Author Archives: April

C4C (2.2): Power & Patriarchy in the Community-Building Movement, continued

[This is a continuation of C4C (2.1)] While the issue just brought so jarringly to the table had definitely shifted the room’s energy that day, it wasn’t the first time the broad issue of power and equality had come up. … Continue reading

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C4C (2.1): Power & Patriarchy in the Community-Building Movement

There’s a list of solid reasons why the blog I’m about to write is just now being born, despite ts presence in my craw for over a week. Among them—sickness, great developments in my neighborhood, house duties and other jobs. … Continue reading

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Gallery ~ Connecting4Community, Day 1

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C4C: Harnessing & Harvesting “the ignorant perfection of ordinary people” (Pt. 1)

Last week, I drove with friends and colleagues from Indianapolis to Cincinnati to attend the three-day Connecting for Communities (“C4C”) conference, “a powerful gathering of master and apprentice change agents and social entrepreneurs across sectors and communities, from around the world.”   … Continue reading

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“From Below, Not Above” (a block story)

Home home home…   Just a few hours ago, I arrived home from the Connecting for Community gathering in Cincinnati. I’m still buzzing with gratitude for the richness of soul, experience, insight, passion, courage and both raw and polished talent I encountered in … Continue reading

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Encountering Cave ~ A “Blogella” in Three Parts (Pt. 1)

Last Monday night, I had the experience of a lifetime–seeing my favorite living artist, the three-decade strong, genre-transcending, brilliant singer-songwriter Nick Cave perform live with The Bad Seeds at the Chicago Theatre. Exceeding my hopes and fears, the experience left me buzzing, … Continue reading

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ABCD Workshop in Sarasota!

I’m just now coming off the buzz of an incredible workshop I had the pleasure of co-hosting together with ABCD Institute Faculty member Dan Duncan and Mary Butler, a local ABCD Neighborhood Organizer and my good friend. Here is the … Continue reading

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Neighbors Build Community in the Village of the Arts

[originally published on the neighbor-created site, villageconnectors.com) Last week, a small group of neighbors in the Village of the Arts invited the wider community to join their conversation about how to improve their community.  Here is the story of that gathering. … Continue reading

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Naming Gifts: An Underrated Power

Today I was winding down after an intense weekend when I had the random notion to check my “Other” Facebook messages. To my surprise, there was a message there from a name I didn’t recognize but it was addressed to … Continue reading

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HoodRoving News: I am not alone!

Excerpt from latest article on my adventures in neighborhood connecting (aka HoodRoving). Full article is linked below. Enjoy and share your thoughts please!!! ~ April   HoodRoving News: I am not alone! I value citizenship—the ability we each have to … Continue reading

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