Goal Statement

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To provide a resource for the improvement of neighborhood based organizations focused on community engagement rather than social services by examining tools for self assessment and different frameworks for measuring success

 

 

Scope of the Problem  

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• Commitment to Community (C2C) is a neighborhood based organization in Walla Walla that seeks to build stronger and safer communities in three high-risk neighborhoods^[1]

 

• Commitment to Community currently recieves funding from the city of Walla Walla^[2], and because of this there is pressure from the city for them to provide evidence of the success of their work.^[3]

 

• Commitment to Community conducts a yearly self assessment based on anecdotes they gather from the neighborhoods in which they work, but they lack the people and funds necessary to focus on conducting and improving this assessment.^[4]

 

 

Past Policy  key legislation and milestones including significant policy and funding shifts, major studies, etc.

•  The local government initially refused to fund Commitment to Community, a local NBO that exists to help poverty issues in poor neighborhoods, while simultaneously hoping to decrease poverty in the community. The city government reasoned that its duties remained solely with city infrastructure rather than funding non-profits such as C2C. Furthermore, it did not see utility in specifying an organization that works to relieve barriers pertinent to the Latino community. Most local officials stated that Latinos should assimilate to the traditional United States culture without the help of Latino-specific organizations.^[5][6]

 

Current Policy  summary of current policies in the form of legislation, programs, and funding

• Currently C2C recieves funding from the City of Walla Walla.^[7]
• Local officials generally believe that increasing civic participation on the neighborhood level not only results in improvements for that neighborhood but also benefits the general community. They hope that C2C will expand their work to other neighborhoods in Walla Walla and College Place.^[8][9]

 

Key Organizations/Individuals   contacts for public and private organizations and key individual

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Blue Mountain Action Council (BMAC) - A non-profit organization that serves the needs of low-income families and individuals. They partner with C2C on numerous projects including the creation of low-income housing, food drives, and tree-planting. http://www.bmacww.org/^[10]

 

Commitment to Community (C2C) - Neighborhood based organization that works to increase  civic

engagement, safety and security, and neighborhood pride in three neighborhoods throughout Walla Walla. http://www.bmacww.org/c2c.htm.

     Director Teri Barila - terib@bmi.net

     Community Organizer Julia Leavitt - julial@bmacww.org

 

 

Glossary of Terms

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Bibliography   web sites, reports, articles, and other reference material 

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 Cargo, Margaret, and Shawna L. Mercer “The Value and Challenges of Participatory Research: Strengthening Its Practice.” Annual Review of Public Health 29 (2008):325–50

 

 

Flaspohler, Pal, Jennifer Duffy, Abraham Wandersman, et al. “Unpacking Prevention Capacity: An Intersection of Research-to-practice Models and Community-centered Models” American Journal of Community Psychology 41 (2008): 182-196

  

 

Hyland, Stanley E., Robert E. Brimhall, “Evaluation Anthropology in Community Development/Community Building” NAPA Bulletin 24 (2005): 125-137

 

 

Mesch, G. S., & K.P. Schwirian, “The effectiveness of neighborhood collective action”

Social Problems 43(4), (1996): 467-483.

 

 

Nelson, Lise “Social & cultural geography: Latino immigrants and the renegotiation of place and belonging in small town America” Social and Cultural Geography 9(3), (2008): 319-342

 

 

Uttal, Lynet, “Organizational Cultural Competency: Shifting Programs for Latino Immigrants from a Client-Centered to a Community-Based Orientation” American Journal of Community Psychology 38(3-4), (2006): 251-262

 

Footnotes