COMMON VOICE JUNE 2011

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

PRESS RELEASE

BY CALVIN SMOTHERS

PARK AVENUE COMMUNITY CENTER BECOMES A REALITY

BY CALVIN SMOTHERS

A NOTE FROM THE LANEY FAMILY

BY ROBIN LANEY

MEET KARISSA JOHNSON

BY KARISSA JOHNSON

WE ARE LISTENING

BY CAIT CAUGHEY

"I’ve literally been dreaming of this day since I took the first walk on my

neighborhood’s streets — and it’s always been just that: a dream. Sheri’s

Show Club, which sits across the street from the taco truck and grocery

store and 1.5 blocks from the elementary school and our home is not only

closed…it is the new site of a neighbor-driven community center. I cannot

begin to outline in words all that this means for my block, my people, my

neighborhood, but I feel it in my body and I know right down to the cellular

level that this is how hope manifests, one pipe dream at a time."

Brit Hanson, neighbor and former inCOMMON Director of Neighborhood

Development

Here is the Press Release for those of you who may have

missed it…

Omaha, NE June 8, 2011 - inCOMMON Community

Development announced today it plans to open a

community center where longstanding Sheri‟s Show Club

once operated. This iconic Park Avenue building was

purchased in late 2010 by Kohll‟s Pharmacy & Homecare for

future business expansion, but instead of sitting vacant will

now benefit the local community as the only community

center in this historic, downtown neighborhood.

PRESS RELEASE BY CALVIN SMOTHERS

“This is a generous and noble act on the part of Kohll‟s,”

said Christian Gray, Executive Director of inCOMMON.

“Instead of sitting idly on this great community resource,

they‟ve readily agreed to leverage the building – headaches

and all – to the common good of the community. Kohll‟s is a

great example of a business operating at a double-bottom-

line level: benefiting the community both economically and

socially.”

“And the anticipated social benefits of inCOMMON‟s

community center are impressive. The center is designed to

provide a range of support and services for low-income and

other at-risk residents in the area. The focus will be on

building community support networks, providing

preventative and emergency services, and increasing

personal and employment success in an effort to assist

residents in the attainment of healthy home and

neighborhood conditions that promote successful and

sustainable lives.

The inCOMMON community center will operate through a

growing collaborative effort between inCOMMON staff and

volunteers, the UNO School of Social Work, Big Gardens, and

partnering faith communities, neighborhood associations,

and local residents. The community center has received

letters of support from both the Mayor‟s Office and

Destination Midtown.

“The collaborative nature of the community center is one of

the most exciting and impactful components of this

project,” said Mike Battershell, board member of Midtown

Neighborhood Alliance and President of the Hanscom Park

Neighborhood Association. “This truly will be a center

„owned and operated‟ by the community at-large.”

The “icing on the cake,” Gray emphatically reiterates, is

location where the first community center in Park Avenue

will be housed. “The transformation from a strip-club to a

community center is a powerful symbol of the health,

vibrancy, and hope we envision for all neighborhoods.”

inCOMMON is currently enlisting the support of additional

community volunteers to help make this a bright, vibrant

place where community can thrive. Interested individuals

and groups are encouraged to contact inCOMMON through

their website (www.inCOMMONcd.org) to sign-up or get

additional information.

We have received an overwhelming response since

the press release went out announcing our allocation of the

Park Avenue Community Center. We sit humbled by the

generosity of many including the ten media outlets that

featured our story. The Park Avenue Community Center

(though not open quite yet) is making a positive impact

already.

PARK AVENUE COMMUNITY CENTER

BECOMES A REALITY BY CALVIN SMOTHERS

After the news aired on Channel 7 we received a phone call

that Sherry McCartney, owner of Pugsley Construction

wanted to help. Sherry sent her construction crew to do the

entire initial demolition for no cost. They worked for two

weeks transforming the previously dark and closed-in space

of Sherri‟s Show Club into larger open areas where

neighborhood people can meet and gather. Pugsley

Construction made a huge impact in such a short time, so

much that we cannot thank Sherry, Todd, Trent, and Colin

enough!

Also in May we had over 30 folks from the neighborhood

and local churches help haul 10-15 large dumpsters of

demolished work. It was a dirty, grimy, dusty job, but all of

the volunteers worked without hesitation. The dumpsters

themselves were generously donated by a neighbor living in

close proximity to the Community Center, which saved us

time and financial resources.

The neighborhood response has also been extremely

positive thus far, As we continue work to get the space

ready for opening day (which has yet to be announced), we

cannot help but continue to dream about the possibilities

that are ahead for the Park Avenue area.

