Community Engagement

Neighborhood residents and community partners are engaged by community liaisons to work within their communities to make lasting changes. A variety of engagement activities help Mattie Rhodes Center to meet with needs of clients and neighborhood residents:

Neighborhood Leadership: Mattie Rhodes Center works to empower individuals to be leaders, giving them the tools they need to help themselves and work for their communities. Forums and educational sessions are offered for residents. The agency brings in community resources to educate individuals on topics that they have indicated interest in and a willingness to learn more about.

Civic Engagement: Our agency works to advocate on behalf of the neighborhoods we are located in and the clients we represent. Just as we ask the residents of the communities and our clients to be leaders and work to engage them civically, we recognize the need to do the same as an agency.

Youth Engagement: Community liaisons work with youth from Mattie Rhodes Center programs, especially the EXPLORE youth development program, to connect young people with opportunities to become involved in their own neighborhoods. This offers them a place where they feel they belong, where their work is valued and they are given the opportunity to use their unique skills and talents.

Neighborhood Partnerships: Mattie Rhodes Center works with many other groups in the neighborhoods in order to best meet the needs of residents and our clients. We act as a member of several consortiums, brining partners to the table and lending support to a variety of initiatives to strengthen the community.