It seems like the end of the year is a great time to reflect and revise.  This year has seen many explorations of where and how we can serve our local and the greater community.  

Our Neighbors in Need program was a success. 

Since we no longer had our connection with the Midwest Foodbank, we helped our neighbors with with food both by taking them shopping and to local pantries.  We also helped with phone cards and most recently provided working stoves to those without. 

Our beloved neighbor whose house burned down stayed with his family at our house throughout the holidays, and we are committed to helping him rebuild his home.

We helped a local ministry make a start on a house of worship, providing a new roof for thier building in the roughest part of our neighborhood.  There they will provide spiritual guidance and services to uplift those who have lost hope, not to mention hot food and drinks for those in the neighborhood. 

Maybe my favorite project was the lawncrew. We gathered some of our teenage boys together and got them started mowing lawns.  We provided free lawn care to many of the residents who could not afford to help, and thanks to the help of the Neighborhood Mini Grant program getting lawn-mowers and other lawn care equipment that was put to great use.

The youth programming expanded beyond our neighborhood borders.  We worked with families who were brought to us through the courts, having them work with their children on the Ambassadors of Kindness program.  It was beautiful to see the parents talking with their kids about forgiveness, courage and respect.  What a great way to connect in this era of cell phones and texting.  

We ran our Opening Week at the Art Garage as usual with hatching of our baby chicks, and had a closing week of activities as well during the Fall Break.  Both week long activities were filled with creative activities and connection of our local neighborhood kids.  

Maybe the most rewarding and challening was our work with the Dream Center.  We began running the Ambassadors of Kindness program in April and then continued into their summer program, where we added our Conceptual Math program.  Both programs were revealing and brought a deeper understanding of how we can meet the children of this generation.  Areas of growth, for sure.

I am excited for what is to come.  Wait for the next post to see our new mission statement for 2026.

I had a mentor tell me once, it is better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission.  I have a deep awareness that there is value in this statement.  Too many people will throw a wrench in the machine to tell you why something is impossible.  What if the Wright Brothers listened to all the naysayers.  There is nothing that blocks the success of a vision more effectively than a set of rules that are supposedly created to protect you.

I know very little about the structure of politics, and for the most part I have tried to steer clear of this bureaucratic nightmare.  I was reading some social science study on committees and effectiveness.  There was a direct negative correlation between the number of members of the committee and the efficiency with which they were able to make decisions.  That means the more people involved in the decision making the LESS effective they were.  In some cases, things never get decided.

I am not a control freak, despite what some may say.  My two top core values are freedom and brotherhood.  I believe deeply that each of us is created in the image of God, and has been given unique gifts to share with the world.  As each of us learns how to share our gifts, the world becomes a better place.  My goal, if any, is to help others discover and embrace their own gifts.  I can't tell you what they are, but I can help you discover them.  

The Community House was built based on this idea of Individual Idealism and Independence, and Invidivuality is a critical piece of this work.  Nonetheless, it seems I am being called to participate in local politics, and so today I have a meeting with Alex Carmona, District 2 City Councilman.  He reached out after my letter to the Mayor, which by the way was received with a rather glib response about how WhatsHisHead is working tirelessly to serve the community.  Funny story, Linda confronted one of the Grass Police with their ruler this past Monday while he was measureing a bit of tall grass that had grown up next to a pole.  The neighbor works two jobs and is not neglegent.  She came over to the Community House fuming.  She is a red-head!  Good timing because it was Monday, so I sent the Lawn Crew.  I didn't have to get permission from the Councilman, I didn't have to fill out any forms.  I was informed of a problem, and we addressed it.

Don't ask permission to do the right thing, just do it!  Hopefully getting involved with these bureaucrats won't come back to bite me in the butt.

Now that I am on the Neighborhood Association, I get information about events being hosted by the Department of Community Development.  So, I was more than happy to get our crew together and show up to support beautifing the neighborhood.  And guess who was the represntative at our site.  None other than "the-man-himself", Joe Dulin.  

What a bit of luck on my part, as I was able to talk to him.  There were only a handful of us there, and so it wasn't like I was stopping him from anything, but you could tell I made him very uncomfortable.  Well he should be.  He should be totally uncomfortable.  He receives a huge paycheck, and after our conversation, I am pretty sure he knows NOTHING about developing community.  He was dismissive, lied and made excuses, never once acknowledging or even considering what I had to offer regarding alternatives to the punitive measures in place.  

So I decided I should write an open letter.  I may even submit it to the Journal Star.  Who knows.  

