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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