I was born November 14, 1974 in Atlanta. I grew up in Lake Claire, 2 blocks from my church and 2 blocks from McLendon Gardens, a 90 unit government-subsidized housing project. Clifton Presbyterian Church, led by kind souls pictured above, was a beacon of hope for homeless men returning from the Vietnam War and refugees from Central America fleeing tyranny in their homeland. It was my second home and the epicenter of my community until I became a young adult.
We didn't have fancy cars or the best brands, but if we got sick, we went to the doctor and if we needed new clothes we went to the store. That wasn't the case for some of my neighbors, especially my friends in McLendon Gardens. There are barriers to accessing quality education and healthcare, employment and advancement that we can't always see - but that doesn't mean they don't exist. Stigma and discrimination due to Geography, race, gender, age, and social status are persistent in the US as they are pervasive in Central America and the Caribbean.
We can't pick where we're born, but we can indeed build community no matter where we are. We can always help our neighbors that need special attention. We can extend our impact beyond our daily lives, by offering our love to others. We do that when we share stories from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, and we do that when we donate our time and resources to causes we know make a difference.
I am happy to know we are in this together. Thank you for your support of Comunidad Connect and all of our community partners in Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.
Warm regards,
Jon