprint for sustainable change. They are working with police and the city council to tackle the blight and revive their neighborhood through affordable housing, park space, and a renewed sense of community.

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