Ways to make a difference ?

[Displaced]

with summer right around the corner, and my wanting to spend some quality time outside, i'm having ideas of doing some things for the community. Why not have a BBQ, get together, and do some community improvements? maybe as small as cutting the overgrown grass and such at a local park, a belle isle clean up, etc. community stuff that everyone can benifit from.

Anyone have any ideas that can be tackled by a small group over a weekend?



"it only takes an idea to start a revolution"

[Detroitnerd]

I heard some very amusing advice about that. "Aw, don't bother trying to spearhead something. Just go to the bar and you'll meet somebody who already has a cool idea and needs help."

And I'm not trying to be facetious. I thought it was funny and I bet it often works ... even if you end up drinking more ...

[BrushStart]

Well, I had an idea to organize a group of volunteers to help beautify the Lafayette Bldg site by turning it into a park/greenspace, but apparently, Compuware beat me to it. There is another poster here trying to put together a group to clean Michigan Avenue.

I will also be spearheading another project with a friend, who plays pro baseball in Germany, to bring baseball to inner-city youths. We are just getting the ball rolling right now, but we are planning to submit a proposal to develop old Tiger Stadium, or potentially another abandoned location in the city where we can set up baseball diamonds.

The other idea I have is to form a group that does "Flash Projects." I borrowed the name from "Flash Parties", where a group of people get together in a public place and throw a party that lasts only a very short period of time then disperses. Instead, what I want to do is organize a smallish group that can assembly quickly and tackle a variety of small projects around the city in the matter of an hour or so. I was thinking people could nominate ideas, and twice a month, like a FLASH!, the group would show up at a location and get a project done. The projects could be anything from cleaning a lot, to planting some trees, to painting a fence, or anything that makes the city better. If our group could inspire the formation of more Flash groups, it could be like fireworks of progress popping all over the place!

[canuck]

I heard some very amusing advice about that. "Aw, don't bother trying to spearhead something. Just go to the bar and you'll meet somebody who already has a cool idea and needs help."

And I'm not trying to be facetious. I thought it was funny and I bet it often works ... even if you end up drinking more ...

Chances are, the spearheader will buy you a few drinks and you will conveniently forget what you promised the next day, that's my specialty con art.

[65memories]

Join GRDC's efforts, including their Graffiti-Busters effort this Sat. and throughout the summer:

http://www.grdc.org/id16.html