River Roots Redevelopment: Finding Family
- Editor
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Selina Pedi-Smith,
Founder, Pellere Foundation
The Open House on June 20th went swimmingly, if I may say so myself! The weather was amazing, and folks from all around the community, from next-door neighbors to neighbors from two towns over, came to see what we’ve been up to. Some came to ask questions. Some came to tell stories. Some simply came to satisfy their curiosity. For a house that has been vacant for years, everyone seemed happy to see something happening again.
Our work crew got the old, dilapidated porch torn down, which was quite an undertaking! A special shout out to David, who lives just a few doors down, for helping Isaias with all the prep work during the week before and the heavy lifting on the day itself. We could not have gotten that job done without you!
David is also helping us keep the yard neat and tidy this summer, so if you see him out there mowing or weed-whacking, please give him a hearty thank you for being one of the Good Do-ers!
Talking to people and hearing about what lights them up – whether that was old houses, neighborhood connections, being part of something that feels important - was the best part of the day for me. I enjoy talking about what we hope to do in the coming years, but I really love hearing someone else share their hopes and dreams.
That was a big part of the Open House. We had several stations set up around the house where visitors could leave their thoughts and ideas as part of our Mapping What Matters project. One thing stood out from the comments almost immediately: People don’t generally dream of big, flashy additions to a community. We dream of stability. Safety. The chance to really know our neighbors. The chance for our neighborhoods to feel like... family.
And I’ve been thinking about that word ever since.
Everyone probably has their own definition, but for me, family is a collection of people thrown together by chance and circumstance who choose to stick by each other, hold each other accountable, and lift each other up. Sometimes those people are related by blood. Sometimes they’re connected by choice. Often they’re a little of both.
That’s what I caught glimpses of throughout the Open House. Neighbors introducing themselves. Volunteers pitching in wherever they were needed. People who had never met before swapping stories on the front lawn as though they’d known each other for years.
I feel like I met quite a few members of the Pellere family last weekend.
I can’t wait to spend more time with them.
Rachel Brosnahan is the Community Engagement Coordinator for River Roots Redevelopment. Want to help us rethink what redevelopment can look like—together? Follow the conversation and share your thoughts with us on Facebook and LinkedIn, or reach out directly to rachel@riverrootsredevelopment.org. We’d love to hear from you!
