we are on a boat watching the sunset together out in the middle of the bay I
together out in the middle of the bay I
together out in the middle of the bay I think he’s pretty happy because his
think he’s pretty happy because his
think he’s pretty happy because his basic needs are being meant he’s got
basic needs are being meant he’s got
basic needs are being meant he’s got plenty of food it’s got a great shelter
plenty of food it’s got a great shelter
plenty of food it’s got a great shelter lots of time to play and run around lots
lots of time to play and run around lots
lots of time to play and run around lots of love in his life some would say he’s
of love in his life some would say he’s
of love in his life some would say he’s living life to its fullest financial
living life to its fullest financial
living life to its fullest financial stability allows for us to provide for
stability allows for us to provide for
stability allows for us to provide for the basic needs of ourselves the basic
the basic needs of ourselves the basic
the basic needs of ourselves the basic needs of our families financial
needs of our families financial
needs of our families financial empowerment is about taking control of
empowerment is about taking control of
empowerment is about taking control of our finances and not being controlled by
our finances and not being controlled by
our finances and not being controlled by them financial empowerment is not about
them financial empowerment is not about
them financial empowerment is not about how much money you have or how much
how much money you have or how much
how much money you have or how much money you don’t have it’s about choices
money you don’t have it’s about choices
money you don’t have it’s about choices how do we use our choices to create that
how do we use our choices to create that
how do we use our choices to create that stability in our lives to meet our basic
stability in our lives to meet our basic
stability in our lives to meet our basic needs as an affordable housing developer
needs as an affordable housing developer
needs as an affordable housing developer for the past 25 years I also believe
for the past 25 years I also believe
for the past 25 years I also believe that simple decent and affordable
that simple decent and affordable
that simple decent and affordable housing provides for that stability in
housing provides for that stability in
housing provides for that stability in our lives on which we can build and grow
our lives on which we can build and grow
our lives on which we can build and grow I think back to some basic psychology
I think back to some basic psychology
I think back to some basic psychology that most of us learned in grade school
that most of us learned in grade school
that most of us learned in grade school you recall Maslow’s hierarchy of needs a
you recall Maslow’s hierarchy of needs a
you recall Maslow’s hierarchy of needs a picture with me a large triangle and at
picture with me a large triangle and at
picture with me a large triangle and at the base of that triangle the base of
the base of that triangle the base of
the base of that triangle the base of that triangle our basic human needs
that triangle our basic human needs
that triangle our basic human needs shelter warmth food and in the middle of
shelter warmth food and in the middle of
shelter warmth food and in the middle of the triangle our psychological needs
the triangle our psychological needs
the triangle our psychological needs feeling a sense of belonging a sense of
feeling a sense of belonging a sense of
feeling a sense of belonging a sense of appreciation and at the pinnacle of that
appreciation and at the pinnacle of that
appreciation and at the pinnacle of that triangle
triangle
triangle it’s our self-actualization fulfilling
it’s our self-actualization fulfilling
it’s our self-actualization fulfilling all of our whole purpose and the basic
all of our whole purpose and the basic
all of our whole purpose and the basic concept here is that at the you have to
concept here is that at the you have to
concept here is that at the you have to address your needs at the bottom of the
address your needs at the bottom of the
address your needs at the bottom of the triangle those basic human needs have to
triangle those basic human needs have to
triangle those basic human needs have to be addressed before you can build on
be addressed before you can build on
be addressed before you can build on them and it
them and it
them and it Eve above financial stability allows for
Eve above financial stability allows for
Eve above financial stability allows for us to provide that foundation I dedicate
us to provide that foundation I dedicate
us to provide that foundation I dedicate my life to helping others build strength
my life to helping others build strength
my life to helping others build strength stability and self-reliance I’ve done
stability and self-reliance I’ve done
stability and self-reliance I’ve done this for many years through housing
this for many years through housing
this for many years through housing through building homes and repairing
through building homes and repairing
through building homes and repairing homes so that folks can have that
homes so that folks can have that
homes so that folks can have that stability in their lives on which to
stability in their lives on which to
stability in their lives on which to build on which to achieve this higher
build on which to achieve this higher
build on which to achieve this higher level of needs in their lives so if you
level of needs in their lives so if you
level of needs in their lives so if you recall with me about eight years ago we
recall with me about eight years ago we
recall with me about eight years ago we had this financial recession in our
had this financial recession in our
had this financial recession in our society and over those years I started a
society and over those years I started a
society and over those years I started a witness that in our small towns in our
witness that in our small towns in our
witness that in our small towns in our communities the level of vacant and
communities the level of vacant and
communities the level of vacant and abandoned homes was starting to increase
abandoned homes was starting to increase
abandoned homes was starting to increase an increase as we drove around town you
an increase as we drove around town you
an increase as we drove around town you could see that postings and doors and
could see that postings and doors and
could see that postings and doors and windows started to pop up on a lot of
windows started to pop up on a lot of
windows started to pop up on a lot of our structures if you walked up to those
our structures if you walked up to those
our structures if you walked up to those doors and those windows you’d see the
doors and those windows you’d see the
doors and those windows you’d see the posting that said condemned or it said
posting that said condemned or it said
posting that said condemned or it said that this house has been winterized by
that this house has been winterized by
that this house has been winterized by the bank or that it was scheduled for
the bank or that it was scheduled for
the bank or that it was scheduled for demolition so our position as an
demolition so our position as an
demolition so our position as an affordable home builder we started to
affordable home builder we started to
