In Forest Park, once a month you’ll find a dynamic group of 10 residents gathered around a long table to discuss their dreams for a brighter Forest Park and, ultimately, how to put $20,000 in the hands of local organizations working to realize those dreams. While United Way of Greater Atlanta could make the grant directly, what sets this model apart is that it puts community members at the steering wheel.
“The goal is to encourage trust-building in their own community,” says Ebony Johnson, Senior Director of Brighter Futures at United Way. “I want them to feel a sense of pride for what is to come because they’re at the helm of what that will look like. I think that what will come from this experience will be something amazing, and we get to highlight some really great assets in Forest Park.”
The first cohort of its kind
The cohort members come from all walks of life, from high school youth to educators and community leaders to retirees. They meet once a month for six months at Gateway Restoration Church, a trusted cornerstone of the community.
Each meeting, they work with a facilitator to engage in lessons on collaboration, leadership, and ethical governance. Expert organizations who serve Forest Park and Clayton County also visit and share about the work they are doing. Residents are encouraged to dialogue with these organizations and share their own experiences of needs they’ve observed by living in the community. Finally, our United Way of Greater Atlanta staff members provide guidance on how to facilitate the request for proposals and the grant-making process.
“I think the best-case scenario is making Forest Park an even better place to live than it already is. Making sure that the needs of the community are fully met to their maximum potential, making sure that this is a great place for business, for residents to enjoy themselves, to not just live here, but to be able to make an actual living here. Having opportunities to work here and having opportunities to contribute back to the community…making Forest Park an even more self-sufficient community than it already is,” said Aidan Brooks, Forest Park grantmaking cohort participant.
Forest Park: A growing, diverse community
Tucked away just south of the airport in Clayton County, Forest Park is home to local businesses and a strong sense of community among its residents A logistics plant recently opened, bringing in large companies like Kroger, Clorox, Walmart, and Clayton County’s first film studio. It’s a multicultural hub, with Black, Vietnamese, and Hispanic families making up the majority of its residents.
Our grantmakers seek to understand how they can best serve their neighborhood, which, for all its diversity, has diverse needs as well, all while keeping its history and culture intact.
In a cohort meeting, community partner redefinED atlanta shared data on how many residents live paycheck to paycheck. The majority of Forest Park residents are renters; one-third of students — compared to less than a fifth in the whole of Greater Atlanta — move during the school year, disrupting their learning.
These disparities are also evident in our Child Well-Being Index, which takes into account data like student mobility as well as other wellness indicators such as access to food, healthcare, and employment. Forest Park stands out as a community with a large opportunity to improve child, family and community well-being, making it an ideal neighborhood to launch our first grantmaking cohort.
Just the start of community-driven change
“When we wrap up in July, that will not be the end to what United Way and our cohort will do. We’re looking to allocate funds and budgeting and plans for our community that provides resources and equity,” said cohort participant Autumn Thompson. She has lived in the area since 2018 and currently serves as a student ambassador on the Clayton County Youth Commission as well as on the grantmaking cohort.
“Whether that be bridging the gap for our education and providing outlets for our students or getting closer to our community that is so ethnically and economically diverse, we are certain that we’re able to connect with the different parts of our community and serve their individual needs.”
While we remain eager to see where residents will choose to invest in Forest Park this July, we also hope to open similar cohorts in local communities across the city. Empowering residents to lead the way in their respective neighborhoods is one way we’re removing barriers so everyone can thrive, regardless of the neighborhood they may live in.
To help engage more local leaders, will you consider supporting United Way of Greater Atlanta’s work? Your gift paves the way for community-driven, lasting change.