4294.0: Tuesday, November 14, 2000 - Board 2

Abstract #13739

Bridging the community

Joan M. Holliday, BS, RN, Personal Health Services, Chester County Health Dept, Government Services Center, Suite 180, 601 Westtown Rd, West Chester, PA 19380, (610) 344-5550, Dochollisv@aol.com

Increasing community competence through collaboration is a PHN goal. This paper describes how one town has successfully developed and shared a common vision for grass-roots community empowerment through the leadership, creativity, and facilitation of their public health nurse. This town of 10,000 residents is home to a citizenry diverse in income, culture, and language. It includes a large Latino population, many of whom work in the area’s large mushroom industry. The PHN -initiated community group, Bridging the Community, has been successful in attracting a diverse membership within and outside the infrastructure and in building a spirited working community. Their vision is described by the group motto, "Our town: Every day a better place to grow up in and grow old in." They meet bi-montly to bring in new people, share successes, and pursue new ideas and efforts. The “bridging” meetings have been attended by as many as 60 people. One success was a street fair led by the youth to share community agency information to generate volunteerism. A second was a collaborative effort with several community agencies to focus on the health of local teens, including added complexity faced by the Latino teen. The workshop was successful enough that community members and leaders continued with a second workshop; a third is being planned. Many volunteer initiatives have resulted and are underway. In a third effort, a diverse group of citizens is planning a workshop for building community capacity for conflict resolution by developing a community mediator resource pool.

Learning Objectives: After this session, participants will be able to: 1. describe one method for building community 2. identify the successes and new opportunities in the strategies used

Keywords: Community Building,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Bridging the Community
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

The 128th Annual Meeting of APHA