On September, 1996 I walked into
a neighborhood formerly called “Little Vietnam” in
Atlanta, GA. USA and faced a challenge which seemed insurmountable.
There were boarded up houses, trash, debris, abandoned cars, and
most threatening, active drug dealers on the street.
Through FCS Urban Ministries, I was given the opportunity to buy
a run-down, water damaged house, and anchor the Peace Center of
Partnerships In Peace. After all the mold and mildew was eliminated
inside the house, I planted a Peace Pole “May Peace Prevail
on Earth” between three tall trees in the front yard where
a Peace Garden evolved into labyrinth trails.
I then went door-to-door introducing myself, and inviting the neighbors
to participate in Neighborhood Watch so we could get to know each
other,and with the help of the police, deal with the rampant crime.
Because of apathy and fear, people were hesitant to participate,
so I decided to have an Ice Cream Social in my driveway, and see
if I could get the children to come out. This was a great success.
Over time, and with many community projects, trust was established
between us and participation began to increase. The neighbors and
I immediately replaced the shot-out street lights to bring light
back to the neighborhood.
I realized the solutions to the problems were overwhelming, so
I began small. I suggested we do a litter pick up every Saturday
for one hour until we got on top of the chaos. At first, we had
truck-loads of junk, including shopping carts.
I was joined by nine neighbors and their kids who showed up to pick
up a few bags of litter this past Saturday. Everyone noticed that
after ten years of commitment, the amount of debris has diminished
over the years. Even the remaining drug dealers are using the available
receptacles for trash.
Once the litter was removed I discovered another factor which affects
how criminals view a neighborhood. This factor is whether there
is any beauty. I began planting curb gardens for everyone, to send
a non-verbal message that we care. I rescued plants from anywhere
I could find them, and transplanted them with the help of the neighborhood
youth, forming a Garden Club for them. Very quickly, the beauty
began to appear, and a sense of pride evolved to the point where
last year we renamed the neighborhood East Lake Gardens, and one
neighbor received a gardening award from The Urban Gardener nursery.
Because of the success our little part of the world has achieved,
I decided it was time to create a documentary called “A Way
Out” so I could share the process with other at-risk neighborhoods
in Detroit, Chicago, LA & NYC. I have detailed the eighteen
factors which contributed to our change, thus empowering others
to make a difference in their neighborhoods too. It shows how grassroots
efforts can create beneficial results, and return hope to a community.
Is the story finished? No - There is still one unrelenting tenant
landlord who knowingly houses drug dealers on Swazey Dr. Even with
police actions and constant 911 calling, zoning compliance, prayer
vigils, and legal action, I have been unable to end this one persistent
malaise. The good news is that many people are joining forces to
help end it, so we know compared to 1996, 2006 is much better or
all of us.
Andrea Kay Smith serves as Global Coordinator
for Partnerships In Peace, A Planetary Consortium creating partnerships
with organizations and people who believe they can make a difference
for good in the world. To learn more visit www.PartnershipsinPeace.org
or call 404-377-8004. peacepartnership@mindspring.com
To order a
T-shirt “Atlanta:
City of Peace” email live@atlpeace.org
