OUR STORIES

Maxine Brown - Founding Network Member

by Jane Walsh - June '10

For five years, Maxine Brown has been growing the Network.   She’s taken on many roles – organizer, receptionist, advisor, coach, mother, and friend.  She has guided the work of the Network and changed the lives of people around her.

 “What’s most important to me about the Network is caring about people,” Maxine says.  This Winter , Maxine thought of a way the Network might bring this caring to her neighbors in Sheppard Square.  The idea was simple.   Ms. Maxine identified ten women she knew in Sheppard Square. Each Network Member was offered a coach to work with her.  Each member agreed to come to 5 meetings over 8 weeks where they mapped their pasts, drew their Dream Paths, learned about the Accountability Pathway, acknowledged their gifts and talents, and focused on self-care and stress relief.

 “At first,” Maxine says, “I didn’t think they would come.  But they connected and grew their relationships . . . it was like family circle time for them.”  Over the 8 weeks, the Network Members who participated  had important life accomplishments.  .  Some got new jobs, one member got her record expunged, one started classes, one completed her resume, and two had babies.  But the biggest result, says Ms. Maxine, “I see ten people who have found themselves and started believing they can do things for themselves that they couldn’t see before.”

 Ms. Maxine is the Network.  She connects people to each other and to opportunities, she uses the Network to create a demand for change in her life and in her community, and – with persistence and grace – she is transforming her environment one connection at a time.

by Sarah Fritschner
Sept. '08

From China's Sichuan province to Veracruz, Mexico, Habitat for Humanity has built more than 250,000 houses around the world, including more than 50 in Louisville 's Smoketown and California neighborhoods.

The organization began in 1976 in Americus, GA, where founders believed "those in need of adequate shelter would work side by side with volunteers to build simple, decent houses," according to the Habitat website. These low-cost homes would be paid for by the home-owners'low, interest-free mortgages, and donations. Former President Jimmy Carter become involved in Habitat 1984, and the Louisville chapter was established in 1985.

Nothing could be more natural than the partnership that Making Connections Louisville and Habitat formed in 2007. Both groups work to provide stability and reduce poverty among children. Both believe that increasing family capital through home ownership is one way to achieve that stability. Both are committed to building, not just houses, but community.

The partnership has taken on a new twist, recently. "Habitat is very proud of a pilot program we are developing," says Rob Locke, executive director of Louisville's Habitat. "We recently completed an owner-occupied repair project in which we did exterior repairs for four separate homeowners in the California area." Now Habitat and Making Connections are planning a similar project with four homeowners in Smoketown-Shelby Park.

That project sent Making Connections Network organizer Anthony Smith, Habitat's Janel Temple and several other Network members into the streets in July. They were going door to door, talking to folks about Habitat's project, and trying to connect home-owners who want help sprucing and fixing the outside of their homes to the resources available.

Owner-occupied rehab allows Habitat to "help homeowners who want to stay in the neighborhood with repairs," according to Locke. Good housing with long-time residents builds a socially stable neighborhood which makes people feel more secure, while at the same time attracting investment and development.

At Making Connections, we're happy to have the opportunity to link Network members to opportunities for homeownership, and to be on the leading edge of Habitat's owner-occupied rehab pilot.

Making Connections Louisville applauds Habitat for Humanity's work building and restoring homes in the California and Smoketown neighborhoods and the work it does "building community one block at a time."

For more information about Habitat for Humanity, home ownership qualifications and volunteer opportunities, go to www.hfhlouisville.org or call (502) 637-6265.

By Sarah Fritschner

Mar. '08

People used to tell Shavelle Gordon that she had attitude.

Her favorite teacher at Meyzeek Middle School, Ron Ramsey, called her "Mr. Holyfield because I was always fighting," says Shavelle, laughing.

But these days, her attitude has turned around, along with her life.

Last year, she was a single mom with a baby and a $7-an-hour job at a day care.

Then she met Ron Swope, a Making Connections career counselor, who finds good jobs for people who live, work or worship in Phoenix Hill, California, Smoketown or Shelby Park.

He worked out a strategy to get her a job at Norton Healthcare.

First, he placed her with a janitorial service that contracts with Norton. While Shavelle worked for them, she was tempted by jobs from other employers.

Ron said," ‘no, no, no'," says Shavelle. "He said, ‘stick with me, I'm going to help you'."

Soon after, she was hired on the housecleaning staff at Norton, and Ron introducted her to Michelle Williams, Making Connections' career coach. Michelle explained that Shavelle had to wait six months to be promoted out of housekeeping and into a medical job - a "patient care assistant."

When that happened, Michelle helped her get free scrubs for her uniform. "She's been like a friend to me," says Shavelle.

A typical PCA makes $25,000 a year, according to job-search websites. And Shavelle gets medical benefits, retirement, paid sick leave and vacation.

In addition, she can qualify for tuition assistance to get her nursing degree.

"You work hard when you get here, but I think that's every job, she says. "If you're not coming to work, why come?"