affordable home builder we started to ask ourselves what role do we have not
ask ourselves what role do we have not
ask ourselves what role do we have not just in helping an individual or a
just in helping an individual or a
just in helping an individual or a family with a house or repair but role
family with a house or repair but role
family with a house or repair but role what role do we have in this society to
what role do we have in this society to
what role do we have in this society to help revitalize entire communities how
help revitalize entire communities how
help revitalize entire communities how can we use our position to address that
can we use our position to address that
can we use our position to address that need and about a year ago we learned
need and about a year ago we learned
need and about a year ago we learned about a financial empowerment program
about a financial empowerment program
about a financial empowerment program stand by me we embraced it and adopted
stand by me we embraced it and adopted
stand by me we embraced it and adopted it and said with this resource in
it and said with this resource in
it and said with this resource in addition to what we do with building and
addition to what we do with building and
addition to what we do with building and repairing homes we can now offer
repairing homes we can now offer
repairing homes we can now offer financial empowerment opportunities to
financial empowerment opportunities to
financial empowerment opportunities to an entire community so we started to to
an entire community so we started to to
an entire community so we started to to to offer workshops to anyone in the
to offer workshops to anyone in the
to offer workshops to anyone in the community who wanted to take advantage
community who wanted to take advantage
community who wanted to take advantage of this resource
of this resource
of this resource we started to do not workshops not just
we started to do not workshops not just
we started to do not workshops not just with individuals but with entire
with individuals but with entire
with individuals but with entire families workshops for children for
families workshops for children for
families workshops for children for adults to help them see that they can be
adults to help them see that they can be
adults to help them see that they can be a resource in their own community to
a resource in their own community to
a resource in their own community to improve their own situation we started
improve their own situation we started
improve their own situation we started to see this momentum build you could see
to see this momentum build you could see
to see this momentum build you could see a sense of hope
a sense of hope
a sense of hope physical repairs physically improving
physical repairs physically improving
physical repairs physically improving the visual the infrastructure of a
the visual the infrastructure of a
the visual the infrastructure of a community through homes seeing their
community through homes seeing their
community through homes seeing their neighbors become homeowners for the
neighbors become homeowners for the
neighbors become homeowners for the first time and through the environment
first time and through the environment
first time and through the environment and but empowerment financial
and but empowerment financial
and but empowerment financial empowerment opportunities that were
empowerment opportunities that were
empowerment opportunities that were there people could sense a sense of hope
there people could sense a sense of hope
there people could sense a sense of hope was being developed we started working
was being developed we started working
was being developed we started working with community leaders to build trust
with community leaders to build trust
with community leaders to build trust within the neighborhood through a series
within the neighborhood through a series
within the neighborhood through a series of activities just as simple as a
of activities just as simple as a
of activities just as simple as a neighborhood cleanup and bringing people
neighborhood cleanup and bringing people
neighborhood cleanup and bringing people together we call them dumpster days and
together we call them dumpster days and
together we call them dumpster days and people would come out fill dumpsters to
people would come out fill dumpsters to
people would come out fill dumpsters to physically clean up their neighborhood
physically clean up their neighborhood
physically clean up their neighborhood we started a series of high impact low
we started a series of high impact low
we started a series of high impact low costs volunteer intensive gatherings to
costs volunteer intensive gatherings to
costs volunteer intensive gatherings to work on addressing a whole blocks at a
work on addressing a whole blocks at a
work on addressing a whole blocks at a time we call to rock the block all these
time we call to rock the block all these
time we call to rock the block all these elements coming together with the
elements coming together with the
elements coming together with the baseline of financial stability that
baseline of financial stability that
baseline of financial stability that people could start to look at there the
people could start to look at there the
people could start to look at there the resources differently that people could
resources differently that people could
resources differently that people could control their financial situation and
control their financial situation and
control their financial situation and not be controlled by it or starting to
not be controlled by it or starting to
not be controlled by it or starting to have an impact in these communities that
have an impact in these communities that
have an impact in these communities that were focused on at this time I believe
were focused on at this time I believe
were focused on at this time I believe that through this experience and what
that through this experience and what
that through this experience and what we’re seeing is that financial
we’re seeing is that financial
we’re seeing is that financial empowerment is an essential tool in the
empowerment is an essential tool in the
empowerment is an essential tool in the toolbox of neighborhood revitalization I
ask you to think about how can you use
ask you to think about how can you use financial empowerment how do you see
financial empowerment how do you see
financial empowerment how do you see financial empowerment the creation of
financial empowerment the creation of
financial empowerment the creation of that stability in one’s life to
that stability in one’s life to
that stability in one’s life to revitalize your community whatever that
revitalize your community whatever that
revitalize your community whatever that means to you and your situation how can
means to you and your situation how can
means to you and your situation how can you help create that stability in
you help create that stability in
you help create that stability in someone else’s life
how can you create the doggie effect and
how can you create the doggie effect and someone else’s life so they have this
someone else’s life so they have this
someone else’s life so they have this stability to become active productive
stability to become active productive
stability to become active productive members of their own community
”
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