Disciple: Cottage Grove for LIFE!

Proving the impact of "being with" instead of "doing for"

By The Rev. Beth McKee-Huger

Too often, we as church flit through a neighborhood, “doing for” people what makes us feel good, then going home. Too often outsiders take over neighborhoods, replacing deteriorating housing with lovely buildings, gentrifying while dislocating residents.

But what if, instead of “doing for” to fulfill our needs or agendas, we sought opportunities for us to “be with” people as they transform skepticism to trust and hope? What if we “do with” people to take action together to revitalize a community?

If you want to see what it might look like, make a visit to Cottage Grove.

RECLAIMING IDENTITY

In the 1950s and 60s, Cottage Grove and the surrounding neighborhood in southeast Greensboro bustled with shops and professionals. In 1976, the main street was renamed South English and became a cut-through from East Market to Lee Street (now Gate City Boulevard). The neighborhood’s vitality was compromised, and the bustle inevitably slowed. Business closings, disinvestment and many broken promises later, residents of Cottage Grove decided they had enough and would reclaim their neighborhood identity. Neighbors formed the Cottage Grove Neighborhood Association and adopted the theme “Cottage Grove for LIFE!” to proclaim the new energy for a healthy place to live. They are working among themselves and forming partnerships with outside groups – and holding everyone involved accountable for their part in Cottage Grove’s plans for the future.

The vision for that future is bright. Community residents contacted more than 300 of their neighbors to solicit opinions on priorities. Top responses included a health clinic, jobs, better housing, vegetable gardens, bus shelters, safe parks and English for Speakers of Other Languages. With priorities identified, a direction was established, and outreach began to find dedicated partners to help support this neighborhood determined to reach its goals and realize its vision.

PARTNERSHIPS AND LEADERSHIP

As partnerships were sought to address the neighborhood priorities, the relationships built led to the involvement of key area groups, including the Cottage Grove Initiative, Mustard Seed Community Health, the Greensboro Housing Coalition, New Hope Community Development Group, Cone Health, NC A&T State University and UNC Greensboro. So dedicated were these groups that the relationships gradually became a shared leadership that is still working out the particulars of that governance, so rare is it to see a neighborhood voice in true collaboration with big institutions and small nonprofit organizations.

The results, however, are clear and easy to see.

In April 2016, Mustard Seed Community Health opened primary care services on South English, which remains “Main Street” of the neighborhood. Mustard Seed serves very low-income children and adults, with or without insurance, bringing quality health care within walking distance of Cottage Grove residents. Growing on faith and supported by donations, Mustard Seed takes seriously Jesus’ parable about the Kingdom of God being like a tiny mustard seed growing into the home of birds. This medical ministry is growing to become the health home for people from every continent and a model for the transformation of the health system from treatment of illness to promotion of wellness. Health Outreach Teams of student interns, anchored by bold and insightful Community Health Workers from Cottage Grove, extend “upstream” healthcare into homes.

New Hope Community Development Group planted vegetables in the raised garden beds beside Mustard Seed so patients can take home healthy foods “prescribed” by Dr. Beth Mulberry. Agriculture students from NC A&T State University worked with Cottage Grove green thumbs and New Hope to prepare and plant.

Education is a big part of Cottage Grove revitalization. College students are learning a whole new approach to community engagement by helping the gardeners and interning with the clinic. Children at Hampton Elementary enjoy music, art, reading and physical activities on “Hampton Saturdays,” when Congregational United Church of Christ and New Hope Missionary Baptist join with the outstanding Hampton staff to provide enrichment. Holy Trinity, Greensboro, and Christ United Methodist collected books to give to the Hampton students. Parents and other adults in the neighborhood prepare for better communication and employment opportunities by studying English for Speakers of Other Languages and GED.

Disastrously substandard apartments are being rehabilitated by responsible investors. The Greensboro Housing Coalition advocates on behalf of tenants in the rental properties whose owners have not yet decided to repair or sell. Cottage Grove residents want new housing on the vacant land and are engaging with developers so they can be treated with respect and provided an opportunity for input into decisions.

BCBSNC Foundation awarded Cottage Grove a Community-Centered Health grant, integrating clinical services with “upstream” health: gardens, housing, education and community engagement to promote wellness rather than waiting until a crisis necessitates emergency room visits.

ANSWERING THE CALL

As our Bishop Anne Hodges-Copple says, “being with” our neighbors is God’s call to the church. We are called to respect and support communities as they choose their own futures. That call is being answered. The Episcopal Church’s Called to Transformation Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) training recognizes and builds on the gifts of individuals, congregations and organizations rather than “toxic charity” that strips respect and responsibility. It focuses on the many ways “being with” is so much more beneficial that simply “doing for.”

The momentum is building. The Cottage Grove Neighborhood Association reaches out to neighbors to let everyone know that this time, instead of broken promises, positive changes are underway. But this is not a magic wand others wave to make everything perfect. This is the opportunity to transform the community from the inside, based on the goals and the efforts of neighbors, and seeing those efforts supported by the time, expertise and funds offered by partners. This is the opportunity to learn leadership skills: how to get neighbors to raise their voices effectively and to dig into the work (literally, in the case of community gardens), how to make the most of the contributions of eager college students and church groups while clearly defining the community’s own identity, how to stand up for their own vision in the tension between the egos of others. The neighborhood association is planning leadership development trainings and health outreach fairs, to build a sustainable infrastructure and attract more neighbors to see that they really can create the future they envision.

The Rev. Beth McKee-Huger is a regional deacon for the Diocese of North Carolina.