​_____________________________________________________________________

Subject: An Open Letter to the Department of Community Development

To:  Joe Dulin

Re:  Community Development


I am writing this letter to share some of the ideas that I have generated through conversations and connections with community members in the Altamont neighborhood and surrounding areas.  First I will share what our community is currently doing.  Through the generous neighborhood mini-grant we have been able to purchase lawn equipment that are being used by our local teenage boys to help neighbors who for whatever reason may be unable to care for their lawn.  Some of them are able to pay, many of them are not.  Nonetheless, we are building goodwill and helping relieve some of the stress of our community members, while at the same time giving our at-risk teenage boys something constructive to do with their time.   We are extremely grateful to the Department for making this possible.

This letter is about what we feel the department itself can do to build positive connections with the members of our community.  Right now, there is a great deal of animosity within the neighborhood towards what is referred to as the “Grass Police”; those employees who go around and measure the grass with yardsticks, not acknowledging the individuals who may even be standing in the yard.  This aspect of the Department is the most notorious in our neighborhood and others.  A ticket from the Grass Police causes a great deal of distress, and serious financial hardship for our community members who are on a fixed income.  A 100$ ticket, even reduced to 50$ could mean the inability to make rent, or buy food for the month.  This truly is a social justice issue as poor neighbors are more severely burdened with these policies.  One of the first lawns we serviced was a neighbor who is an amputee.  She had a mower, but it broke, and she had no money to pay someone to help.  We have many examples of neighbors in similar situations.

Today at the Citywide Clean-up event,  I had the opportunity to meet Joe Dulin face to face. Although I have had several conversations with him by phone, face to face is usually more effective.  This was not the case today, however, as I shared with him the ideas of our community.  Rather, I was met with a complete dismissiveness, and a denial of the experience of both myself and my neighbors.

When I talked about our community members being afraid of getting tickets, he stated that according to his statistics, for the most part only landlords are getting tickets.  I have direct experience and knowledge contrary to this statement.  As I continued to share some of our ideas, I was repeatedly met with denial and dismissiveness.  I asked him to consider that the focus of the department could be shifted towards one of service rather than punishment, and this would build goodwill rather than the current fear that is associated with the department’s actions.

I am writing this letter in hope that someone will consider alternatives to the punitive measures in place.  It is clearly possible to do better, building connections with residents rather than simply ticketing them.  Joe Dulin said, there was no way they could just fine landlords and not homeowners, or tenants, which seems to demonstrate a complete lack of imagination and ability to understand what it means to create healthy community.  

Community requires connection, and relationship.  Those existing staff who measure grass, could get to know the residents.  Information about those who are high-risk, could be gained through conversations with other organizations.  There is plenty of information out there, for those who want to know.  Or even better, they could just go door to door and get to know people.  

My hope is that this letter will not be dismissed, but be seen as the call to evolve towards a greater service to Peoria communities in need. 

With great hope and in service.

Always,

Abigail Larrison, PhD. EdD.
President:  The Thrush Avenue Neighborhood Association  

We have always had some sort of gathering for the 4th of July.  Even before I started the Community House when we were just the original Art Garage, we had food, games and connection on the 4th.  The 4th is also special to be because it was when our family would have its reunion and it was always held at my parent's place in Chicago.

So it is an honor now to continue the tradition of connecting.  This year it feels especially important since for the kids to have continuity and to know that we are still here for them.  They arrived with friends this year.  It was double cheeseburgers for everyone, baked beans, spaghetti and watermelon from Ethel, and waterbaloons and tie dye for fun!

These moments, as small as they are, are big memories.  Small but sincere, that is the name of our game.

​Love Thy Neighbor.

We have celebrated the 4th of July almost every year since the start of the Art Garage.  Even before the Community House was a thought in my mind, we had BBQ and sparklers with the kids on the 4th.  

Maybe it is because I am a patriot at heart, or maybe it is because we always had our own family reunion with Sue and Dad on the 4th, but I love this time to connect with friends and neighbors.  

School starts so early these days, and so this is a chance to have some fun before its back to the books.  We are linking it in with one of our four scheduled Neighborhood Association meetings.  I ordered signs for the Association, and asked a few folks to put them in their yard, and I created a page on this website for the Association to use.  

We also got shirts for the lawn crew, and so I will have the kids tie-dye them.  Perhaps this will inspire them to want to step up and help.  Fingers crossed.

I kindof like that the project has extended into something that could survive without having to run the full non-profit end of things.  This is a lot more than I could have anticipated.  I have had a crash course in learning everything I could need to know about these things, and yet, I still know so little.  

Nonetheless, I continue to walk by faith and allow the awareness of God's hand in my actions.  

So we started our Lawn Crew which is connected without shame to the Neighborhood Association.  What a blessing to have some positive input from the Department of Community Development.  Also, what a lesson not to throw the baby out with the bathwater.  Indeed there are some organizations that have been corrupted, but to look at their potential is important. 

