Neighborhood Circles

The first step in getting to know our neighbors is through our Central Community Survey. The goal is connecting neighbors gifts, finding the best part of each neighborhood, and finding what neighbors would do to improve their communities.

After the individual fills out the survey, we follow up with a phone call and an invitation to attend a Neighborhood Circle Meeting.

The goal of a Neighborhood Circle is to bring neighbors together but keep it small and multiply the circles in a neighborhood. When I think of what we want to accomplish it's listening to the voice of the community, sharing talents, meeting neighbors, and creating new friendships.

We invited between 6-8 people for our first Neighborhood Circle Meeting.

We stamped, cut, and pasted hand-made invitations for all attendees. Part of the fun of being a host of Neighborhood Circle is all the planning and preparation. Not really work when you are having so much fun!

Finding a place where everyone would feel comfortable was very important.

The Neighborhood Circle met at the Cleveland Public Library Sterling Branch.

Three weeks before the meeting, each of the attendees received a hand-made invitation in the mail with the details of the meeting. Everyone RSVP'd for the event within two days!

Another important part is making sure that the individuals were welcomed with good food. Since we didn't have time or a kitchen to make food we decided on ordering a take out from Hot Sauce Williams.

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together- African Proverb

This quote was our theme for the meeting. Everyone participated in the "mapping of our lives." Looking for common ground and sharing the impacting stories that brought us to where we are today. It was important that we shared something that was personal to us-to establish trust between each other.

We found common ground: most of us have moved a couple of times, experienced different neighborhoods, and been challenged in some kind of way to make us grateful and stronger and part of who we are today.

One of our friend's sharing his story

Brandy and a friend looking for her birthplace in Cleveland.

The lady in the blue t-shirt is a good friend of mine I've known for about 2 years. Through our conversations on that day we both found common ground in one of our dreams, "we both have aspirations of being teachers."I look forward to sharing more of her story in another blog post. She is pretty amazing!

 The next meeting, we'll share a potluck meal together and continue our conversations.  

Bunnies, Worms, and Chocolate Frosting

Happy Easter...this post is way late!

On Easter Sunday, it was cold and rainy. Not the kind of weather you want kids running around the yard looking for hidden gems-eggs filled with candy and goodies. The easter egg hunt was postponed instead we brought the party inside at Cedar.

Mike and Ike Candy, Brite gummy worms, and sugar wafers

Stamps, colored paper, stickers and stamp pads for cards

Making our bunny planters...

 The Glue for the wafers-chocolate frosting...yummy!

Stamping and coloring cards for family...

They were so creative! They became rabbit family cars, worm farms, and even a rabbit house!

 Cleaning off sticky-chocolate fingers !

 The kids were great and we had a lot of fun :)

When it was over the children went home with a bag of candy, easter eggs, and a couple of bologna and cheese sandwiches. 

A Perfect Fit

It's been awhile since I checked in. I have been very busy! I taught my first time on Heaventrain. The most people I've ever taught before was probably 25-50. I knew it was going to stretch me and challenge me. I'm so glad I took the step!  I had a total of 784 kids and families on Heaventrain that Saturday. I hope to repeat this experience again.
 I have been without a job since March. I was contemplating returning to school. I also was looking for a job in the Central neighborhood. I had been sending out resumes and only a few hits with little hope of a job.
I filled my time by volunteering in the Central community. I mentor with CMHA PAL, the Police Athletic League. I am very impressed with the young lady I mentor. She is smart, energetic and full of life! We both love to watch Cake Boss and tacos are one of our favorite foods.

The latest development, I now have a job. To my surprise I found a perfect fit! I am an Americorps member with Lighthouse, Inc and the Communities First Association. In November they hired me, and another lady from the community, to do asset based community development in the Central neighborhood. I receive a monthly stipend, education stipend, and my volunteering with tutoring, mentoring, and Heaventrain can count towards my hours needed for the job. I think it's pretty cool!

I was surprised when I met the other Americorps member Lighthouse hired. She is the mother of the young lady I mentor! We will be working side by side. We spent a couple of days in training in Chi-town, with 30 other Americorps members from around the US. We met at the Cinacle Sisters Retreat Center, a convent and retreat facility. It's very quiet and serene, a perfect place to spend a personal retreat.

I tutor at East Tech High School once a week. I have never been a tutor before but thanks to our great group of former teachers who have experience, I am learning a lot.

The group of tutors last year saw a measured improvement in the students and experienced an average growth of 2-3 grade levels in reading and math.

 It has not been easy this year. With all the shake up and changing of schools there have been difficulties. My first week one of my young men was suspended. Then I find out he is transferring to another school. I'll start with another new young man this coming week.

My other student is bright and an excellent reader. He comes each week on his own and is eager to read together. Our typical schedule, he starts by reading out loud for 30 minutes and then he writes in his journal another 20 minutes. The last 20 minutes we work on his homework.  He usually brings his math homework. I think I'll pick up Algebra for Dummies the next time I'm at the library. I sure could use a refresher course.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Thank you for the nice comments each week. I'd love to hear about your own Americorps experiences or asset based community development going on in your communities.

