Lively, passionate, and engaged conversation

On Wednesday, January 21, the Jubilee Center held a community meeting for residents living in North Denver to discuss our past year of Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) work and to pose some reflecting questions to them about their own contributions to the neighborhood. Although we ended up meeting on a very snowy, cold night, about 40 community members joined in on the meal provided by Rosa Linda’s and Patsy’s Inn and the following conversation. We measure our success on this meeting by the lively, passionate, and engaged conversation that was generated and self-sustained by the people in attendance. Once we began sharing our story about our experience working on this project and being members of North Denver, others began sharing their thoughts and feelings about their time in North Denver too. As we have found time and again with this endeavor, simply asking questions about people’s experiences, hopes, and passions is a transformative process. The person who asked the question begins to see something they may have never thought of before, while the person answering can take a critical, but positive look at their life and the circumstances around them.

There was much preparation for this event by everyone in our office. We worked together to advertise the event, continue making connections in the community, complete catering orders, and put together the presentation. Every moment of our presentation did not go as planned; rather something better happened. The energy of the people in the meeting took over to create conversation on topics such as gentrification, making connections with new neighbors, appreciating arts and cultures of others, and finding ways to articulate thoughts and feelings. With the exceedingly fast array of changes in the neighborhood (architecturally, socio-economically, culturally, etc.), many residents are finding it hard to keep up with what’s happening with neighbors on their own streets. This meeting was said to be a strong first step for identifying some of the challenges facing all the people of North Denver right now, but also for showing all the strengths and resources that North Denver has had in the past and will continue to build on for generations to come.

Our next step in ABCD:

Through our ABCD work, we determined this community meeting was something residents desperately desired so they would have a welcoming venue for people to discuss their experiences in North Denver in a larger group setting. As mentioned in the meeting, it was the first step in creating new community connections and developing self-empowerment. One of our hoped for outcomes for the ABCD project is to learn how the Jubilee Center can be a better neighborhood and service provider to residents in the neighborhood. One way we hope to do this is by continuing positive, thoughtful community discussions. As of the end of January we will begin writing our final report of our ABCD work. We will always be listening to the voices in the neighborhood and do our best to contribute to the community as a respectful and caring neighbor.

Thank you to Rosa Linda’s, Patsy’s Inn, Menchie’s, and Rosales Bakery for contributing a delicious and hearty meal.

Thank you to Our Merciful Savior for hosting us in the church basement.

Thank you to Lelanda Lee for helping facilitate the conversation.

And thank you to everyone who attended the meeting and have supported the ABCD project.

Food Gentrification in North Denver

Yesterday at the Jubilee Center our ABCD pilot project held our second small community discussion. Our first meeting was on education and youth, this one focused on a challenge that many have not yet admitted is happening in Northwest Denver: gentrification. However, throughout our one-to-one interviews with community members, we have heard quotes talking about gentrification such as:

“I worry that people are living here because it’s trendy and cool and they don’t have a commitment to where they live.”

“One time we had a community meeting at Our Lady of Guadalupe – it was the first time Italians were in a Mexican church. People are drawn through the history and culture. If you capitalize on the people who were here, who have that history and culture, there is a point of equalizing.”

“Younger metropolitan group doesn’t have historical connection, instead want access to downtown.”

It is clear that the influx of people into Northwest Denver is part of people’s thoughts when they are discussing their neighborhood. At our second community meeting, we had a more in-depth discussion on gentrification. As we prepared for that meeting though, we stumbled across articles about something called food gentrification, which refers to previously inexpensive or unpopular foods becoming the new “foodie trends”. This means that the higher the demand, the higher the prices because there is a shortage in supply and willingness to pay more.

The food that tends to come to mind when talking about popular new vegetables is kale, a leafy green that has been dubbed a superfood. In 2011, kale was sold in 4,700 stores in the United States. Now, it is sold in 50,700 stores and during that time increased in price by 25%. In 2013, Entrepreneur wrote an article dubbing 2013 as “the year of kale”. Everyone is talking about kale, blogging recipes centered around it, and sharing on social media when they eat it. Whole Foods recognized the takeover that kale had in the food industry and at the beginning of 2014, wrote an official blog post and marketed in store the idea: Collards Are the New Kale. This is where the food gentrification began.