Our first crew is comprised of 3 brothers who ran into Kev and persistantly asked him to help them make some money this summer.  They showed up, and were ready to work.  This is the type of attitude we want to support in our neighborhood.  Here they are putting together the first lawnmower bought with our mini-grant.

​Go Team!

This project is a miraculous web unfolding from intention to creation and in between are all the connections.  Today I woke up singing.  I wrote a song for a friend and in it the last verse:

So go on and give yourself a chance
don't give up take that last dance
and watch the flowers bloom
from the seeds you sowed last June

The ones you thought were dead
were only waiting for this time to spread
their petals in the sun
and now its done

And then I opened my old journal to a page I had written during my course at the Transformational Learning Foundation and it was a drawing.  A heart with a sun and a small seed at the bottom under the grass.  It said The seed you thought was lost...
On the next page the drawing of a flower in full bloom.
Has now blossomed.  The Light Manifest Joy in a lonely world - Hearts Expand

How wonderful.  Awe and wonder are the moments when you are able to see beyond the problems into the grand design.  God is real, let me walk the path He has set for me with grace.

We had our first official AOK session at the Dream Center of Peoria, and I gave myself a C+ for overall effort.  

The flow was a bit off, and our timing just wasn't right.  The kids though, wow, what wonderful kids.  I will have to make the activities have a bit more "punch".  We worked with the theme of Respect, since Jojo the director had just had a session on Respect with the boys. Of course I don't have the depth of relationship or charisma that Jojo has.  What I bring to the table is the fun element, the game element, the self-expression and creativity and art.  So that is it.  The art activity has to be completely engaging.

Our first activity was based on the AOK Level 1 handbook.  To create a crest.  I think it was a bit hard for them to imagine what a crest represents.  They hadn't yet been introduced to the vocabulary of the virtues either, so when the activity required them to come up with the qualities they respect in their loved ones, they could describe the quality, but didn't necessarly have the words.  That was a plus in some ways.  Many of the kids put their mom as someone they respected.  Mom was seen as always doing things for them, cooking, buying them things--putting them first. These descriptions were excellent examples of the virtues. I gave them some ideas for qualities, like generosity and selflessness. 

I just had a realization, this is the core of the work.  We are connecting the concept, the word, to the actual behaviors.  So for example, when working the other way around, when using the word Respect, they could come up with conceptual ideas, like 'treating others as you would want to be treated', which is of course one of the best guides for living, but the specifics need to be fleshed out.  So this is really where we can come in and give them a chance to make those leaps from concept, to action, or from real life, to abstract reasoning.  If we can achieve this, we have achieved the goals of the AOK program.

It was good, but I just felt a bit off, too much "school" like.  Too much, I have to do this rather than I want to.  The goal is for them to attend completely voluntarily.  For them to move through the activities entirely based on their intrinsic motivation.  No coersion, no need for forcing.

The final issue was the communication.  It is hard to have the kind of planning and connection when you have a moving train with 60 kids.  We had to change rooms at the beginning, which honestly, I love the new room!  There were a few ideas I wanted to share, but there wasn't the chance. With that said, we had the team member come and check on us while we were debriefing, and she was so kind and present, a quality of awareness that is rare.  We had a chance to talk to her about next time.  Some things will take time to unfold.  The goal is to build the relationship.  This was the goal from the beginning.  June was to be the launch of the AOK full program, these sessions building up to that were meant to allow us to get to know those who are running the program, how it works, and build a realtionship and awareness of who the kids at the program are.

So overall, given it was our first day, I will leave with this final assessment: there is room for improvement. There is every reason to be hopeful.  As they say in AA, we just need to "Keep Coming Back".

Today is our Founder's Day.  March 18th.  Sue's Birthday!  An important day to honor my step-mother Sue, who was the impetus for this project.  Her guidance support and of course money are what made it possible for me to give back, rather than focus on how I would survive.  

It just so happens that today I will be submitting an application to form a Neighborhood Association.  We have some great members on the team.  Linda Cloyd who has been a resident for 25 years, and is committed to helping the neighborhood become what it can be, Kevin ____ who has been an homeowner in the neighborhood for 30+ years and of course Achevis Hines.  He is the leader of so many of the young people in the neighborhood.  He is an Ambassador of Kindness.  

This may not seem like a big deal, but I have stayed away from formally participating in government, and not only that, the Neighborhood Associations are all registered with The Department of Community Development.  I wonder how those folks will feel about my application crossing their desk.  Hopefully we won't have any shennanegans.  How could they have an issue?  We have a cracker-jack team, and Lord knows our neighborhood needs to come together to address so many of the real issues we are facing.  

So many blessing on this day, and on the formal organizing of our neighborhood association.  Who would have thought I could do anything formally.  I am sure Sue was rooting for me all along.  Thanks for the push in the right direction, Sue.  I owe it all to you.