The Park Avenue Community Center is something

everyone can be a part of and benefit from. Whether it is

the workforce development, ESL, soft skills, or gardening

classes, the free coffee hours, free case management,

meeting space for local groups, concerts, or the Listening

Project, we will always seek to offer a wide-range of

activities in a neighbor-driven setting. Our excitement and

anticipation continues as we make preparations for opening

day. We greatly appreciate all the support!

Thank-you

Pugsley Construction

Holdahl Company

Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture

Coram Deo Church

Core Community Church

KETV

KPTM

Omaha World Herald

United Methodist Ministries

Ben Wayman

Pat O'Donnel & Odeys

Kohll's Pharmacy and Homecare

Tyler Cooper

St. Luke United Methodist

and many individual volunteers!

The Laney Family (Dave, Robin, Christian, Nick, and Erin)

assists inCOMMON every week at CommonTable. This

month we asked if they‟d describe their experience to share

here with our readers. Here is their story…

Our family has been involved with inCOMMON

Community Development for a few years now. We found out

about the need for meal providers at CommonTable,

(inCOMMON‟s Monday night Community Meal) through our

church small-group. We began providing one meal a month

at CommonTable and did so for a few years. It was a great

way to contribute to the community using the gifts and

resources God had given us. CommonTable also fit well with

our current commitment to Starfish Ministry, where we offer

lunch, clothing, and hygiene items once a month at 14th

and

Farnam Streets. Starfish Ministry is about loving people

through relationships. In the same way CommonTable offers

A NOTE FROM THE LANEY FAMILY BY ROBIN LANEY

us an opportunity to serve in this capacity, connect with our

friends from downtown, and serve together as a family.

Two years ago we took a break from our lunches at 14th

and

Farnam Streets. We then committed to spend every Monday

evening at CommonTable (then known as Life on the Brick)

helping out in whatever way we could. It was such a

blessing to us. Then one year ago, Christian and Sonya

approached us asking if we would take over the

responsibility of facilitating CommonTable. Because we were

there every week it was a fairly easy transition, and our only

concern was being able to find the resources to provide a

great meal every week. Of course, God is so faithful when

we say yes to Him and His purposes, and He sent many

people to help make this possible.

It is amazing to me the care that goes into each meal. The

response from the community is also tremendous. Each one

of us is a priceless creation of a loving God. At our core we

each desire love, acceptance, and a sense of self-worth as

an individual. When we serve one another in love, God is

glorified.

Our purpose on Monday nights is to show people who God

is by sharing what He has done for us and in us. It is about

sharing the Gospel through word and action. CommonTable

offers a great environment for that to happen; a hot,

delicious meal shared with friends, a heart and mind

opened to being used by God, a listening ear to share in

people‟s lives, and love for one another.

Our staff continues to grow at inCOMMON, and this month

we‟d like to introduce our newest intern; Karissa Johnson.

Welcome!

MEET KARISSA JOHNSON

About Karissa

Karissa Johnson enjoys building relationships and

understanding the heart of friends and the vision of

strangers. Growing up in a Christ-centered household, this

preacher‟s kid was encouraged to live and lead with

integrity. As the middle child of five, she knew that she was

strategically placed in the middle to take note of those who

went before her and to be an example for those who would

follow after her. She embarked on a scholastic journey to

Oral Robers University in search of her calling, purpose, and

refinement. Karissa received exactly what she pursued and

treasures her Bachelor of Arts degree in International

Community Development from ORU.

Karissa‟s journey did not come without hardships and

struggles. Karissa‟s confidence in communicating was

challenged four years ago when she was afflicted with a

mini-stroke (TIA) that affected her ability to walk, talk, and

write clearly. The testimony of Karissa‟s healing and

restoration has been viewed over 50,000 times and was

shared live in front of more than 2,000 people in Louisville,

KY at the Auxiliaries in Ministry Convention in 2007. She is

a witness that the healing power of Christ still works!

Karissa realized Omaha‟s need for developing soft skills in

the urban community and corporate world and decided to

do something about it. Miss Johnson recently became a

Certified Etiquette instructor through the National

Association of Urban Etiquette Professionals in April of

2011. Prior to receiving her training Karissa was invited to

teach etiquette to the Nebraska Children‟s Home Society,

sororities in Omaha, and church youth groups. She desires

to use her training to impact Omaha‟s youth, professionals,

and learners in a way that will build confidence, impact

lives, and refine behaviors.

