S.H.I.N.E. in Our Community

Sustainable, Healthy, Inclusive Neighborhood Environments or SHINE - that is the mission acronym for a new non-profit called Home Run Innovations Inc. in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It's a comprehensive plan for community redevelopment from the "homeless on up."

• Sustainable - both environmentally and financially sustainable development of social services programs and affordable net-zero energy housing.
• Healthy - promoting "off the couch" family-oriented, health and fitness activities that put neighbors (from the young to the old) side-by-side, elbow-to-elbow working together for overall individual and community well-being.
• Inclusive - improving community resources for the benefit of all local citizens regardless of economic status, age, gender or religion. Building and developing as much for the benefit of the homeless and the marginalized as for the privileged - with focus on the homeless and less fortunate first.
• Neighborhood Environments - transitioning communities toward relocalization of resources such as food and energy production, all the way down to the micro-economy or neighborhood levels where possible.

Home Run Innovations Inc. strives to adapt and implement the world changing models of leaders like Will Allen (Growing Power), Bill McKibben (350.org) and the partnership between the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver - all with the goal of creating SHINE in our community.

Read more about SHINE...

Home Run Events: Innovative Ideas for Community Revitalization by Roberta (Bobbie) Stacey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

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Bike Trails & Economic Recovery

Connecting Small Communities Through Abandoned Rail Lines

By Bobbie Stacey - Founder of Home Run Innovations Inc.

 

Here is an interesting take on how we can turn our country around and get its citizens back on their feet - literally.

Just think of how many rail lines there are throughout Delta County and the Upper Peninsula. How easy would it be to connect Bay College to the rest of Escanaba and even Gladstone through rail lines? Even if those particular lines are still in use, there must still be plenty of abandoned rail corridors leading into and out of our communities.

"The mission of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) is to create a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors to build healthier places for healthier people." Rails to Trails has already created dozens of these trails within 100 miles of Escanaba. Search their website and see for yourself.

You can speak up and ask Congress to reserve some of the proposed $25 billion dollar stimulus plan for "active transportation construction" of running and bike trails. Sign the petition by clicking here or on the Rails to Trails Conservancy logo above.

We know that the Upper Peninsula is God's country. Why not connect God's country with trails that allow us deeper into its beauty and back to health and prosperity?

Home Run Events: Innovative Ideas for Community Revitalization by Roberta (Bobbie) Stacey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

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Running and Life Expectancy

Here's another take on the Stanford study of aging runners...

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Community Foundation Supports Home Run Events

Community Foundation for Delta County Supports Innovative Approach to Community Revitalization

By Bobbie Stacey - Founder of Home Run Innovations Inc.


The Community Foundation for Delta County recently awarded a $2400 start-up grant to the organizers of Home Run Events: Running for Caring Communities.

Home Run Events seeks to build the next generation of good citizens through fun, fitness and ending homelessness in our community.

Three Delta County homeless shelter and transitional housing providers will be the beneficiaries of the first Home Run Event on May, 23, 2008 in Escanaba - the Alliance Against Violence and Abuse, Lutheran Social Services Voices for Youth and The Salvation Army. The Salvation Army Home Run 2009 will incorporate joint fundraising for all three agencies.

Half of all Home Run Event proceeds will be placed into an endowment with the Community Foundation of the Upper Peninsula the interest from which will fund badly needed services that goverment funding historically has not covered in our rural area.

Initially, Home Run Events will seek grants from national foundations and energy conservation companies to create net-zero energy properties for use as transitional living facilities for a five year period. These properties will provide a bridge from homelessness to self-sufficiency, typically a six to eighteen month process per individual or family. At the end of five years the properties will be sold to private buyers and the capital gains re-invested into the next zero-energy project in a new neighborhood, eventually self-funding the program.

Shown in the accompanying photo are from left: Sherri Viau of the Alliance Against Violence and Abuse, Bobbie Stacey, Mary Busick of Lutheran Social Services Voices for Youth, Major William Cox of The Salvation Army, Alice Butch of the Community Foundation for Delta County and Brenda Lippens of the Delta County Credit Union.

Delta County residents with a passion for youth development and/or community development are asked to call Bobbie Stacey, (906) 399-3567 to get involved.


