Stories

Imagine you’re in a new country. You’re still learning the language. You’re trying to figure out who runs things. You don’t have a lot of money. Meanwhile, however, you see things that aren’t fair and need to be changed. What do you do?

Sorensen’s first major project was the conversion of a vacant lot near her home into a community garden. The initiative was a collaboration with Global Gardens, a program of the Idaho Office for Refugees that focuses on healthy lifestyles and entrepreneurial training through the cultivation, harvest, cooking, eating and sales of fresh produce.

A refugee from Somalia who fled during the country's civil war, Deeqo Jibril helps fellow "transplants" integrate while celebrating their culture--as well as works with local police to help them relate to her community.

How do you get teens and young adults in a gang-ridden neighborhood to teach and learn from senior citizens? Learn from "Passion It Forward" in Omaha, Nebraska.

Gardening isn't just fun and a way to productively a vacant plot. It is also an effective tactic for community-building and education.

The Hispanic community often is widely decentralized, which makes organizing and engagement more difficult. Thus, outreach strategies typically used in rural areas are needed, along with strategic partnerships. In this case study, National Housing Services of Southwest Wisconsin explains how it succeeded in doing this.

In Columbus, many older residents live in substandard housing with leaky roofs, rotting floors, inadequate or no plumbing or appliances. They have become the “invisible homeless,” and their lives may be shortened by deplorable living conditions.

Seniors and people with disabilities increasingly seek independent living, a more private option to living in group homes and significantly less costly than institutions. But many don’t have the means to live on their own.

In small cities and neighborhoods across the country, immigrant communities have taken up residence in vacant and blighted downtowns. As we work to revitalize these areas, how do we effectively engage immigrant communities?

From learning the healing powers of Chinese herbal remedies, to experiencing the hustle and bustle of a Laotian market, more than 50 local travelers sampled their way across the globe this summer without ever leaving Seattle. How?