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It Takes A Village, UnKuhrupted
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It Takes A Village
This is an ancient African proverb that teaches eternal truth. No man, woman or family is an island, however, in these lean and mean days, our community isn’t always what it is supposed to be. We’d all like to live in a place where people care about others, where people pitch in to help when things get rough, where it’s safe to let our kids play around outside.
This isn’t always what we experience. Instead of community, we find alienation; looking for safety, we are attacked by crime; hoping for a better life for our kids, we encounter gangs and drugs and the lies of television. People often retreat behind closed and double locked doors and try to ignore the problem. Politicians preach envy and hate, dividing us further instead of working for reconciliation. Being poor these days just ain’t what it used to be.
Nobody Is An Island – A lesson in history
During the Depression, there was plenty of poverty and misery. Jim Crow segregation viciously discriminated against peaceful, industrious, law-abiding citizens. The very face of the earth seemed turned against us, as the skies were darkened by the choking dust storms of the 1930s. People had many reasons to feel sorry for themselves. They call it the Depression because that's just exactly what it was. You know how you feel when you're depressed. Imagine how it is when the whole country gets that way at the same time.
But people connected with each other during the Depression. They had family and friends around them. Everybody was broke and so everybody was in the same boat. And as everyone who is poor knows, there is nobody who is more generous than another poor person. So people helped each other out. Not only with the physical necessities of life; such as food, clothing and shelter -- but also with the spiritual and emotional necessities. It's pretty awful when you feel like you are all alone and the whole world is against you.
Life is a lot easier when you are part of a network of... show more friends and family, a community, a neighborhood. OUR NEIGHBORHOOD!
Life is easier when you are part of a network of friends and family, a neighborhood
Today poor people are pawns in games of poli-tricks. People say things like, "Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, my grandfather did". That may be true, but many of those "bootstraps" are no longer available today. And the first and foremost problem is that the supportive community of our grandparents’ day, the village, the neighborhood, that place where people looked out for each other and supported each other, where they shared joys and sorrows, good times and bad times, in many places is no more. It has gone away as history and we're paying a really big price for that loss.
It does take a village, to work with the family, to raise a child and weather the storms of life. If we want that kind of support, the place to begin is with ourselves. Community, like charity, begins at home. You start building a good neighborhood when you yourself decide that you will be a good neighbor. If you don't know anyone on your block, you can take the initiative and become part of that community. You can reach out to your own network of friends and start building community.
There are many things that we just don't have much control over. But things like helping a neighbor with yard work, giving food, offering suggestions and prayers to building a positive community is something that you can do, right here, right now, in the place where you are now -- whether or not you have a job, an education, or a car. We would like to be the first one on our block to reach out and touch our neighbor. Find -- together in Christ -- a new sense of purpose and life on our streets. Make our neighborhood our village and find the truth that humans have learned the hard way. United we stand, divided we fall -- cooperation is as important as competition.
show more
This is an ancient African proverb that teaches eternal truth. No man, woman or family is an island, however, in these lean and mean days, our community isn’t always what it is supposed to be. We’d all like to live in a place where people care about others, where people pitch in to help when things get rough, where it’s safe to let our kids play around outside.
This isn’t always what we experience. Instead of community, we find alienation; looking for safety, we are attacked by crime; hoping for a better life for our kids, we encounter gangs and drugs and the lies of television. People often retreat behind closed and double locked doors and try to ignore the problem. Politicians preach envy and hate, dividing us further instead of working for reconciliation. Being poor these days just ain’t what it used to be.
Nobody Is An Island – A lesson in history
During the Depression, there was plenty of poverty and misery. Jim Crow segregation viciously discriminated against peaceful, industrious, law-abiding citizens. The very face of the earth seemed turned against us, as the skies were darkened by the choking dust storms of the 1930s. People had many reasons to feel sorry for themselves. They call it the Depression because that's just exactly what it was. You know how you feel when you're depressed. Imagine how it is when the whole country gets that way at the same time.
But people connected with each other during the Depression. They had family and friends around them. Everybody was broke and so everybody was in the same boat. And as everyone who is poor knows, there is nobody who is more generous than another poor person. So people helped each other out. Not only with the physical necessities of life; such as food, clothing and shelter -- but also with the spiritual and emotional necessities. It's pretty awful when you feel like you are all alone and the whole world is against you.
Life is a lot easier when you are part of a network of... show more friends and family, a community, a neighborhood. OUR NEIGHBORHOOD!
Life is easier when you are part of a network of friends and family, a neighborhood
Today poor people are pawns in games of poli-tricks. People say things like, "Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, my grandfather did". That may be true, but many of those "bootstraps" are no longer available today. And the first and foremost problem is that the supportive community of our grandparents’ day, the village, the neighborhood, that place where people looked out for each other and supported each other, where they shared joys and sorrows, good times and bad times, in many places is no more. It has gone away as history and we're paying a really big price for that loss.
It does take a village, to work with the family, to raise a child and weather the storms of life. If we want that kind of support, the place to begin is with ourselves. Community, like charity, begins at home. You start building a good neighborhood when you yourself decide that you will be a good neighbor. If you don't know anyone on your block, you can take the initiative and become part of that community. You can reach out to your own network of friends and start building community.
There are many things that we just don't have much control over. But things like helping a neighbor with yard work, giving food, offering suggestions and prayers to building a positive community is something that you can do, right here, right now, in the place where you are now -- whether or not you have a job, an education, or a car. We would like to be the first one on our block to reach out and touch our neighbor. Find -- together in Christ -- a new sense of purpose and life on our streets. Make our neighborhood our village and find the truth that humans have learned the hard way. United we stand, divided we fall -- cooperation is as important as competition.
show more
3 recommendations and reviews from 2 people
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Referral from
June 19, 2017
Melvina G. asked:I need help please my backyard grass needs cutting badly. Someone please help me.Marcie D. replied:https://www.facebook.com/freelawncareservice/
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Referral from
August 2, 2017
Kelly P. asked:Desperately looking for someone to cut my grass on the regular. I live on Iowa Ave which isn't Beechmont, I know, but not too far and having a hard time finding someone dependable.Jenn R. replied:https://www.facebook.com/freelawncareservice/Jenn R. replied:Please support It Takes A Village, UnKuhrupted if you can! They use money from paid services to provide free services for elderly, disabled and poor.
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