Community Assignment

It's amazing to me that, even though there are so many community organizations, each organization has its own structure, organization, mission, values, etc. Some are more similar than others, some couldn't be more different; however, all are working towards change in their given community in the best way they see fit. Three examples of these organizations are: The Pittsburgh Project, Oakland Planning and Development, and Pittsburgh UNITED.

With regards to structure, each has a Board of Directors; however, each has a different number and make-up. The Pittsburgh Project has the largest and most variety when it comes to their board members. There are 14 board members and their occupations vary from retired postal worker to the owner of a construction company to the executive director of the Pittsburgh Promise to teachers to financial analysts, just to name a few. They have 29 full-time staff that covers 4 departments (Homeowner Services, Youth Development, Operations, and Organizational) but they also hire about 50 college-age students in the summer for various departments and have a number of part-time staff, mainly working as after-school teachers with the Youth Development department. As far as volunteering, there are opportunities to do so by being a tutor, craftsman, community gardening, and homeowner care.  Oakland Planning and Development, on the other hand, has the smallest number of board members. Their board consists of 11 people, most of who reside in Oakland. Some have official titles, while others are simply residents of Oakland or surrounding areas. They have 10 staff, including: an Executive Director, Assistant Director, Community Organizer, an Assistant Director for Workforce and Strategy, a School 2 Career Program Director, Communications Manager, a Property Manager, a KICO Program Manager, an Office Manager, and a Program Manager. Each of their programs have additional staff. There are not particular volunteer opportunities listed on their website. Pittsburgh United has 13 board members, and like the Pittsburgh Project, they all come from many different organizations. Most of the organizations that they come from, however, are all advocacy organizations or organizations associated with policy change. There are only 4 staff, including: an Executive Director, a Campaign Director, Research Director, and Office Manager. They also do not have any volunteer opportunities listed on their website. Oakland Planning and Development and The Pittsburgh Project would be considered horizontal in its structure because they all compliment other organizations and have partnerships, whereas Pittsburgh UNITED is a part of a national national network, making it more vertical.

Much like structure, when it comes to mission, values, and issues, each focuses on different things. The Pittsburgh Project is a non-profit Christian community development organization. Their mission is to: "develop servant leaders and uphold the dignity of vulnerable homeowners." Its vision is "that Pittsburgh will be called a City of Truth, where once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets each with cane in hand because of age, and where the city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there (adapted from Zechariah 8:4-5)." They focus on programs that directly impact the people they are serving, like home repair for low-income and elderly people throughout the city of Pittsburgh and after school programs for Northside kids ages K-12. In the summer, they also run an urban farm, a community pool, and a cafe. With all of this being said, The Pittsburgh Project's community intervention style would be cultural, rather than systemic. Although they address the needs of the community, they do so by using resources and people found mainly within the community. 

Oakland Planning and Development has some similarities to the Pittsburgh Project with regards to its approach. Its mission states that "OPDC builds a better Oakland through job placement services, neighborhood preservation and investment programs, resident volunteer efforts, youth services and community engagement." They focus on connecting people and organizations with "diverse concerns and perspectives, based on shared goals arrived at through open dialogue and direct action." Their focus is to (as it says in their name) make a better Oakland. They also take more of a cultural approach to better Oakland through programs and different development coalitions. I see them as more of a broker- one that not only develops programs but also fosters relationships among different organizations and takes a broader approach to fulfilling its mission. They have programs that help people develop job skills and others to help them get connected to the workforce.

Finally, Pittsburgh UNITED is on the opposite end of the spectrum. Pittsburgh UNITED “strives to advance social and economic justice in the Pittsburgh region by working to ensure that working families and low and moderate-income communities are able to share in the prosperity that is generated by economic growth and development.” They go on to say that, “with our allies, we use innovative community organizing, research, advocacy and communications methods to further our goals for a just local economy.” Pittsburgh UNITED takes a much more systematic approach to community issues through advocacy, legislative reform, research, campaigns, education on issues, etc. They focus on legislative issues that plague, not just the city and/or neighborhood. The three major issues they focus on are: good government and responsible development, the environment, and fair economy. They are trying to make systemic changes in order to create a better community by researching, advocating, lobbying, and inviting others to join in on their campaigns.

All of these organizations are unique; yet, all are so wonderful. Each functions differently but yet wants to do what’s best for its constituents and create serious change.