| Greensboro, NC: "The transformation has been
amazing," James Miller says of Brenda Goldston. "Community Voices
brought out the leader in Brenda, and both she and the community have benefitted
immensely."
A self-described shy person, Brenda Goldston came out of her shell after
Miller, a Durham County Extension agent with the North Carolina A&T
State University Cooperative Extension Program, recommended the Community
Voices program to her.
"Community Voices taught me a lot about myself," says Goldston,
who went on to serve as president of the Cornwallis Community Improvement
Association. "I learned that I had something to offer, and, that if
I used my talents in the right way, I could help myself and others grow."
Community Voices is a leadership development program coordinated by the
North Carolina A&T State University Cooperative Extension Program.
Through a 15-segment program, Community Voices aims to nurture grassroot
leadership, and empower people with the knowledge and skills they need
to become part of community affairs.
To do this, Cooperative Extension staff train a core group of individuals
in leadership skills and identifying community problems. The core group
then recruits and trains other community members.
"The program operates under the belief that people have the potential
to solve the problems of their communities, and that a little assistance
will help them do that," said Dr. Claudette Smith, a family resource
management specialist with the NC A&T Cooperative Extension Program
who provides leadership to the Community Voices program.
Goldston says that she almost always kept to herself before Community Voices,
but now regrets not getting involved in her community earlier.
"I believe that misunderstanding and frustration keeps people from
becoming involved in their communities," says Goldston. "You
have to be able to understand the root of a problem before you know enough
to fix it, and then you must understand the proper way of creating change
before you can fix the problem. If you can't do those things, you spend
your life feeling powerless and sorry for yourself."
One of the problems Goldston noticed in her community, the Cornwallis Public
Housing Community in Durham, was the absence of a nearby bus shelter to
provide refuge from the weather. Through problem-solving and organizational
skills learned in Community Voices, Goldston organized other community
members, and they approached city management with their request. After
a series of meetings and presentations, the city agreed to construct new
bus shelters for the Cornwallis community.
Organizing community members to address issues is one of the focuses of
the Community Voices program, and, it's one that the Cornwallis community
routinely uses to reach its goals.
"A lot has come out of the Cornwallis Community Improvement Association,"
said Ernest Mangum, assistant director of special programs for the Durham
Housing Authority. "They continue to work together, and have been
successful in securing funds for their projects and goals. The residents
have gained a tremendous amount of confidence, and feel that they can collaborate
with other organizations."
Collaboration has resulted in the Kings Park Life Center, a facility which
houses a state-approved day care program and after-school programs for
Cornwallis youth. According to Mangum, the Center is a source of pride
for the Cornwallis residents, and creates a positive atmosphere, which
lessens crime and other problems.
Goldston acknowledges that great successes in a community aren't possible
without active leaders, and she says that the visible success of the community
has drawn the interest of other community members who might not otherwise
become involved.
One of those who became interested in the success spawned by the Community
Voices program was Goldston's husband, Clinton.
"You see all of this good stuff happening around you, and you want
to be a part of it," said Clinton Goldston. "By teaching you
leadership and communication skills, Community Voices gives you a way to
become involved."
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For more information, please contact your local Cooperative Extension Center.
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