Home Run Events: Innovative Ideas for Community Revitalization by Roberta (Bobbie) Stacey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

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National Service and Home Run Events

Will National Service Help Rural Economies?

By Bobbie Stacey - Founder of Home Run Innovations Inc.

One topic both U.S. presidential candidates agree upon is National Service. Home Run Events should be able to provide hundreds of engaging volunteer assignments for our Delta County youth in connection with fundraising events and community development projects and should be launched from the start with that focus.

Point number two of the Obama plan for National Service regards integrating service into learning. "Obama and Biden will set a goal that all middle and high school students do 50 hours of community service a year, and will establish a new tax credit that is worth $4,000 a year in exchange for 100 hours of public service a year." The Obama plan also calls for expanding AmeriCorps from 80,000 to 250,000 slots and doubling the size of the Peace Corps.

Among other points, McCain's National Service plan calls for engaging "more college students in community service through the Federal Work-Study program" and also engaging Americans in disaster preparedness and response by providing education and training resources for effective community-based efforts."

Will Delta County be able to offer meaningful volunteer service opportunities to our youth or young adults when either of these plans roll out? Or will our high school graduates find it necessary to pursue these opportunities elsewhere - just as they have for years now to improve their employment options?

I believe that Home Run Events Inc. can be established right from the start these next couple months with a plan to engage our youth in volunteer service that will revitalize our community through our newest generation.

Join our effort to discuss the many ways this can happen.


Home Run Events: Innovative Ideas for Community Revitalization by Roberta (Bobbie) Stacey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

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Study: Running CAN Make You Live Longer

More reasons to choose a running event as a charity fundraiser...

Time magazine published an article this week by regular Health & Fitness contributer, Sanjay Gupta M.D. summarizing a study that tracked the health of middle-age runners from the 1980s to now. Read the the inspiring results at http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1703763_1703764_1853207,00.html.

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Three Components for Home Run Events

Three Phase Approach to Small Town Economic Revival Beginning with the Homeless

By Bobbie Stacey - Founder of Home Run Innovations Inc.

The three main components (Collaborative Community Fundraising, Joint Endowment, and Financially Self-Supporting Dispersed Housing) proposed for the structure of Home Run Events Inc. may seem too ambitious to lump into one package under a new non-profit. But I argue that unless an organization embraces and positions itself to fit dynamically into the "big" picture from the outset, all of its efforts will ultimately wither and die.

I'm a fan of systems thinking, one of the disciplines mastered by successful learning organizations who have given up the "illusion that the world is created of separate, unrelated forces."* In his book The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of the Learning Organization, author Peter M. Senge describes what an individual experiences as part of a learning organization.

"Most of us at one time or another have been part of a great team, a group of people who functioned together in an extraordinary way - who trusted one another, who complemented one another's strengths and compensated for one another's limitations, who had common goals that were larger than individual goals, and who produced extraordinary results. I have met many people who have experienced this sort of profound teamwork - in sports, or in the performing arts, or in business. Many say that they have spent much of their lives looking for that experience again. What they experienced was a learning organization. The team that became great didn't start off great - it learned how to produce extraordinary results."**

How I have approached the groundwork for Home Run Events has been greatly influenced by at least one of Senge's partners - a man named Robert Fritz. In my opinion, and in that of many others, Fritz is perhaps one of the most original thinkers of our lifetimes. I used to work for Fritz. I also used to teach courses designed by Fritz from a series called "Technologies for Creating" for which I was certified and licensed. Robert Fritz is the author of several books, the most popular of which is his bestseller The Path of Least Resistance: Learning to Become the Creative Force in Your Own Life.

The tenacity with which I have continued to develop The Salvation Army Home Run over the past two years does not come from foolish stubbornness. It comes from an unusually high ability to maintain "structural tension" that I owe to the lessons of Robert Fritz and his wife Rosalind. Read the Amazon customer reviews of The Path of Least Resistance to see what others have to say. It will impress you. I promise.

My vision for Home Run Events is one where we create a housing solution for our community that no one has ever accomplished before, one that becomes a model for rural America and an innovation to the field of social services. Bringing something into being that has never been there before -that is the essence of the creative process. Can that be accomplished with only one of the components in isolation from the others? Not in my opinion.

Do you agree?

Will you join me?

