I am a founding member of the West Valley Neighborhoods Coalition, a non-profit, non-partisan member institution of Valley Interfaith Project, working in El Mirage, Surprise, Youngtown, Sun City and Sun City West.
Our work is community organizing. That means getting into our neighborhoods and finding out what is really keeping people up at night and figuring out if their sleeplessness is being caused by an imbalance in the systemic relationships. To do this, we focus on training community leaders who can operate effectively in the civic sector. That is, we do the work of justice by creating right relationships and systemic change to truly solve community problems. At the core of every charitable need you are likely to find the need for justice.
Without addressing the lack of justice, the need for charity simply grows. In the last 12 months, we have made significant strides in the West Valley:
• Local Bond Elections for the new El Mirage police station and community center and School Overrides
• Bringing ADEQ to monitor an old dump site along the Agua Fria River
• Building Leadership in changing neighbors such as Youngtown and El Mirage
• Public Transportation in Sun City area
Through WVNC, we create a safe public space where people can gather in a community they trust, where it is safe to tell their stories about their concerns, their fears, their vulnerabilities. One person talking about the isolation of her life cannot change the world, but her story can be immensely powerful when joined with those of others who are experiencing similar challenges.
