Community leaders share a desire to help their neighbors through challenges and to be a part of making their community and neighborhood the best it can be. This can take on many forms—big and small—and often begins with creating ways to build connections among residents like greeting people when they just moved into the neighborhood, organizing a community yard sale, or helping with community gardens. As residents make deeper connections with each other, and as leaders grow in their capacity, together they can become strong advocates for their communities and neighborhoods. And they can and often do make a difference by focusing on issues that are important to them and their neighbors.
NeighborWorks emphasizing peer to peer mentoring and encourage resident engagement. The Community Leadership Institute (CLI) brings together community leaders from across the country for an intensive training to strengthen the voices and enhance the skills of resident leaders. This invaluable opportunity to learn from each other inspires participants to take new ideas and opportunities back to their communities.
This year, HDC’s third CLI team graduated in May. In September 2021, HDC will launch its own Resident Leadership Program so we can reach more residents, grow their leadership, and work together to build stronger communities. We are looking forward to the next 50 years with our residents leading the way.