Selected thoughts from report outs in the afternoon

After the small group sessions in the early afternoon, each group reported out on the results of their discussions to the group at large.

Group 1 had the theme of involving everyone. Some of their suggestions were that "everyone reads off the same page" and that a PR campaign would be a good way to begin outreach. They thought we should focus on three target areas, individuals or organizations, government agencies and judicial/legal, and the business community. Their brainstorming of groups to target for outreach resulted in an impressive list of individuals and groups, too long to list here, representing some great group work in identifying community resources. Just a few highlights from that list include Boys and Girls Clubs, Habitat, the Ministerial Association, YMCA, food banks, health care providers, county social services and health departments, schools, extension offices, and Chambers of Commerce.

Group 2 was supposed to be the data group, but no one joined that one. As a side note from other discussions, these points were made:
Data can be used to make the case.
Infant mortality rates, low birth weight are important issues.
Prenatal care as an entry point for intervention?

Group 3 reviewed the work of VISIONS in the past and the three-prong approach that was suggested. They felt strongly that the Housing Study completed and presented in March, 2009, had continued merit for use going forward, but that it would need to be condensed or abstracted or some of the information would need to be pulled out for specific use. The key point was that improving housing options would help people out of poverty. The Housing Task Force hopes to meet soon to accomplish some of these goals. In education, the focus of the group was on attracting and retaining teachers and creating programs to increase student success and persistence. The third prong, leadership training, was envisioned by this group as being aimed at young professionals, creating a support network and engaging them with the community.

Group 4 tackled a tough subject, but one that all agreed needed to be addressed - racial and cultural divisions. They were interested in looking back on what came out of the CRS racial diversity study, getting data on the rising Hispanic population, and getting truly poor people in the dialog and giving them a voice. They discussed socioeconomic differences in both black and white races as a divider. They envisioned ways to identify bridge people and bring more people together. This group, I believe, hopes to get together soon after the conference to continue their conversation.

Group 5's theme was jobs, economy, training and mentoring. They identified as problems lack of information, difficulty with zoning ordinances, difficulty in finding qualified employees, low expectations, and the lack of job diversity. This area heavily leans in the direction of a service economy. There are programs currently in place that address some of these issues, like Reality Store and YMCA mentoring. Some other solutions they proposed included attracting businesses that are electronically based, improving broadband infrastructure, taking advantage of our local community college, utilizing Bay Aging as a Community Action Program, and taking a regional approach to economic development.

Group 6 had a conversation around the theme of advocacy and support for people in poverty or at risk. They had a number on concerns, including taking away pride by giving away, the long-term or generational quality of poverty, financial literacy issues, drug problems, lack of transportation, how to help people in transition, including people with criminal histories or with mental health issues. They suggested a number of concrete programs like VIEW and Reality Store, "Hugs and Kisses" from Theatre IV which deals with sexual abuse, and investigating "Justice Circles," a mediation training program. They talked about parental advocacy in school, education about abuse, empowerment programs, and literacy training.

This information is my attempt to abstract the discussions that took place in a way that can be shared with the whole group and with other interested parties who were unable to attend. Since I wasn't in all the discussions, this came out of verbatim notes that each group took. Please comment with any corrections or additions.

Tomorrow, I'll finish up with the conference with the Open Space Conversations.