Thursday, October 26, 2006

The Dialog Opens

I'm thrilled because I feel like we're finally beginning to talk amongst ourselves about areas of focus and projects of interest. We're not all going to agree, but that's the point of having several project ideas from which to choose. There are more issues than there are people in our class.

I keep going back to the lesson learned once at our retreat, again at the Health and Human Services session. We were given a task and separated into groups. In both cases we worked in our groups to achieve our goals. We were often not successful. Both times the lesson was that no one told us we couldn't all work together to reach the goal.

Would it be possible to apply that lesson, here? Could we choose one objective and use our collective talent, time and intelligence to make a difference in one area?

Thanks to all of you for the comments and encouragement (both online and off) regarding this site. I hope we continue to use it to further our thoughts and discuss amongst ourselves.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Diversity

A former boyfriend's mother was telling me about falling in love with her husband. They were in college together at UVA in the sixties. She was saying how soon after they met they would stay up all night talking. She said when you find the person you're meant to be with, you just know.

What I knew at the time, that she didn't know, as we sat in her kitchen in Chatham, Ill. while her son was a freshman, here in Charlottesville at UVA, was that I just knew that her son was not the one for me. How odd that a year later I would meet another man and just know, and seventeen years after that, move with him to Charlottesville.

What she shared with me that day is true; whether you're speaking of passion for another person or for a cause; you just know when you are meant to be involved in something.

Today's session of Leadership Charlottesville reached deep inside my mind. It was the first session in which my mind was buzzing with ideas about what I can do, what we can do, to reduce the tremendous gap and to create positive change in the community.

I'm still formulating ideas but the nuggets are there: strong, inspired and confident.

Today we heard a lot about the 25 percent poverty level in our community. What I know is that there's an audience of the other 75 percent that need to become aware. One idea has to do with sharing that message with that audience, to get them interested and touch them in their hearts, wallets and at the voting booths.

We also experienced messages about the diversity of our community. We are a melting pot . . . before the heat's turned on . . . with many neighborhoods that have no cultural diversity whatsoever. We have socioeconomic and cultural diversity, religious and racial differences. Diversity is truly anyone different than you. My head is swimming with possibilities from Diversity Dinners to neighborhood newsletters.

One of our speakers is a political refugee from Kabul, Afghanistan. I was recently so very inspired by the book Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. My understanding of what life was like when the Taliban took over Kabul is limited, but the book and our speaker inspired me to want to learn more. I stayed after the session and introduced myself to our speaker, Mrs. Adish. She was so kind and generous, inviting me to her home for "good Afghani food" and a visit -- anytime. Worlds apart culturally, we now live only several miles apart and have in common sons that are the same age. I hope that we will become friends.

Sometimes, you just know.

Monday, October 23, 2006

Health and Human Services

This is the session of Leadership Charlottesville that I privately thought of as the "slit your wrists" session. We spent a depressing afternoon learning about the challenges of caring for Charlotteville's impoverished and senior populations. One speaker jokingly offered to pass out the Prozac.

This topic is where my heart lies. Previously I've worked to resinstate removed Medicaid benefits and been part of grant writing teams that supplied needed and necessary support to those in need. In Charlottesville, where there are many affluent families, the percentage of people living in poverty is 25.9. That's extremely high. Health care is not easily accessed; dental care even less so, with children living in poverty accesssing dental care at a rate of only eight percent.

We heard from Cathy Train of the local chapter of the United Way, who shared the story of a typical day of a single mother trying to do the best for her children, struggling with the daily challenges of not having enough money, good childcare or enough time to devote to getting ahead. Medical professionals and social services program representatives shared their challenges as well. There are many programs that need support, but more than that, there is a need for the targeted community to be aware of and have help gaining access to the programs that exist. Sometimes, when the daily challenge is to provide enough food for your family, a trip to the dentist's is awfully far down on the list of priorities.

The other portion of the session dealt with Human Services for the Elderly. An older gentleman shared his story as a caregiver. He has been providing in-home care for his wife who has Alzheimer's disease for several years. It was very compelling to have a firsthand account of someone who has accessed nearly every program available to the elderly in our community. As our population grows older, with Baby Boomers pushing toward retirement age, these programs need to stay viable and strong to support not only our grandparents and parents, but one day, all of us as well. Any investment in programs for the elderly is an investment in our own futures.

Someone used the word bleak to describe some of the stories shared during this session. Ever the optimist, it's encouraging for me to learn that programs exist, that programs are not all at capacity, that there's room for support and these groups are certainly reaching out for help.

The difficult part is choosing, and successfully making a difference.

Health and Human Services

This is the session of Leadership Charlottesville that I privately thought of as the "slit your wrists" session. We spent a depressing afternoon learning about the challenges of caring for Charlotteville's impoverished and senior populations. One speaker jokingly offered to pass out the Prozac.

