Enlarge Rob Willis (brown shirt) listens as Plaza Midwood residents talk during a Sept. 15 session.

Posted: September 17th, 2009 Andria Krewson

It’s about trust, caring and persistence.

That’s what residents of Plaza Midwood and members of Kilgo United Methodist Church talked about at a recent meeting after watching the Crossroads Charlotte movie that helps people envision Charlotte in 2015.

The movie presents four visions of the future and invites audience reaction and discussion to shape that future. Consultants for Crossroads Charlotte met with the residents and church members on Sept. 15 as part of a “Get To Know Your Neighbors” campaign by Plaza Midwood Neighborhood Watch. Coordinator Rob Willis organized the event.

Plaza Midwood is a close-in neighborhood that has experienced property-value growth, renovation and gentrification in the past 20 years, but challenges remain because of nearby high-crime areas and some historical cultural divides.

The “Get To Know Your Neighbors” campaign is an effort to continue to improve community ties. Crossroads Charlotte provides opportunities for people to envision and shape a positive future. The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Foundation for the Carolinas provide primary funding.

Themes emerged during discussions at the Plaza Midwood meeting, summarized by Crossroads Charlotte consultant Brian Foreman:

1. Helping people, like shut-ins, finding out what they can’t do themselves and offering assistance;
2. Reaching across neighborhood boundaries to others nearby;
3. Staying connected with others through communication.

Foreman also added a personal note that he chose Charlotte as a great place to raise his children, but then quickly realized that he needed to revise his thinking to make Charlotte a great place to raise all children, not just his own.

Mike Harris, pastor of Kilgo United Methodist Church, said persistence is required to make change and increase engagement. The church has held successful neighborhood events such as a local version of National Night Out, an initiative to increase neighborhood involvement and fight crime.
“What we’ve done is let the neighborhood know we care,” Harris said.

And church members have reached across cultural boundaries. For example, the church shares facilities and Sunday School classes with the First Hmong United Methodist Church, said Kilgo member Joan Cude. The church also helps with Room at the Inn, a program that provides shelter for homeless people in Charlotte, she said.

But persistence and continued planned “baby steps” are still required, participants said. “We have to find a way to make people care,” said resident Londa Strong.

Want to get involved? Visit Plaza Midwood's Neighborhood Watch.

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