Neighborhood Program’s expansion pilot was initially intended to create a container for connection and belonging for Members and residents of Pacific Towers. Cherished debrief sessions quickly revealed it was also a vehicle for volunteers’ sense of belonging.
Last summer, Maybelle Center Member volunteers, community volunteers, service-learning students, and staff met on Wednesday afternoons for a program expansion pilot at Pacific Towers on NW 4th Avenue. After several hours of setup and takedown for the cooperative art project, the plan was for everyone to meet for a debrief about what went well and what areas needed improvement.
The initial plan was to meet only after the first and last sessions to reduce the burden on volunteers and staff. However, participants insisted on debriefing during the second week–and every week thereafter for the entire six weeks of the project!
One of our member volunteers, JC, expressed why the weekly reflection felt so significant:
The debrief was when she felt her voice mattered. They were building something together, and she was helping shape that future.
JC was vocalizing what numerous research studies show (including those supporting our program’s theory of change) that agency and the right to co-create are essential building blocks to belonging. Participation and connection are important first steps, but true belonging is about co-creating, not just joining something others created.
Opportunities for co-creation are especially critical for our Members, most of whom experience financial poverty and utilize social service providers who are incentivized to treat people in the most cost-effective and efficient manner. Unfortunately, this well-intentioned system often inadvertently leads to a loss of autonomy and control and even lower self-worth.
That’s why it’s essential that Member opportunities to influence decisions and co-create our programming are built into the foundation of our work at Maybelle Center. Thanks to your support, Members have structured ways to grow their participation and see their ideas take shape at Maybelle Center, like our quarterly Member Forums. Others develop their change-making skills and interests by participating in the Member Advisory Council, which drives new projects and shapes our offerings by implementing member feedback gained at our quarterly forums.
Madeleine, one of the service-learning students participating in the pilot, reminds us that
“even as staff or volunteers, we still seek community. Every time I talk to someone about Maybelle and what we’re doing, they say we need more of that, and I can’t agree more. I’m thinking even now about how I’m going to create that in the future.”
Thank you to JC and Madeleine for reminding us that we all long to feel a sense of belonging, no matter our circumstances. With the support of engaged donors, experienced staff, and motivated volunteers, we are striving towards this goal every day and for every person who feels socially isolated.
