ReGen: Building Community with East Hills Consensus Group

Grounded worked to build the organizational capacity of East Hills Consensus Group (EHCG) so that it would be able to quickly and effectively respond to community issues raised by the residents of East Hills.

EHCG identified three main areas of focus for improvement of their community: Improvements in Public Safety, Stormwater Management, and Community Beautification.

In order to better connect residents of the community, Grounded worked to increase awareness of EHCG throughout the community. We accomplished this through a multi-pronged approach, incorporating data-collection, community meet-and-greets, and information sessions. One such event was scheduled in cooperation with Imani Christian Academy. By partnering with a local networking powerhouse such as a school, we were able to gain a significant foothold in the community and spread word about the EHCG to a wider audience than might ordinarily have been reached through our canvassing efforts.

Additionally, we helped to boost and diversify the group’s membership to reflect the neighborhood’s needs by engaging younger members of the community to aid in the community revitalization process.

During each stakeholder interview, we were frequently reminded of the hope that residents harbor: that community ties can be re-knit and that violence (both against people and place) will end. Through the process of placemaking, Grounded Strategies helped to reinvigorate a sense of community within the East Hills region.