This topic is where my heart lies. Previously I've worked to resinstate removed Medicaid benefits and been part of grant writing teams that supplied needed and necessary support to those in need. In Charlottesville, where there are many affluent families, the percentage of people living in poverty is 25.9. That's extremely high. Health care is not easily accessed; dental care even less so, with children living in poverty accesssing dental care at a rate of only eight percent.

We heard from Cathy Train of the local chapter of the United Way, who shared the story of a typical day of a single mother trying to do the best for her children, struggling with the daily challenges of not having enough money, good childcare or enough time to devote to getting ahead. Medical professionals and social services program representatives shared their challenges as well. There are many programs that need support, but more than that, there is a need for the targeted community to be aware of and have help gaining access to the programs that exist. Sometimes, when the daily challenge is to provide enough food for your family, a trip to the dentist's is awfully far down on the list of priorities.

The other portion of the session dealt with Human Services for the Elderly. An older gentleman shared his story as a caregiver. He has been providing in-home care for his wife who has Alzheimer's disease for several years. It was very compelling to have a firsthand account of someone who has accessed nearly every program available to the elderly in our community. As our population grows older, with Baby Boomers pushing toward retirement age, these programs need to stay viable and strong to support not only our grandparents and parents, but one day, all of us as well. Any investment in programs for the elderly is an investment in our own futures.

Someone used the word bleak to describe some of the stories shared during this session. Ever the optimist, it's encouraging for me to learn that programs exist, that programs are not all at capacity, that there's room for support and these groups are certainly reaching out for help.

The difficult part is choosing, and successfully making a difference.

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Mastering the Monkey Bars

Remember the first time you stood on the ground and looked up at the monkey bars? Maybe you watched another kid swing his way across before you took your turn. What comes so naturally to us as children; introducing ourselves, trying new activities, can still as adults as long as we abandon that tiny part inside of us that cares what others think.

When you first tried to swing, arm to arm on the monkey bars, did you stop and wonder if the other kids would think you looked silly? Did you care? Did you wonder if you were the only one, if others would see you and think it looked like fun, too. Did you hope the others would stay and play?

Moving from St. Louis to Charlottesville, we made our transition, reaching our arms from one solid place to another, gut tingling fear in the middle, before we'd confidently grasped the next bar in our monkey bar move. Still holding onto both bars, dangling safely with both hands hanging on, I'm not quite ready to let go of that first bar, to keep moving till I get to the other side.

Recently, I wrote an article for The Commonspace, a St. Louis grassroots civics and culture publication. I've written for The Commonspace before, only this is my first time to contribute to the Expatriates column (I harbor a secret desire to ultimately write for every section of the publication). The piece is a little bit about letting go; a little about finding the next strong, safe place to hold onto.

It's a testament to then, a commitment to now.

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Economic Vitality in the Charlottesville Area

This week's session of Leadership Charlottesville focused on economic vitality and housing. It's ironic that this week marks one year since we decided to move to Charlottesville and began looking for a new home. With median house prices at $255,000, we were a little concerned that we would not be able to find what we wanted within our range.

For anyone living in or around Charlottesville, the issues regarding economics and housing are well-known. We're a growing community of "haves" and "have-nots" where affordable housing is needed. There's a need, too, to attract a diverse workforce for the area. We can't attract the middle-income jobs if those performing the jobs cannot find a place to live. We need nurses and teachers. We need construction workers and service providers.

Our economic and housing issues fall on deaf ears. Who really wants to help the Best Place to Live in America become even better? Does this community really want to attract more working class people? Are we elitist? Do homeowners in the region want to see their property values decrease? Is our population growing too fast, to big? It's a tough sell.

The issues raises a lot of questions among my classmates and throughout the community. Unlike poverty, healthcare and education, it's not the most emotional, compelling issue, but it's real, and of immediate concern. This area is looking at an estimated 3-4,000 people relocating here in 2008, and that's just from one employer expanding in the region. As one of our speakers said during the session; "we need to stop talking about it and start doing something."

What that is, we're just not sure.

Where do your thoughts lie on the economic issues facing Charlottesville, Albemarle and the surrounding counties? What do you think about our housing problem?

A bit of fun with the LC class, after our session

After today's session, a group from our Leadership Charlottesville class went out for a drink. Much hilarity ensued. You know you've become a tight-knit group when y'all (wow, it's starting to rub off) can sit down for margaritas or beers and have a great time chatting away.

As we are the "cream of the crop" in the future of leadership in our community (not my words, but I like them!) you can imagine that there's a local celebrity or two in our midst. While we were enjoying our suds and salted glasses, another patron of the restaurant spotted one of our celebrity classmates and just went bananas. She just had to have an autograph.

