Kitchen Table Leaders

by Lydia Guy Ortiz on 05/11/11

I grew up in south central LA (Watts) in the late sixties/early seventies.  Watts at that time was a community infused with principles of community and social change, but fairly devoid of structured social programs.  I have memories of sitting being a child sitting on the kitchen floor playing as the "grown folks"  sat around the kitchen table discussing life, the neighborhood, the church and everything relevant to their daily  existence. 

At that table people took ownership of the problems within in their community and looked for solutions and resources to address them, it was an organic community process.  This image came to mind when  today  Aimee  from Close to Home  http://www.c2home.org/ shared how "kitchen table leaders  are critical in community centered work to prevent sexual and domestic violence in the PreventConnnect web conference today.

I was again reminded that the best resource in prevention work is people,

not activities,

not programs,

not even funding,

but  a committed group of people taking ownership and working toward a solution.

 

...........................and good food doesn't hurt either

Lydia