Forrest, a former newspaper reporter for 2 South Carolina papers, has spent the past 14 years on staff at Trinity United Methodist Church. During that time Forrest led nearly three dozen short-term mission teams.  He is a firm believer in the centrality of mission in Christian formation and believes all church ministries for both the young and the old should be built around serving others.  Forrest is the lead trainer for United Methodist Church, Virginia conference mission’s team.  He is married and has three children and is a graduate of Wofford college.

Forrest has also joined our Northside Dream Team and we are thankful for the gifts, talents and passion he brings to our teams.

THANK YOU FORREST!

We have been engaged in community listening activities for the past three months and have learned that this part of our city has a lot of assets including residents who care enough to get involved, young adults and older youth who want to make their community a better place, and a large number of senior adults who are willing to share their wisdom about the neighborhood and it’s rich history.

The one desire shared by many of the residents is for the Brookland Park Boulevard to be a safe, thriving commercial corridor as it once was.  Residents would love to see the old theater re-opened, a grocery store with fresh produce and the young people desire a safe place to hang out and be with their friends. These are just a few of the dreams that have surfaced as we have been meeting residents and business owners throughout the community.

Because we believe in young people and this neighborhood is rich with young talent, we have decided to launch our north side work in partnership with area young adults.  Over the summer, Embrace will hire 5-7 young adults ages 18-25.  These young people will be our guides, they will introduce us to their neighborhood and help us learn more about the gifts, talents and abilities of the residents of this community.  These young adults will also be tasked with engaging middle and high school students in positive activities and community service opportunities throughout the summer.  Learn more about this summer opportunity here.

This past month, we launched our first community conversation.  The goal of this group is to discern how Northminster Church, Embrace Richmond and concerned citizens from throughout metro Richmond can support the efforts of local residents to make these and other dreams a reality.

We meet on the 1^st Wednesday of the month from 5:00-7:00 at Twiggy’s located at 212 W. Brookland Park Boulevard.  If you would like to participate in this conversation or simply want to learn more, please email wendy@embracerichmond.org and we can provide you with more details.

Bob is a Christian community developer, an entrepreneur who brings together communities of resource with communities of need. Through FCS Urban Ministries – a non-profit organization which he founded – he has developed two mixed-income subdivisions, organized a multi-racial congregations, started a number of businesses, created housing for hundreds of families, and initiated a wide range of human services in his community. He is the author of five books (Theirs is the Kingdom, Return Flight, Renewing the City and Compassion, Justice and the Christian Life plus his newest book Toxic Charity) and the widely circulated Urban Perspectives – Reflections on the Gospel, Grace and the City. Bob has a PhD. in psychology from the University of Georgia. He serves as a speaker, strategist and inspirer with those who seek to establish God’s Shalom in the city.

Date:  Friday, June 8th

Time:  Doors open at 6:30p, Bob will speak at 7pm.

Location:  Northminster Church – Contemporary Worship Center

Ticket: $10 which can be purchased at:  http://www.ccda.org/gather/event/37  Your confirmation is your ticket.

Website Announcement: http://intotheneighborhood.com/2012/04/24/bob-lupton-speaks-insights-into-serving-the-city/

This summer Embrace Richmond will be using our final AmeriCorps slots to empower young adults to be a blessing to the Brookland Park Boulevard corridor and the surrounding neighborhoods of Ginter Park Terrace, North Central, Battery Park and Barton Heights.

We have 7 positions available for summer interns (June through August).  Interns will receive a living allowance and an education award as well as on the job training.

We are looking for young adults ages 18-25 who live in the north side who will coordinate service projects for local youth and neighborhood residents throughout the summer.  These service projects will include but are not limited to: assisting seniors with yard work and minor home repair, beautification projects, working with children, gardening projects and helping to build a sense of community among residents of the area.

We are also looking for service projects in Brookland Park and the surrounding neighborhoods that will give young people a chance to serve this summer.  Do you know a senior who needs help around the house?  Are you a business owner, church or local non-profit in the area who has projects that could benefit the community?

If you know of any young people interested in the internships or if you know of any potential service projects for our teams, please contact wendy@embracerichmond.org.

When we entered the Hillside Court community more than three years ago, the recreation center had been closed down for several years.  There was a sense of despair in the community.  We heard stories like this one shared by a long-time resident,

“Used to be that the recreation center was open to the community and they had all kind of activities for the residents.  Different groups have been in that building over the years, they always leave.  I don’t believe anything will ever change around here.  I don’t think anyone really cares about this neighborhood.”

The recreation center is once again bustling with activity and over the past three years, we have seen dozens of residents step up and take on leadership roles.   This coming fall, Embrace Richmond will be leading by stepping back.  Our resident leadership team is now strong enough to lead the effort with Embrace Richmond simply contributing the financial, moral and spiritual support they need to keep the center open to the community and thriving.

Below are the pictures of just a few of the key leaders who will assume control of the Hillside Recreation Center.  If you ask me “What does Embrace Richmond do?”  I will likely show you these pictures and say, “We support neighbors who build great neighborhoods.”  This is what true community development success looks like, neighbors helping neighbors.

If it were not for Johnnie Falkins, Dominic and I would still just be dreaming.  However, over a year ago, Johnnie came to Embrace and decided to go on a trip with us Shalom Farms.  We discovered Johnnie’s love for healthy food and gardening and watched as he matured into a wonderful neighborhood leader. (Learn more about Johnnie here)

Last year, Embrace partnered with VCU School of Family medicine in a series of health screenings.  The number one health issue facing the community is obesity.   In many of Richmond’s poorer communities, there is a lack of access to grocery stores.  In the case of Hillside the grocery store is more than 3 miles away and few of our residents have cars.  Many residents are forced to rely on the corner markets for their food – food that is often processed and loaded with carbohydrates and fat.

While Johnnie’s gardening project is helping to provide access to fresh produce, it is providing several other gifts to the Hillside community.  It is creating opportunities for residents to exercise, socialize with others and soak up some vitamin D out in the sun. All of which can reduce the second most common disease we see in our community – depression.  Depression is a vicious disease.  Many residents isolate out of fear.  The isolation leads to depression and the depression can lead to over eating, substance abuse, unhealthy relationships and a lack of energy – all of which negatively impact health.

We are whole beings.  Healthy food, exercise and relationships with one another feed our souls as they strengthen our bodies.

There is a third gift that Johnnie’s project is bringing to Hillside. It is the gift of being connected to creation and thus the creator.  As we placed those tiny vulnerable sprouts of lettuce, collards and spinach into the ground a few weeks ago, we were all keenly aware that there was little we could do to ensure that they grow.  We can water them, we can fertilize them, we can keep them free of weeds, but only God and mother nature will cause them to grow and bear fruit.

I am so thankful for Johnnie and the gifts his love of gardening are bringing to the Hillside Court Community. Pray that this project not only nurtures the bodies of our Hillside families but that it strengthens relationships and nurtures our souls.

Please pray for Johnnie, the residents of Hillside and this initiative as it gets off the ground.

One of the group members, Ms. Monica Davis, came in with a game plan and time line. She stuck to it with determination.  Monica joined the family team and participated in Opportunity Knocks while doing job search in the Hillside Rec Center computer lab.  She scheduled the second portion of the GED test for the following week.  In her pursuit for employment and volunteering Monica became a great asset to the community and an inspiration to those seeking employment.  She was able to obtain a job before the end of the month. Ms. Davis is a prime example of the gifts of the Hillside community and the reason why we love the work we do in this community.