Kudos to our classmate who knows how to handle a fan with style! I should mention that the er, autograph location was totally the fan's idea.

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Criminal Justice

Look. Listen. Learn. And then lead . . .

I spent some time in jail this afternoon. Well, just visiting, anyway. Today's session of Leadership Charlottesville was about criminal justice so it was fitting that the class spent the day at the Charlottesville Albemarle Nelson Regional Jail.

The experience was very powerful, and I think made a lasting impact on everyone in the class.

We had the opportunity to hear from the Charlottesville Chief of Police, who left us with the quote above, appropriate for the day, and the class. It describes his process when he came to the position and how he continues to operate, as he introduced community policing and the importance of relationship development in fighting crime in our city.

We toured the jail. Yes, it was uncomfortable at times, particularly when we entered a "pod" separated from inmates by plexiglass alone, escorted at all times by officers. We could see the inmates and they could see us. We couldn't hear one another but it was apparent by their attitudes that we were as on exhibit as they were; the afternoon's entertainment in lives that see little but cinderblock walls and one another.

I freaked out (a little) this morning when a classmate e-mailed a few of the females in our group with caution -- to dress as "homely and mousy" as possible, as the inmates like to "undress you with their eyes." I got the feeling, being there, that it didn't really matter what any of us looked or dressed like today. We were of interest, certainly. We tried not to make eye contact. We tried to offer these people the respect we would want, by not staring, or giving them any encouragement to act out, or try to communicate with us in any way.

Because it's a jail (a local correctional facility), and not a prison (funded and operated by the State department of Corrections), people are not executed here. They do not spend life sentences. More often, they are awaiting trial. Often, they get out. Often, they come back. We learned about some of the programs in place to rehabilitate convicts, opportunities they have to earn a GED, to get help with substance abuse problems, to learn another way to live so that hopefully, they can get out and make a fresh start.

We saw the infirmary in the jail. It was emotional, seeing the fishbowl of inmates who clearly weren't feeling well, or who were broken or damaged in some way. It was impossible not to identify with these fellow humans. Where they went wrong, what they did, we don't know, but it was clear their choice would not have included what this particular day held for them.

After the jail tour, we learned about transitional housing for inmates who are released. Funded for just 90 days, the program assists recently released convicts with getting a job, setting up a bank account, getting a GED if they need it, and moving on. Since there is such limited funding for this program, only 40 men can participate at a time. The rest get an outfit of civilian clothes, a check for $25 and a bus ticket to anywhere they want to go in Virginia. It's a grim outlook.

We were also able to tour the Blue Ridge Juvenile Detention Center, next door to the jail. Having children of my own, particularly a teenager the age of most of the kids held in this facility, the tour made an impression on me, in particular. We learned that 80 percent of the kids there have a mental condition, often combined with alcohol or substance abuse. It was just sad . . . seeing the cells with the cinderblock walls, hard slabs for beds and metal doors, and thinking about a child -- any child, from the age of 10 to 17, living, learning, eating and sleeping inside.

Don't misunderstand my impressions -- these facilities are new, clean and, if not welcoming, at least they appear safe, well-lit and full of purpose. It's not the "Prison Break" experience. It's not Shawshank Redemption. It was, however, prepared for our visit, no doubt. Locked down, cleared out and cleaned up, we did not encounter what a Saturday night, a Foxfield evening or a post-UVa game might bring in to the processing area.

Because it was a full afternoon, we also learned about gangs and yes, Virginia, there are gang members in Charlottesville. We know they're here, we know what they're doing and we know what impact their presence has, and can have in our community. It was an eye opener for most of us. In context of our lives here, however, it is possible to ignore, entirely possible to live outside that microcosm of the criminal element, as it were. But if we're here to make a difference, it's impossible and unwise to do so.

Another moving, and unexpected moment from the day: an LC graduate from last year helped put today's program together. He, in his introduction of the police chief, shared how just two weeks after last year's Criminal Justice session, he learned to never take the police for granted again. A burglar entered his home while his wife and two children were present. As he talked he paused, consumed with the emotion that memory held. The police chief rescued him by telling us how this man, our alumni member, wrestled the burglar until police arrived, an act of bravery that caused the burglar, a guy who had broken into more than 40 local homes (including that of one of our other classmates, ironically) to be arrested, charged and incarcerated.

We're fortunate to live in a relatively safe community, however, as the police chief said, crime is relative -- whatever threatens the peace and safety where you live is important -- whether it's the drug dealer down the street or the guy who drives too fast in your neighborhood -- and they're there to help provide that safe environment.

We're listening. We're looking. We're learning. And we're all thinking of ways we can make a difference.