Collard greens have been a staple of working class Black and White Southern American’s meals for centuries. When a high end grocer decides to market collards by likening them to the status of kale, prices undoubtedly increase to accommodate the surge in demand, leading to less availability and affordable prices for the people that had already “discovered” this vegetable. The life of collards may soon mirror that of kale’s to be a booming fad across the country.

Through our work in North Denver, we thought about this idea of food gentrification a little differently. Here, food gentrification manifests itself differently than by increasing prices in grocery stores. Rather, our change in prices has come through an abundance of restaurants. Gossip around the neighborhood states we have about 65 restaurants within a two mile radius. Many of these restaurants offer a variety of cuisines and the prices in these establishments tend to be on the higher end. Such an incredible number of options to dine out implies that the people of the neighborhood have that leisure time as well as the disposable income to choose which restaurant they are in the mood for. What does that mean for restaurants that have been in the neighborhood for years?

This neighborhood is very good at dining out, enjoying the social scene, and hosting community events around food and leisure. Knowing about food gentrification and its implications on the prices and availability of food, how do we welcome new restaurants into our community? In what ways can restaurants bring us together? How do we appropriately manage this influx of higher end cuisine in our neighborhood while also having local grocery stores and restaurants that cater to lower income families?

Rooftop Porch: The new front porch?

In our past newsletter, we discussed the idea of urban planning and how we use our public spaces for socializing, recreation, and work. This blog posting adds the influence of the new home private contractors and developers in their building around North Denver. Along Quivas Street in particular, there is one startling design element that has not been present previously in any Denver architecture: rooftop porches. These were right next door to the more traditional and ubiquitous front porch. In LoDo, rooftops are easily accessible by walking across the bridge. In the new restaurants along Tejon and 16^th Street, rooftop porches on bars and restaurants are coveted spaces, perfect for enjoying Colorado summer. Some folks have decided to bring the feeling of looking out over the city to their own homes by creating rooftop patios and ridding themselves of traditional front porches.

rooftop patio and living space

rooftop patio and living space

rooftop patio and living space

During a one-on-one with a community member, he brought up an observant description of how we use our homes. He said, “We drive home, park in our garage, go in through our garage door, and never have to speak to our neighbors. Then we repeat this process to leave our houses.” Where a front porch might help create a space where residents could sit and watch the neighborhood, now some are opting for the rooftop because of its undoubtedly cool look, and trendy location for entertaining or relaxing.

front porch on same street

But how does this influence how we interact with our neighbors? Even outgoing residents may feel odd to call to a neighbor on a rooftop three stories up from the street. And side-by-side rooftops don’t lend themselves to easy mobility from one to the other. It resembles a type of castle fortress, with the owners calling down to potential guests that need keys or passwords or codes to get to it. We may be bold in saying this, but it’s exclusive. It does not open the opportunity to meet your neighbors.

What are your thoughts? Do you think a rooftop porch is hindering our ability to befriend our neighbors? Are trendy and neighborly mutually exclusive? Does your dream home contribute to community development?

We are North Denver!

by Guest Blogger Lelanda Lee

In the first week of May, North Denver residents were confronted by at least 20 signs posted on white paper on utility posts that spewed racist messages against Hispanics. [See ABC 7 news story here.] The neighborhood quickly responded with a Twitter campaign (#WeAreNorthDenver and #SomosNorthDenver) that also appeared in other social media such as Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/wearenorthdenver), Instagram, and a new Website (wearenorthdenver.com).

What is heartening is how residents, workers, and business owners in North Denver are standing up for our diverse neighborhood and counting the many blessings of our diversity. Our Hispanic, Italian, and other cultural roots go deep, and North Denver is an exciting, interesting, and caring place in which to live and work, because we reflect acceptance, shared community values, and innovation.