* The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of the Learning Organization, by Peter M. Senge, p. 4

** Ibid., p. 3


Home Run Events: Innovative Ideas for Community Revitalization by Roberta (Bobbie) Stacey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

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Can Running Solve Homelessness?

Engaging and Developing Future Leaders through the Inclusive Sport of Running

By Bobbie Stacey - Founder of Home Run Innovations Inc.

Running solving homelessness? Come on. How can sweating on streets, treadmills and trails, mile after mile, put roofs over peoples heads? Isn't running a time consuming personal pursuit for self-absorbed, obsessive fitness nuts? Wouldn't we be better off if all those running hours were collectively poured into volunteer home building?

Read on and decide for yourself.

First of all, let's back up and examine the popularity of running as an activity in the United States. According to Running USA's Road Running Information Center (RRIC), in 2007 there were 8,875,000 road race finishers in the United States, a 4.2 percent increase over the previous year with a 50-50 split between males and females. By comparison, according to RRIC data, there were just over 3.7 million U.S. road race finishers in 1987 - quite a leap for one decade. It is also estimated that in 2007 there were somewhere between 11 million and 16 million frequent (Run/Jog 100+ days/yr) runners, depending upon the studies cited, approximately 40 million U.S. residents claim to have run or jogged at least once during the year.

Next, examine the money raised for charity through road race events Road runners and walkers raised $714 million for charity in 2006, according to USA Track & Field (USATF). Dividing that dollar amount by 8,535,000, the number of road racers in the same year, comes out to an average of $83.66 per event finisher. Hmmmm, healthy aerobic activity and assistance for charitable causes. OK, maybe running isn't such a self-absorbed activity.

What about youth? Who among us has not observed an epidemic of obesity among the current generation of U.S. children along with several health problems that follow? The same RRIC report cited above also includes a whole section of youth running statistics and verifies the increasing popularity of youth running programs.

The middle school youth in the photo above are celebrating their joint victory (boys and girls) at the Central Upper Peninsula Middle School Cross Country finals. As one of their coaches, I can tell you that the children grew to love each other's company and looked forward to practices and meets. The positive social aspects of the X-Country program amazed me. By the end of the season, it would not have mattered what we asked them to do, as long as they could do it together. They are begging me to begin the winter running club I suggested during our awards dinner.

Interestingly enough the positive social rewards of running are almost as important to adults. The RRIC reports also show that while weight control is by far the number one reason that adults start running, at least 50 percent of runners continue to run because of the social aspects - the sense of belonging to a larger community with common interests.

It isn't that children don't want to run and be more active. The problem, as I see it, is that the parents can no longer imagine why their child would want to run. So parents don't suggest it or seek running program options for them.

Granted, telling your child to go and do something that you are not willing or able to do yourself doesn't cut it. At least it sure doesn't work with my children. However, I respect that there are legitimate reasons why some parents are unable to take up running with their kids - besides an aversion to exercise. During the time that I competed in high school sports, it would have been very easy to acquire a sports injury from overuse or lack of cross-training and subsequently receive medical "treatment" for it that even made the problem worse. These were the days before laser surgery techniques, Title IX, physical therapy - and even running shoes became ubiquitous in our lives. Besides, there are other active pursuits that can produce the same positive results. My family just happens to have a bias for running.

Today as coaches - we all run with our team at each and every practice. It's an amazingly simple concept. We make a commitment to hang out with a bunch of fourth through eighth graders for an hour, three to four times per week and for approximately eight Saturday mornings during the fall season. We gather the kids, stretch them out, tell them where and how far they are running that day. Then we run. Afterward we gather back together for more stretching and exercise and often a group game that improves their agility, footwork or speed. No equipment is required other than appropriate medium-price running shoes and a pair of shorts and t-shirt. Most importantly, all children of any abilities and from any background are welcome.

Those are happy kids in that photo. They are each pleased with their individual progress from the start of the season and proud of their team accomplishments. They are better friends to one another than before the season began. Virtually all have said they will return next year. I know that I am proud of them. I know how far each of them has come. I have never in my life been so awe-struck by the unlimited potential of youth. That's no longer a cliche´ in my mind.

