What’s our Whittier Neighborhood Association to do?

Friends and neighbors!

Your Whittier board tries to represent our neighborhood, build community and meet the issues and challenges of the folks who live in Denver between 23rd and MLK and then Downing and York. We are a small volunteer organization and there is only so much we can do. Now below, I provide my view of the biggest problems coming from outside the neighborhood facing Whittier. I’d love to hear your reactions and to hear from you on what matters most! You can always email me at president@whittierneighborhood.org, attend a Community Meeting and/or complete this short survey. 

Within Whittier’s almost square mile we have issues about pedestrians and bikes sharing streets with cars, we have issues about trees and sidewalks, and the laws of Denver and how they work or don’t work to make our lives better. We provide spaces for neighbors to build community with neighbors. Block parties! Community meetings to inform and engage! Getting neighbors together at events — just to enjoy the fantastic neighborhood in which we are privileged to live. And then of course: Zoning! Police relations! Dealing with DOTI! (Well, lots of it is fun, then some of it is broccoli.) 

But there are some larger issues that intrude upon our community. Issues that we might like to retreat from, but they do hang over us all. People who plan for foreseeable problems are far better ready to meet those problems and then even anything else unforeseen that comes down the line - It’s called resilience. People who don’t plan ahead often times freeze, and events sweep over them. So I think that we should plan together. What do you think? Would you add or subtract from my list? 

But first, before we consider these big problems, I will tell you what the solution is. Let’s go there first. It’s the positive thing. That way as we look at these big problems we can use our imagination as to how, even in small ways, we might help. I mean we each can only do so much, sure. But we can do something. We are not just victims, we are strong, free, Americans! And the actions of free people add up, they accumulate and good things happen.

So what is the solution? Be a good neighbor. Know your neighbors. Get together over drinks. Invite people who don’t look like you but live on your block. Listen and enjoy each other’s stories. Back yard BBQs. By building community, connection and trust, we build the foundation for problem solving. Pretty simple, huh? Then, when you have to think about these larger issues, you can talk about them and do whatever you can to help. With neighbors we are stronger!

Now I could tell you other steps, and I will make a few suggestions, but face it, when we get together and can trust each other with our honesty, we are more powerful individuals. We can listen to each other and come up with next steps that work for us. We can work together. So, if you want to have a conversation with me so I can hear you and you can hear me, I’d be delighted!

Here’s my first issue: the increasing cultural and social divide between us. It’s not just us in Whittier or Denver, it’s pretty general: there is a simple breakdown of face-to-face relationships in our American culture. It’s been a generational, on-going process that is now showing just how detrimental it is to have fewer relationships-of-consequence in our lives. The “social capital” our parents enjoyed has eroded. Many of our younger people truly suffer from this social deficit.

The second is continuing (and possibly worsening) racial and economic divide.

Now for both these problems I suggest you consider organizing a block party and personally invite all the neighbors on your block! Our blocks are usually integrated with people of different colors and people from different classes. You will help, in a small but significant way, to heal our racial and economic divisions.

We need to connect with each other. Every person has their wisdom. Every person is someone from whom with can learn; especially those who have different perspectives from ours. It does not happen through our email blasts. Real connection happens, as all better relationships do, through face-to-face encounters. No one can do this for you; it really is up to you.

Another, more simple idea is that on a nice summer’s eve sit on your porch and greet folks as they pass by. (Our board is making plans about helping to get block parties up and going!)

The third outside the neighborhood issue I see is the national problem of the unaccountable Federal ICE force that has consistently used illegal means to achieve its ends. What do we do when ICE comes to our town? What do we do when those masked agents frighten our neighbors? When they abuse and even murder citizens and undocumented people alike? Would we not be more effective in resisting this lawlessness by first planning together what to do when they arrive? Yes. When we see a threat on the horizon, and together we plan for it, we respond better, with strength. When we have each other’s’ backs we are strong against these lawless actors. At our March Community Meeting we made contact with folks who do training for how to protect our neighbors from the abuses of ICE. Contact us through our website if you would like to get further resources.

Then there is the ongoing and worsening situation of our climate catastrophe. Water scarcity is a big issue, maybe we can help each other with xeriscaping. Heat is a big issue, maybe we can plant trees. The ever-increasing likelihood of general food insecurity, a likelihood that is small now (but real) yet gets bigger with every turn of the ignition key, is something for which we can do our small part. And when the heat comes and our neighbor does not have AC, will we have already planned to welcome them into our homes? When the bone-dry forests burn and the smoke comes, will those of us who have AC so that we can seal up our houses in the heat plan to welcome neighbors? The heat shortens lives; the smoke shortens lives. We need to care for each other. And we need to stop burning gasoline and natural gas. Yeah, for some of us that is hard.

And yeah, I’m asking all of us to talk about these things. Sometimes we are shy. Sometimes we are cautious. Some of these things have been labeled “political” and we might not want to “discuss politics;” but they should not be “political; they truly affect all of us.

When we calmly come together and mutually listen and learn, we are more ready to work together to help. Many people are not practiced in the art of conversation with people who are not like them. And yet those conversations are so wonderful when they happen well.

Almost every problem is made better by talking face-to-face. Learn to spot when someone is trying to actually have a truth-seeking conversation and when someone is just attempting to get someone else to adhere to their idea. And when problems in communication between neighbors comes up, we can work out ways to improve communication. People are valuable, a most important resource for our lives! Problems will come up. And, with patience, we can fix most of them.

Of course, there is more to say. I’ve just sketched some ideas here, let’s talk before we jump to conclusions. You know, talk face-to-face.

So What Can You Do?

Yes, the solution is to be a good neighbor.

Please attend WNA Community Meetings. They are usually on the second Saturday of the odd numbered months (January, March, May, July, September, November.) 10:30am at the Ford Warren Library.

Learn More/Stay Informed. Check the website at WhittierNeighborhood.org for updates. There’s a link there to sign up for our monthly email blast. 

Complete a survey on what matters to you most.

We on the board love building community in our great neighborhood! And if you want to work on any of this, let us know! There is a place where you for you.

For reactions and comments, please email president@whittiernieghborhood.org.

If you want to set up a time to meet, I’m glad to meet you.

Jeff