Dinner Prayers: What Money Can Buy Part II

Days to the Dinner: 6
Today's RSVP count: 239

When the Parks family moved onto Brighton Avenue, one of the first people we met was our neighbor Cliff. Cliff had a vision for gating off the alley that ran behind our homes, which had long served as an entry point for drug-dealing, prostitution, burglaries and drive-by shootings. It didn't take him long to win us over to the idea. So in 2004, Richard and Cliff joined forces in what would be a 4-year endeavor to get this alley closed. They recruited our neighbor Manuel to go door-to-door with them, interviewing residents and collecting signatures. They obtained a letter of support from the LAPD based on crime reports in and around the alley. They requested and received financial support from our Neighborhood Council. And they testified before the LA city council. Then two years later they went through the entire process again due to frustrating bureaucratic delays. While waiting for this second round of approvals our neighbor Cliff moved away. But Richard and Manuel continued the work. On April 17th the gates were finally installed, and the next day we hosted a BBQ to celebrate. Our neighbors were effusive in their thanks to Richard and Manuel, and eagerly made plans for a block club that would continue to work on public safety issues. They want to see speed bumps, better lighting, landscape improvements and community volunteer days to paint homes for people in need. Money CANNOT buy the kind of teamwork, persistence and creativity that's happening on our block. But money DID buy the many hours of guidance and strategizing that Richard was able to provide. By reducing his "day job" down to halftime, he's been able to put in the time it takes to keep a process like this moving. He's also helping our neighbors learn to navigate the city's complex bureaucracy. The result in this case is a gated alley and a diverse group of residents fired up to build a better neighborhood!

As you pray for our dinner today, pray specifically that God would provide for our community-building initiatives. This part of our work is absolutely essential if we are to create a safe, healthy, opportunity-rich environment. But it is also the most difficult part of our ministry to fund. Pray that those who attend our dinner will be moved both to give and to pray toward long-term, community-wide change.

Pictures from the first gathering of our new block club!