The Klondike Smokey City Neighborhood has been chosen by Whole Child Strategy Inc., a funding source for neighborhoods to implement a neighborhood focused child centered program. The concept is to equip neighborhood stakeholders to organize a grassroot neighborhood council that will be able to advocate for the needs they have identified for their community. These needs are in reference to a child’s attendance, behavior and course completion. To divide the work and work towards solutions, committees will manage such tasks. We have started with the Transportation Committee and will have other committees follow that represent the issues identified by meeting participants. Those proposed committees will be; Community and School Relations; Mental Health and Wellbeing; Crime and Safety; and others that are designed to help KSC thrive as a community.
Because Whole Child believes that the communities and neighborhoods are the most important resource network for young people and their families, Whole Child Inc. is dedicated to making sure the community is the driving force behind the work, they are providing support to ensure the success and sustainability of the KSC Neighborhood.
The support includes partners that provides a host of resources that allows the Klondike Smokey City Neighborhood Council to be the neighborhood’s connection to community resources such as counseling, child and family advocacy, youth mentoring, parenting resources and so much more.
The next Neighborhood Council meeting is March 22, 2018 at 5:00 pm at Dave Wells Community Center. The first Satellite Meeting Series, which is titled Neighborhood Empowerment Workshops are designed to provide economic, personal, and family support to the community, will be March 31, 2018 at 10:00 am at Katie Sexton Community Center. You are welcome to join the movement.
The KSC has a Neighborhood Council meeting every month. Keep an eye out in the newsletter for more information about the project and upcoming meeting dates. If you have any questions, or you’re interested in joining our work, contact organizer Cassandra M. Smith at cassandra@midsouthpeace.org
In Solidarity,
The Staff of the Mid-South Peace & Justice Center