Community Life Collaborative

THE COMMUNITY LIFE COLLABORATIVE (CLC)IS ORGANIZED AND OPERATED FOR CHARITABLE, EDUCATIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES. MORE SPECIFICALLY, IT IS DEDICATED TO FURTHERING EFFORTS IN SUPPORT OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, WHILE PROMOTING COLLABORATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH LIKE MINDED ORGANIZATIONS. THE COMMUNITY LIFE COLLABORATIVE HAS TWO PRIMARY GOALS: ESTABLISH A COLLABORATIVE OF NONPROFITS WORKING TOGETHER TO CREATE SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE AND PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE LIVING PRACTICES & CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION ACROSS THE REGION WITH THE MISSION OF CONNECTING THE COMMUNITY; PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT.

THE MISSION OF THE COMMUNITY LIFE COLLABORATIVE (CLC) IS TO RAISE AWARENESS, AMPLIFY VOICES AND INSPIRE ACTION FOR A JUST AND SUSTAINABLE WORLD. IN 2021, THE CLC OFFERED PROGRAMS TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES INCLUDING: WRONGFUL INCARCERATION, CREATING AND MAINTAINING DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE, THE IMPORTANCE OF HONEYBEES IN THE SURVIVAL OF OUR FOOD SUPPLY,AND THE NEEDS OF AFGHAN REFUGEES RESETTLING IN CLEVELAND. IN ADDITION, A LARGE-SCALE RENOVATION AND RENEWAL OF GARDEN SPACE WAS UNDERTAKEN IN AN EFFORT TO CREATE A BLANK SLATE FOR SUSTAINABLE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND LANDSCAPE PROJECTS ON THE CLC PROPERTY. THE WELCOME KETTLE PROJECT WAS AN EDUCATIONAL AND ACTION-DRIVEN EFFORT TO INFORM GEAUGA COUNTY RESIDENTS ABOUT THE HISTORY LEADING TO THE AFGHAN REFUGEE CRISIS AND STEPS THAT RESIDENTS COULD TAKE TO BE INVOLVED IN ASSISTING INCOMING REFUGEES. THE PROGRAM BEGAN WITH AN EDUCATIONAL EVENT AND A REQUEST FOR VOLUNTEERS AND BOTH MONETARY AND HOUSEHOLD ITEM DONATIONS. COLLECTIONS OF ITEMS BEGAN, AND 20 VOLUNTEERS SPENT UPWARDS OF 185 HOURS SORTING AND CLEANING THOUSANDS OF HOUSEHOLD AND PERSONAL ITEMS THAT WERE GIVEN TO THREE LOCAL AGENCIES PROVIDING RESETTLEMENT SERVICES: CATHOLIC CHARITIES DIOCESE OF CLEVELAND, US TOGETHER, AND USCRI. MORE THAN 25 TRUCK- AND SUV-LOADS OF ITEMS COLLECTED BY THE CLC WERE DELIVERED TO THE AGENCIES WHICH WERE THEN USED TO RESETTLE MORE THAN 50 AFGHAN FAMILIES (APPROXIMATELY 300 INDIVIDUALS). THE PROPERTY THAT THE CLC MANAGES IS HOME TO 40 ACRES OF RECOVERED FARMLAND AS WELL AS A STONE LABYRINTH AND MEMORIAL GARDEN. IN AN EFFORT TO SCALE BACK AND RESTORE THE GARDEN USING ONLY ORGANIC AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS, A $35,000 GRANT FROM THE TECOVAS FOUNDATION PLUS ADDITIONAL DONATIONS WERE SECURED. THE PROJECT TOTALED JUST OVER $50,000 AND REQUIRED 27 VOLUNTEERS WORKING 690 HOURS TO MAINTAIN THE GARDEN USING ONLY SAFE METHODS AND MATERIALS. LASTLY, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE OHIO INNOCENCE PROJECT (OIP), A SPEAKER SERIES FEATURING THREE SESSIONS WITH MEN WHO WERE WRONGFULLY INCARCERATED INVITED COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO HEAR THEIR STORIES AND CONSIDER ACTIONS TOWARD REFORMATION OF THE OHIO CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. AL CLEVELAND, CHARLES JACKSON, AND LAURESE GLOVER SHARED HEARTWRENCHING ACCOUNTS OF THEIR CUMULATIVE 72 YEARS IN PRISON. WITH INTRODUCTIONS FROM PIERCE REED, PROGRAM DIRECTOR FOR OIP, MORE THAN 100 PARTICIPANTS IN-PERSON AND VIA FACEBOOK LIVE WERE ABLE TO LISTEN AND ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR POTENTIAL ROLE IN CHANGING THE SYSTEM.