Achieving the Dream

I met a young man and his mother this Saturday who had a special gift to give us at Heaventrain. They stopped by to say thank you to Pastor Phil and Heaventrain. He and his mother pulled up in their car and came running over to the van.

"I saw the blue bus and wanted to come and say thanks. I attended Heaventrain as a young man at Morris Black. Heaventrain came every week. It helped me stay grounded and in school. I'm achieving my dream because of you guys being in my life. This year I'm a freshman at Hiram College studying Computer Programming."

The mission of Lighthouse, Inc. is to equip and empower kids in Central with the resources and opportunities to reach their potential. 

I think of POTENTIAL as the Possibility and Opportunity To Empower Natural Talent In A Leader. 

Better Than Bacon Part 2

I meet so many amazing kids on Heaventrain. Some of them just stand out and you really fall in love with them. Nyja, loves Saturday when the bus comes to her neighborhood. Grandma can be given the credit for creating this love. Attending Heaventrain is a family affair. Grandma Church has been coming to Heaventrain  for 30 years. In the early years she came with her son. Today she faithfully bring her two grandbabies.

Nyja wakes everybody up early on Saturday so they won't miss the Heaventrain, she tries to eat her breakfast but grandma says it just isn't worth the effort to try to get her to eat, and quickly adds even when it's a crisp piece of bacon. She is just too excited to do anything but get to the bus stop. Nyja rushes everybody out the door and runs toward the bus. Grandma walks with a cane and she tries her best to keep up, but Nyja is clear across the field by the time she comes around the corner. 

Nyja greets all the Heaventrain staff with a smile and a hug. "Oh goodness, that bus makes her a different kid." Her grandma says, "when she leaves the bus she tells me about the songs, asks questions, and asks how many days till the bus comes back. She talks all day long and tells everyone she sees about Heaventrain. She would be happy if she could just live on the bus with you guys." Grandma laughs and winks, "She sometimes drives me crazy and I have you to thank for it!" 

Conversations With Families

Conversations with Families 

Heaventrain is...

"...the best because my grandkids want to come and visit me every Saturday." 

After Davion's first Heaventrain visit,  he called his grandma every night asking if Heaventrain was coming tomorrow. Now when the bus comes around the corner he gets so excited. I watch him every week running up to his grandma, pointing laughing and jumping up and down.

Heaventrain is...

"...the best thing going on in the neighborhood."

Heaventrain Saturday is...

"...the only day I let my kids out of the house."

A young mother yesterday at Garden Valley was frantically looking for her kids. Another mom walks up to her and says, "Your kids are safe they are on the bus. It just takes a while for them to finish but they are good. Don't worry they watch out for the kids on Saturdays!"

This is me standing outside the bus at Woodhill.

Doesn't that hot dog look good?  Who can resist a fresh hot dog!

I've held puppies, babies, watched baby strollers, bikes, skateboards, even a 5 lb frozen Christmas ham for kids on Heaventrain.

Yesterday a young man came running from a carnival with his hot dog still warm. It was hot off the grill. 

I laughed when he walked up to me and asked if I would hold it for him while he was on the blue bus. 

So here I am standing in line with the two ladies watching the two baby strollers and I'm standing holding a hotdog and his drink.

Fainting Goat or Leaping Lamb

My heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope. — Psalm 16:9 (NKJV)

This is for the Women of Faith Blog Hop, subscribe to the newsletter, and join the conversation.

Are you a Leaping Lamb or a Fainting Goat? 


Excerpt...Humanly speaking, they (fainting goats) are like women who refuse to face the truth. They don’t recognize that God is in control and in the situation that startled them. They just faint and go to La-la Land until the distress passes by. Of course, when they come to, the circumstances are still there.  The leaping lamb is joyful and the goat doesn't want to deal with the struggles they are facing. Instead they just exit-the circumstances and ignore the problem.


I struggled a little with this comparison of a lamb or goat.  Like the goat, there have been many times when I want to duck out. Right now I am at a place, not matured by any means, but a place of joy in the midst of life. In urban ministry there is always going to be someone who is far worse than my current circumstances. I know where my next meal is going to come from...I have a safe place to sleep....and it can go on and on. Then after reading the comment from 


 In this passage of Scripture I like the verse right before it. I am always thinking of the Lord and because He is near, I never need to stumble or to fall. -Psalm 16:8 (LAB). 
 The result of being and listening to Him is PEACE today, tomorrow, and into the future. The promise of a relationship with Him is HOPE. No matter what the circumstances our petitions are heard, in fact, He was there before, it was spoken in our prayer. It is not taking Him by surprise. He is making a way for us to see HIm working in the circumstances. Our gift is to HOPE, BELIEVE and to dwell in PEACE.