After a devastating apartment fire killed two and displaced more than 20 families, Elliot Park Neighborhood, Inc (EPNI) stepped up to assist. VISTA cohort member Colton, who is serving at EPNI, reflected on the experience, and what they’ve learned as a result.
The fire occurred less than two weeks before the VISTA cohort’s start date, and as a result Colton had to quickly adjust to a new workplace. As difficult as it was to begin a new position by immediately responding to a crisis, it was rewarding & necessary to the community as well. “My first day was signing folks up for community aid,” Colton noted. “I was thrust into the community right away and never once felt like an outsider.”
EPNI assisted victims with monetary support from their community aid fund and a direct needs donation and resource drive. Colton remarked on the devastating effect of the fire’s displacement. “Some of these folks lost everything,” said Colton, “Their home, their pets, but also their clothes and documents. It’s easy to overlook how much this kind of displacement affects your ability to participate or even stay alive in this society.”
As EPNI wraps up its final disbursement of community aid checks, Colton reflected on the lessons learned in this chapter of their service: “it was really rewarding to be able to live up to EPNI’s mission of ’building community vitality by connecting and empowering neighbors.’ I think we built community vitality by responding to community members’ needs in a way that the city or the Red Cross could not.” Logistically, Colton also picked up skills in relational organizing with community members, worked with their team at EPNI to ensure equitable resource access for displaced residents, and learned to keep good records through the process to inform future work.
Colton also noted the reward in seeing their service recognized by a grateful community member who remarked “I’m so surprised that you stepped up for us because I don’t think other people would.” For Colton, this difficult chapter exemplifies the service of community organizing: “you’re our neighbor and you are going to get the care you need because you’re our neighbor we care about you.”
While this work was not anticipated in Colton’s work plan, it has been an opportunity for EPNI to meet the immediate needs of their neighbors while building community & empowering residents in their search for housing stability & access. Colton is continuing to work with these residents and other renters in the neighborhood to connect residents & build power and leadership skills among tenants to meet their community needs.
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