Project Summary

Every year our large and diverse network of community groups will organize 2 large-scale and inclusive public conversations. One will identify a pressing issue that the whole community will work on. Another will decide on which actions to use to address this issue and who will carry these out.

About me

I am married with 2 adult children and have lived here for 30 years, working to help people remove obstacles to healthy communities.I am both director of the Institute for Community Building(ICB) and project coordinator for HANDS.(ICB is the lead for grants that fund HANDS activities).My background includes NYU anthropology studies,6 years living in a Colombian fishing village, and founding/directing the Millers River CDC,which served the region through self-help housing.I learned that communities wanting change must identify the root causes of decline and develop diverse networks committed to long-term culture change.I formed study groups that concluded that our community had to end polarization, the biggest obstacle to common ground. These groups founded ICB and then HANDS.Our community,sickened by polarization, is ready.Make it Your Own is a rare opportunity,more closely aligned to our philosophy and needs than any we have ever seen.We get things done because we are a large,diverse,non-bureaucratic network that understands the long-term work underlying culture change.HANDS leaders,ranging from a gay feminist and a leading Catholic priest to the veterans services agent and an anti-war protester, work together productively and attract others with critical skills.Key partners are the Public Conversations Project,nationally known for dialogue that helps divided groups find common ground, and Third Sector New England,now helping us design the learning component of our strategy.