Slow Community Development

Community Development is about supporting a community making changes. It tends to be one of those high stress, high burn out professions. One reason is that a lot of communities have such complex difficulties, and a lot of community development workers are badly paid and have jobs that take up many more hours than they are paid for.
I have worked in a Women's Refuge, in a Young Women's Emergency Housing Service, with Emergency Relief, coordinating Volunteers, running Community Health programs as well as holding teaching positions that had community development components.
When chronic illness pushed me out of the workforce I thought I would never be involved in Community Development again. But when I began a Chronic Fatigue Syndrome support project I called it 'The Tortoise Project' to remind me to go very slowly.
To my delight, by considering each step in light of my health and the needs of the project, I found I was amazingly productive. When I read about the Slow Food Movement (set up to counteract fast food proliferation) I realised that what I was doing was Slow Community Development. I am committed to it, not only becuse of my illness, but because it is the best way to do Community Development.

Tortoise Pace

I planned to put the May News Sheet out this week, to coincide with Span (Neighbourhood House) being in their new site, and wanting to get regular publication and really begin putting together local community food news. However, I have had the exciting phonecall from Rosie (more about that later!) which means I want to put all my energy into getting the School Project organised, and think about some nice little action researching.
On the other hand, none of the organisations I have asked about community food news have responded - understandable, but it means I need to follow up all avenues myself, a lot of extra work.
As well as that, my News Sheet has been taken down three times from the Community Noticeboard at Fairfield. Maybe they think I am a commercial organisation? Maybe it is just someone that wants the space: but I want to follow that up too. So it is wise to give all that a longer running time, a put out the NewsSheet every second month.
Aah, decision made. Good.
It is so easy, wanting this project to grow, to keep putting more on my plate. But the limitations of illness mean that I can only work at tortoise pace. I can get a lot done at Tortoise pace, but not everything! (Mixed metaphor! maybe I can only eat the things on my plate at Tortoise pace!)

Comfort Food School Project

I am writing up the Comfort Food School Project lessons.
I am really excited about it as a way to get the community tapping into its passion for delicious nourishing food.
It is based around a school, a cafe and my Comfort Food '09.
Sliding Door Cafe is unable to be involved at this time, but I have a local cafe, another community food cafe and a restaurant that may be interested.
I am writing up the program so it is really easy for a busy school and a busy restaurant to be involved with very little hassle.