Old school still rules: Lee-Harvard's high census response rate could teach other neighborhoods a few tricks

L’Heure Civique aims to make it easier and more flexible for French citizens to volunteer in an era where fewer and fewer people are regularly volunteering, requiring just an hour of service per month and offering up opportunities as they come rather than requiring long-term commitment. The organization is now active in about 250 communities with more than 24,000 volunteers.

After tense negotiations and protests, the Coalition for a CBA (Community Benefits Agreement) and the mayor of Chicago agreed to an ordinance guaranteeing a percentage of affordable housing for tenants making below 50% of median income. The coalition expects gentrification to accelerate due to the nearby $500 million Obama Presidential Center, making housing unaffordable for current residents. In addition to negotiations, the coalition organized a blockade of the mayor’s office and set up a “tent city” to emphasize their message. Not all residents want the ordinance and neither side got everything they want.

As social distancing and isolation become increasingly important in stopping the spread of the coronavirus, volunteers and neighborhood groups are helping seniors and Immunocompromised people access necessessities. In New York, volunteering to help neighbors in times of crisis is not new – many local community groups emerged after Hurricane Sandy – but recent health restrictions have created cause for new protocols such as contactless support.

Grassroots movements made up of ordinary citizens can go a long way in creating change. This article details several initiatives across Ohio that were led by citizens using a combination of lobbying, education, persistence, knowledge of government practices, and organization. Some things that were achieved using these methods are wage reimbursements and increased bus access.

Shared expressions of community and fellowship are fostering a non-partisan approach to civic engagement. The nonprofit Citizen University, based in Seattle, Washington, provides small grants to trained community leaders who host Civic Saturdays. The meetings take place across the country in libraries, town centers, and at small businesses. Groups gather to share song, poetry, and to discuss political concepts as ideas on a spectrum, rather than in opposition to one another.

One kampung in Jakarta, or “informal urban neighborhood,” fought back against a city that didn’t want the neighborhood to exist. There has been a trend for these small neighborhoods to be bulldozed in the name of development, but the “progress” threatens the homes and livelihoods of thousands of families. Now, volunteers are helping these small kampungs remain politically active and continue to make positive change.

In Fairhill, a neighborhood in North Philadelphia, voter turnout was a mere 12% in one recent election. Fairhill Neighbors, a coalition of neighborhood groups, is seeking to combat lower turnout rates with a personal engagement program. “Voting Champions” are community members who will work to register voters, drive them to polls, and generate excitement about voting, with the hopes of transforming civic participation in their area.

In Detroit, Michigan, residents reduce the effects of gentrification through physical activity and shared storytelling. The non-profit Pedal to Porch encourages residents to bike to their neighbors’ homes and record their memories. The effort helps retain some of the identity in Detroit’s changing communities and establishes new connections for the city to grow. Founder Cornetta Lane notes, “communities are more likely to bounce back from social and natural disasters when they know each other.”

Chicago is asking its citizens, including youth, to help determine how to spend public money. Participatory budgeting involves communities identifying their greatest needs and guiding spending towards solutions.

Climate change is a growing issue, but the Citizens' Climate Lobby (a group of volunteers who work to get Republicans and Democrats to work in unison) is aiming to curb carbon emissions. So far the group has had a large increase in number of volunteers and politicians joining and willing to work together.