Here at the Jubilee Center, our mission is to break the cycle of poverty for those who have been marginalized by the changing demographics and economic face of North Denver. Change is always hardest on those at the bottom of the economic ladder, who are one paycheck or one illness away from food insecurity, a shortage of funds to pay their rent or mortgage, and homelessness. The 2006-2009 recession is one from which many families have not recovered. Our new North Denver businesses are adding some jobs, but we don’t know how many other jobs have been priced out of the neighborhood by rising rents and real estate prices.

If you walk around the neighborhood these days, you will notice many signs of the changing face of North Denver. I spent an afternoon this week on Central Street near the 20th Street pedestrian bridge, drinking coffee in the breezy sunlit afternoon, listening to the white noise of the I-25 traffic below my view and gazing at the downtown high rise Denver skyline behind the nearer LoDo lofts and businesses on the south side of the interstate. I was surrounded on every side by new apartment and loft dwellings, with amenities like lanais and small landscaped areas for residents to be outdoors. The age ranges of most of the people I saw were mid-twenties to late-forties with a few outliers, many with dogs and toddlers in strollers.

I had many questions, which I didn’t have a chance to ask, like asking the employees of the cafes and restaurants if they lived in the area and if they could afford to live in the area. The parking signs typically allow a 2-hour parking period during the hours that stretch from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and I wondered about where the residents parked their vehicles. I saw several city buses pass by, and I wondered if they offer enough convenience to wean residents and workers away from their vehicles. Being “on-the-ground,” so to speak, in the neighborhood, made me want to learn more from the local residents and workers about their individual stories, because #WeAreNorthDenver definitely has a story to tell. I think the Jubilee Center, and especially our ABCD (asset-based community development) project, can be part of that storytelling.

Guest blogger Lelanda Lee serves on the board of directors of the 32nd Avenue Jubilee Center and blogs at whatacupoftea.blogspot.com.

Unexpected Places

A couple of weeks ago, as we were driving around the Northwest Denver area, we noticed a very large, Victorian style home. Unsure of what it was, we got out one of our fancy, folded-with-love flyers and walked up to the home. Colorado is warming up for the summer, giving us beautiful, sunny days that are just perfect for sitting on a porch. When we walked up to the home, a few older gentlemen were sitting outside and told us that it was a home for veterans, called Heather Grove.

This home was an exciting find as we work to capture the entire picture of NW Denver and the people who make this place home. This past Thursday we got another gorgeous spring day that's just perfect for some front porch sitting and we went to talk to the gentlemen that reside in this beautiful home. We brought donuts to share and spent the afternoon listening to gossip, things the men enjoy doing, and little snapshots of their lives.

Asset Based Community Development Update

Last November, the 32nd Avenue Jubilee Center received a grant from the National Episcopal Church to complete a project called Asset Based Community Development.

Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) sounds complicated, but in practice, it's a simple technique to bring people together. We are using ABCD by identifying what is working well in the neighborhood we serve, Northwest Denver, as it rapidly changes. We hope to strengthen the current community as it goes through periods of transition, connect community leaders, and reflect on our own programs and services.

What was the first step?

For the past three months, our two interns Joe and Aspen have been interviewing residents of the community to understand the neighborhood: its rich history, the people who live and work here, and what lies in its future. They first interviewed board members and through connections, shared contacts, and simply "hitting the pavement", met with more than 20 individuals to discuss their strengths, associations in the community, and experience with NW Denver. We have been working diligently to connect with people from all walks of life, as the North Side is historically, and currently a great fusion of individuals and cultures.

Where do we go from here?

Joe and Aspen plan to continue individual interviews for the next month. If you are interested in being interviewed or know of someone that would be willing to share their story please email us to set up a time for conversation. Once we have completed the initial interviews, we will connect those that share the same interests, hopes, and passions to further the identification of assets within the community.

What happens if you've already been interviewed?

YOU have been an incredible launching pad to our process and we are so appreciative of your continued support in the project. We will continue to stay in touch with you as we identify common themes about what's happening in the neighborhood. You can always donate to or volunteer at the Jubilee Center and we encourage you to keep having dialogues about your experiences within your neighborhood.