CR#6 Money cannot fix everything!
We are as American believe money can fix everything, from poverty to depression; we believe money, and asset can cure humanity’s “sin” (sickness, poorness, political issues, and grass root problems.) However, money is not a permanent answer for the dilemmas we are facing in the US and around the world.
What? What are the key characteristics of the ABCD model? How is it different from the CED model (what is the CED model?)? Be sure to cite the article in your explanation.
Everyone has a gift, everyone has something to contribute, and everyone has motivation and compassion to act is a key to ABCD model. Alison Mathie and Gord Cunningham in Development in Practice, Volume 13, Number 5 state “In fact, the key to ABCD is the power of local associations to drive the community development process and to leverage additional support and entitlements. These associations are the vehicles through which all the community’s assets can be identified and then connected to one another in ways that multiply their power and effectiveness.” (467) I can see the effectiveness of ABCD model at Health Hub, Florencia is a passionate, motivate enough to contribute her gift and asset to the community. She told me that her love to the community is greater than her asset “transporting the extra foods and equipments is destroying my truck but my love for the community is greater.” Her devotion for the community moved many people’s hearts from recipients to students and volunteers. I would not able to be as passionate as Florencia, people like her are changing the poor community to a sustainable community without resources. ABCD model is much better than CED model; CED model based on money and power such as low income housing, and supporting small business “it has been described as a strategy that included a wide range economic activities and programs for developing low-income community.” CED model corrupt our politicians because politicians will run their campaign by saying I will fight for our community by getting as much resource from our federal government but when they won the election, they tense to forget about their promises.We can see a great example from Mariah’s life story, politician like Jared Huffman promised that he is for the people when he were running for congress. However, after he won, he forgot about his promises to his people (at least to the Marin city, the people in poverty) instead of rebuild Marin City, he and his follow politicians bring in developers to plan the demolition of the apartments. That is not what Marin City need, they don't need to be push out of their home or to be relocated; they need the apartments to be fix and remodel.
So what? Consider the community you work with: What are some assets, especially in terms of Social Capital (cite article to explain what this is) that your community has and seem to utilize effectively?
Social Captial of Health Hub
Resource: food bank (they get foods donation from the Marin Foodbank), volunteers (Dominican service learner, and volunteer from church and community), Florencia (her knowledge from the community) , recipients (some reciepients become volunteer at Health Hub), Health Hub is getting funding from Marin Clinic.
Topology: connection with Dominican, Marin food bank
Nature of relationship: Health Hub has a strong relationship with Dominican due to service learning and strong relationship with Marin food bank due to the work and service they provide to the community.
Health Hub is using the ABCD model to gain support, resource from the community “In recent years, Asset-based Community Development (ABCD) has caught the attention of community development practitioners in North America as an innovative strategy for community-driven development in urban neighbourhoods and rural communities.” For example, Florencia told me that a lot of our reciepients come back as volunteer becuase they believe and know their service will serve the low-income community and themself. I noticed there is a lady and her son always come to volunteer at Health Hub, they are also reciepients of the food pantry. Her son has some trouble with moving, but it does not stop him from helping us; he always there to lead us or if we have any confusion with boxes, we named him the “box man”. His mom is also an asset of Health Hub, she always energetic and happy.
There is also another lady named Mary, who serve the community, she is super sweet and energetic; I am always happy to see her. The “volunteers” at Health Hub do not get pay, but they still come with a smile. For me that is the most powerful asset we have because the recipients will feel welcome and not affraid to come and get foods.
Now what? Who would you talk to in the community to find out more, both about the resources from within the community, and also what the real issues are that people in the community care about? What are some questions you plan to ask to get to those answers? Please be specific in terms of who to approach and the list of questions to ask. Try to make an appointment with the person to get the process started! (Hint: See the Interview Questions Guide link and Word Doc)
I would ask Florencia because she is a boo k of community knowleges.
Does the food bank provide enough foods?
How do you define enough or food sercurity?
Where does the food bank get its supplies?
Who fund Health Hub? Government or private individuals or both?
What caused the issues in the first place? poverty? food dessert? lack of healthy food education?
What else can we do to improve Health Hub? resource, local politician influences? or simply labor help?