Could these young runners be the seeds of a new, socially responsible generation? Will they embrace causes as a group, such as homelessness, and run together to solve them? Will they expand their collective running experience to the world at large, becoming stronger individuals in the process? Will their peers from other communities do the same? I'm betting YES - if only we'd ask them.

Let's ask them, shall we?

Home Run Events: Innovative Ideas for Community Revitalization by Roberta (Bobbie) Stacey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License

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New Non-Profit to Solve Homelessness Efficiently and Effectively

Hi everyone.

Please read on, and join us for an organizational lunch meeting of a new non-profit “Home Run Events Inc.” at NOON on Monday, October 27th at The Salvation Army Community Center to learn more.

Most of you know that when I started The Salvation Army Home Run 2 years ago that it was my strong desire to grow it into a premier event that ALL shelter providers in Delta County could count on as a major fundraiser for their organizations. With St. Vincent de Paul, the Alliance Against Violence and Abuse, Lutheran Social Services Voices for Youth and The Salvation Army, Delta County is blessed with at least 4 indisputably worthy organizations who work around the clock to shelter our neighbors in times of greatest need.

I believe that the time has come for our shelter providers to work collectively to attract donations and additional sponsorships and grants from outside of Delta County and the Upper Peninsula and to build an endowment the interest from which will eventually eliminate the need for these agencies to compete with one another year after year for portions of the same small pot of local dollars. It will also eliminate the need to sit as hostages to ever dwindling government funding sources. I also strongly believe that if, as agencies with dedicated and caring supporters, we GIVE our community active, fun, family-oriented events that the GETTING part will almost take care of itself. We can enjoy ourselves and raise a new generation of healthy young volunteers at the same time.

Since I could not find a way to accomplish this under the umbrella of The Salvation Army, with the permission of Major Cox I wrote and received a grant from the Community Foundation of Delta County for $2400 to cover the legal expenses of starting up a new non-profit which will create and implement joint fundraising events in our community that also employ on-line fundraising techniques to the fullest possible extent. There is some momentum started already toward that end with The Salvation Army Home Run going into its third year. It will be up to the board of the new non-profit (current working title “Home Run Events Inc.”) to determine from the outset the completely objective methods/percentages by which proceeds from joint fundraising events will be distributed to each agency. This will be a community effort, not a Salvation Army project. I needed a non-profit fiduciary in order to apply for the grant, and Major Cox was kind enough to let me do so through them.

This is a good year to launch a new approach to the cause of homelessness in Delta County. It is a milestone anniversary year for OSF St. Francis Hospital, a generous previous sponsor of The Salvation Army Home Run and supporter of local social services.

There is more. The vision has evolved. We have an opportunity through this new non-profit to revitalize neglected residential property in Delta County and in the process create a truly financially self-sufficient emergency shelter and transitional housing program. This would be accomplished by renovating dispersed properties (probably beginning in the DDA district) with government tax incentives available to our low income community, MSHDA funds and by seeking grants from major manufacturers and suppliers of “zero energy” products to accomplish the most energy efficient renovations possible. These properties would be leased to area agencies for transitional housing for a pre-determined set period (5 or 6 years, no longer) and then sold to a waiting list of private buyers of a similar demographic to the clients that Matt Sviland is currently targeting with his Ludington Lofts project. The capital gains from the sale of these rehab properties would then be re-invested into the next rehab project, etc. Rather than potentially harming property values by locating shelter and transitional living facilities in the same neighborhood over long periods of time, we can actually improve property values in several neighborhoods and solve housing issues at the same time. I’ve already discussed my ideas with Jim Davis at MSHDA and he likes what he hears.

Obviously I could go on for a long time. Please join us to learn more and consider whether or not you would like to be appointed to the board of this new corporation.

The tentative one hour agenda for the organizational meeting at noon on Monday, October 27th is as follows:

Lunch
Overview of the purpose for Home Run Events Inc. and progress to date
Determine method for nomination of officers and board members
Establishment of incorporation advisory teams
Determine next meeting date and location
Adjournment

PLEASE RSVP so we can get a lunch count.

ALSO, please send me an e-mail if you wish to be considered for a board membership or one of the three positions of President, Treasurer or Secretary. Obviously we will need a voting member from each of the shelter agencies mentioned above. They have each expressed a willingness to participate.

Thanks for listening. Thanks for caring.

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