What we know: Neighborhoods that have a high quality of life are places where its residents have access to quality services. Also, residents are able to build local assets and connect to economic opportunities in a safe setting for their families and neighbors.
What we can do: Through a public health approach called trauma informed community development (TICD), we work with community members to identify problems in their neighborhood and develop a Health & wellness—Opportunity making—Place making —Engaging influencers (H.O.P.E.) plan to address these common issues.
What we are doing: Working in the 5th Ward of Meadville, PA talking to neighbors as a start to understanding how people see their neighborhood and what they would like to see for themselves and each other. We are connecting community leaders with resources to make implement after school programs, coffee hours, and mental health cafes.
To learn more, contact [email protected]
“At the week long TICD boot camp, I was exposed to an in depth training at the intersection between trauma informed care, community development, and system change. The training, led by Pittsburgh collaborators from the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, Focus Pittsburgh, and other community organizations trained teams from across the nation in solidarity around the basic framework of Trauma Informed Community Development. We left the training with practical skills, inspiring theories, and a deep relationships. I’m certain that this training was the most impactful training I’ve ever experienced. Not only did I leave feeling empowered to make change in my community but, because the training was so collaborative, my experience was shared between the other members of my team who felt a similar passion for continuing the work. I highly recommend this experience to any community looking to have their “business as usual” challenged as they work towards developing a better way of creating healthier communities. Rather than redirect our work, this boot camp focused and build upon it. ”
peace4crawford.org 