Karissa currently serves as the Greater Omaha Young

Professionals Council of Companies OPPD Representative,

Interim Youth President of Christ Cathedral, Assistant

Chairlady of Nebraska Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of the

Church of God Christ, an OPPD Young Professionals Group

Board Member, and works in Human Resources at Omaha

Public Power District.

Karissa‟s constant exposure to exemplary mentors,

coaches, and colleagues helps refine her as a young

professional, soul winner, and valued leader in the

community. She is thrilled to work at inCOMMON as she

gleans from the seasoned community development experts

in efforts to impact Omaha in a magnanimous way.

Listed left to right: Charles, Brandon, DeAnn, Anonymous,

Anonymous, Stephanie,

WE ARE LISTENING BY CAIT CAUGHEY

“Every person can contribute to the

betterment of our communities and our

world. Thus, we seek to affirm and empower

people, particularly those who have suffered

from injustice.” Rural Southern Voices for Peace

Last month marked one-year of our Listening Project

in the Park Avenue area. We‟ve listened to a lot of residents

talk about their hopes, dreams, skills, and concerns for the

neighborhood. We are so thankful for all of the listeners

who have gone through our listening training since we

began last May. Many of them have used their skills by

sitting down with a neighbor (or sometimes stranger) and

asking, “Can I listen to you?” We‟ve recently worked with

students from Creighton University and Grace University,

who initially felt uncomfortable sitting down with someone

they didn‟t know at all, but afterward the majority of the

students responded that they would do it again.

As I sit and watch the videos and look at photos from these

interviews I have become more aware of all the people

currently working for positive change in the neighborhood.

There are business owners who really care about adults and

kids in the neighborhood, and so they opened an alcohol-

free pool hall. There are families building new community

gardens and sharing their yards with their gardening

friends. There are college-students leading afterschool

programs at the elementary schools. There are grocery

store clerks who take the time to know regular customers

who are also their neighbors. There are restaurant workers

who help people who need food by offering work

compensated with lunch. These are all examples of people

participating in the life of the community that were shared

in listening sessions. Many of these people may not

recognize that their actions, when combined with others,

make a big impact.

Here are some highlights from a few listening sessions that

touch on ideas and feelings about the neighborhood…

Charles

If you could change something about the neighborhood what

would it be?

We need more bike trails and more frequent bus service.

Those would be my two main concerns to help transit to get

from here to there. I‟m one of a small number of people

who does not have a driver‟s license and has never had a

driver‟s license. I have no wish to drive a car, to put my life

at risk, or others lives at risk, so I‟ve always biked around.

There should be bike trails and useable bike-able areas in

this neighborhood. We are severely lacking in those areas,

those areas need a lot of work.

DeAnn

What activities do you think there could be in the

neighborhood?

I would like there to be more activities in the summertime

for the kids. I remember Sun Dawgs used to be around in

the summertime, I don‟t really see that anymore. There

should be specials for pool lessons, barbeques outside,

opportunities for kids to meet other kids in the

neighborhood…

Brandon

How do you think things are going in the neighborhood

right now?

At this point, a lot of needs are being met. I would say the

area is really getting built up. There's a lot of people buying

different buildings and renting them and making them more

habitable. A lot less buildings are condemned. And I would

say that's something the residents like to see because it just

makes it nicer to walk around because you never know

what's going on or not going on in those buildings.

Stephanie

What comes to mind when you think of this neighborhood?

I like this neighborhood. You have all the races down here.

It‟s good for kids to grow here because they are not going

to be racist. That‟s how I think about it. When my kids grow

up with every single race they are not going to call other

races names. Mexicans, Chinese, Africans. I think it is much

better for the kids when they grow up mixed.

What are some priorities you see for this area?

I think more people should help, they should make a place

that is closer to homeless people where they can go and

sleep. There is one homeless shelter downtown, but they

have to walk and if it is so cold they can‟t walk. They are

doing so many things, spending their money on things, but

they need to help the community more. Not only rich

people, but the government needs to help too. There are

families outside on the street in this neighborhood and the

government seems like they don‟t care. Everyone can help a

little.

Anonymous

What is the main priority in the community?

Crime, but police activity is not going to help, that is just

going to make it worse.

What else could help?

A Community Center could really help, with counselors to

talk to the kids. There are a lot of gangs in this area. There

needs to be a positive place that older kids can hang out.

Anonymous

Do you think there is a main priority your community is

trying to work toward?

Yes, where I‟m at, the Midtown Development area. We‟re

trying to get that built up and get people to move back to

the downtown area. There has been a lot of remodeling, but

it is a slow process.

inCOMMON Community Development

1258 S. 13th

Street Omaha, NE 68108

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