In a span of time from Tuesday, April 28^th to Saturday, May 2^nd, I learned a wonderful lesson on the difference between what is necessary and what is truly important. Thanks to a wonderful partnership with KETC-Channel 9, the local public broadcasting affiliate here in St. Louis, I was asked to participate on a panel of local “experts” about President Obama’s first 100 days in office as part of the “News Hour with Jim Lerher”, a week-long series focusing on St. Louis. The well-respected and long-time media personality, Gwen Ifill, moderated the panel discussion. Other panel members included former Senator,  Ambassador to the United Nations and Special Envoy to the Sudan, John Danforth, Congressman Lacy Clay and Patti York, Mayor of St. Charles, a suburban community in St. Louis. 

On Wednesday, about 25 minutes of the 1 hour discussion was aired nationally. I was told that I held my own, had a funny line and ended the show with an impassioned plea for more resources and importance to be placed on housing and community development.  It was all very cool. Click here to see the video. 

Gwen Ifill was very nice. Beyond Housing received some validation for our efforts. We were able to share the exciting news with partners and friends and we had our first national TV media hit. I just could not stop thinking about the old Sesame Street song lyric, “One of these things is just not like the others. One of these things just doesn’t belong” and that would be me! 

On Friday, the entire 1 hour show aired on the local PBS affiliate and it was still cool! I rarely watch myself when I do local television; but, I watched the whole show with my wife. Again, good visibility for Beyond Housing, a nice affirmation of our work and a great partnership with KETC-Channel 9 in St. Louis. I would not realize until Saturday afternoon around 4:00 PM that all of this is simply necessary to our work. 

Saturday, May 2^nd, was Streetscape ’09 in Pagedale, Missouri. Details and photographs will soon be available at http://www.beyondhousing.org/volunteer/streetscape.aspx. For several months, driven by Beyond Housing Board Member, Michael Williams, and Jodi Polzin, Assistant Professor at the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis, we worked with 17 homeowners to plan and implement a landscaping and beautification project. Students from Jodi’s class worked in the community to get to know the people of Pagedale and then met with the homeowners to plan the work for their home on May 2^nd as well as provide breakfast treats and refreshments for everyone. Michael, along with Beyond Housing staff, coordinated the logistics from securing more than 100 volunteers, to working with the Mayor of Pagedale to close the street, deliver mulch to the project block and providing lunch for everyone, to identifying convenient parking and providing tools for the volunteers. The entire week before May 2^nd had a worrisome forecast of rain for the project day.  

May 2^nd arrives…I get up early and get dressed in shorts, my work boots, my Beyond Housing t-shirt and hat and I look outside. To my amazement, I see tiny breaks in the clouds and specs of blue sky! I grab my coffee and a granola bar, kiss my wife and tell her I will see her and the kids a little later-they were part of the volunteer crews. I got to Pagedale at 8:00 AM and spent the next 8 hours being part of something really important. 

From 8:00 AM until 4:00 PM, I worked side-by side with the Mayor, 5 members of the Pagedale Board of Aldermen, 7 Board Members from Beyond Housing and all 19 homeowners (yes, 19…we picked up 2 more that morning), a cadre of volunteers from faith communities, local colleges and high schools, civic organizations and individuals. There was a sense of community that engulfed everyone. Smiles abounded as we all worked hard digging, planting, spreading mulch and much, much more. Laughter resounded all along the 6500 block of Whitney Avenue in Pagedale. Children from the community came out to landscape a nearby neighborhood playground. My children, Jackson (age 14) and Sophia (age 11), each brought a friend to be with them for the day. Absolutely nothing went wrong-a minor miracle considering all of the moving parts! 

I don’t know how much a cubic yard of mulch is; but, my pitchfork and I moved a lot. I walked up and down the street more times than I can begin to imagine; but, the last trip was the best. It was nearly 4:00 PM. Nearly everyone was gone and I had just dropped off a student’s backpack and helmet and began to walk back to my car. I saw 19 homes beautifully landscaped…looking fresh and bright in the afternoon sunshine. I saw children playing in their yards and laughing. I saw homeowners sitting out front and waving good-bye to me. I saw what hope looked like. I saw what community-building looks like. I saw what was really important - coming together, working together and making a difference.