Uptown Summer 2011 united resources and connected the sites of four community programs, Troy Bike Rescue, Collard City Growers, Missing Link Street Ministry and Youth Media Sanctuary, located within one block on 6th Avenue. The program gained hands-on experience gardening in the Collard City Growers lot, fixing bikes and learning bike maintenance at the Troy Bike Rescue workshop, cooking in “DIY Healthy SnackShops” in the Missing Link Kitchen, and documenting their experiences through digital storytelling techniques with Youth Media Sanctuary. Programming was offered from 3-5pm Monday through Thursday from June 27 – August 12.
DIY SnackShops were hosted by the Sanctuary and Missing Link Street Ministry at Collard City Garden.
Youth learned about “Bio-char” with David Yarrow, along with a lesson in organic gardening and soil improvement at Collard City Growers.
PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS
Uptown Summer unites resources and connects the sites of these four community programs, located within one block on 6th Avenue.
“Troy Bike Rescue” is a volunteer-operated community bike shop committed to removing bikes from the waste stream and putting them back into use. Youth activities will range from patching flats and changing tires, to overhauling bikes for adoption, and eventually earning a bike.
“Collard City Growers” is a grassroots community garden project drawing on local and regional expertise and people power from the immediate neighborhood to create a demonstration site for urban food production on a vacant city lot, with activities from watering and weeding to composting and cooking.
“Missing Link Street Ministry” was started to address rampant drug use and pervasive violence in the community. The ministry’s programs include Feed-a Kid, Gun Buy Back, Clean-up the Neighborhood, Anti-Violence Campaign, and a host of after-school arts & crafts and sports activities. Missing Link fed people for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Activities include learning about and cooking healthy tasty snacks on a budget, collecting recipes for “The Troy Kids’ Health Playhouse Cookbook,” and community bar-b-ques.
“Youth Media Sanctuary” is a community arts project in North Troy, using multi-media skills using video and photography to amplify the voices of youth and shine light on the positive, skill-sharing activities, integrated into a media document featured on the web, as a powerful outreach tool for this amazing model of community synergy happening in North Troy.
