In 2011, parents in the Richmond, VA community of Hillside Court locked their children inside to protect them from rampant gun violence.
Today the neighborhood is bustling with activities for citizens of all ages because a group of concerned citizens choose to take back their streets.
Hear Hillside Court neighbor Lindsey Gullatte-Lee, AKA The Feisty Poet, speaks about her experience with Embrace Richmond, and Asset-Based Community Development (an approach for nurturing local resilience by starting with the gifts, talents and leadership of local residents and their associations).
Below is Lindsey’s poem about her experience as a Hillside leader:
Richmond, Va is where I chose to reside
When I Ieft my former life behind
I just needed a change of scenery
And Hillside Court was where that happened to be
It was a time when I was at my lowest
And left everything and everyone I needed the most
It was a journey I was forced to take
A decision that was hard to make
Single Again with three girls to raise
Searching day after day for a good job that paid
Each passing day grew more depressing
All lifetime experiences serve as a lesson
But in the midst of a storm
Out came many Blessings
A knock at the door would change everything
But at the time I didn’t know what these new changes would bring
Enter in this bubbly woman full of hope, excitement and opportunities up her sleeves
Who opened up so many doors for my family and me
If it weren’t for her ABCD program who knows where we would be
She was an angel in disguise by the name of Wendy
Because of her I tapped into my gifts, what I could offer the world
With her help we got
Youth programs started for boys and girls
I began to like who I looked in the mirror to see
It was at this time I was able to find ME
I encourage more to get involved in this program
It’s a life changer
And It All started
Because I opened the door for a stranger
You can read the full article, entitled “Hillside Court Richmond, Virginia” on page 45 of the International Association of Community Development (IACD) “Practice Insights” magazine (Issue 18), by Wendy McCaig and Lindsay Gullatte-Lee.
Going further:
- “The Neighborhood Is the Center” (York, Harges, Block, McKnight)
- “Strong Neighborhood Project” (Stephen)
- “The Neighborhood as a Sacred Place” (McKnight)
- Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) Institute
