Recently I have been thinking a lot about the sustainability of initiatives such as Asset Based Community Development and Community Connecting.

At the Reinventing Quality conference in Baltimore a few weeks ago I had an opportunity to hear from so many people in the disability services field who are energized and eager to start Community Connecting work in their neighborhoods. While I celebrate these beginnings, I can’t help but focus on ways to make this kind of community development work easily sustainable.

Groups and organizations that I am working with in US and Canada have started a major shift by putting the key elements of ABCD Community Connection into action. People are getting to know the neighborhoods around them… friendships are blooming, deep connections are emerging … and reliance traditional service systems is decreasing. The excitement and enthusiasm of those involved is enough to get it started. Now the conversation is about how to sustain it and measure the outcomes that matter.

Throughout the next few weeks, I will be sharing some ideas and stories about the sustainability of ABCD Community Connections. Please stay tuned and join in the conversation.

– Joe