10/23/2016
Old and young get together in "Passion It Forward"
Teenagers and senior citizens often don’t mix much, especially in hardscrabble neighborhoods like Central Park in Omaha, Nebraska. In 2013, nearly 90 percent of the state’s 57 murders were committed in Omaha; much of the crimes were clustered in North Omaha, a small segment of the city home to just over 40,000 people and an estimated 29 gangs
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However, a project called “Passion it Forward” is doing what some might consider impossible: brining Central Park youth of all ages to Salem Village, an apartment development for senior citizens operated by NeighborWorks Home Solutions. The driver behind it is Apostle Vanessa Ward, who won a
2015 Dorothy Richardson Resident Leadership Award for her tireless work in reducing crime and bringing neighbors together on the block where she lived for dozens of years.
Following the death of her husband, Apostle moved to Salem Village, allowing her former home to be converted into a community center of sorts. The move didn’t slow her down, however. At last year’s
Community Leadership Institute, she and seven other local residents who attended as a team developed the idea for “Passion It Forward.”
“It’s a play on the concept of ‘pay it forward,’” explains Apostle. “In a community where 50 percent of the youth don’t believe they will be alive to finish high school, I believe it is critical to help them find and share their passions. To see that they have so much to bring to the table.”
A young man performs rap for the seniors
On the fourth Thursday of every month, 20-25 Central Park youth and young adults (ranging in age from 3 to 26 and attracted mostly by word of mouth and social media) trek to the community room of Salem Village to both share their special knowledge and learn from their elders. A different theme or speaker is featured each month: One of the favorite youth speakers was a young man who both explained his love for performing rap music and demonstrated how to use a smart phone.
“He called his talk ‘Listen Up’,” Apostle laughs, adding that the Salem Village community room is now wired for wifi, as a result of the programs. “He wanted us seniors to understand that rap is the way youth of today share their story. And at the same time, he showed us how to download apps!”
In turn, the seniors teach the youth. The most talked-about speaker was “Jimmy,” who used to work as a shoes shiner and had the reputation for being “dapper.” He taught the young men how to properly shine their shoes, as well as how to dress well when wearing a suit. He was so popular that many of the youth still bring their shoes to Jimmy to shine.
Apostle is such a big believer in NeighborWorks Home Solutions that she now serves the organization formally as an AmeriCorps VISTA member. And this year, she sent her daughter, granddaughter and granddaughter-in-law to the CLI as part of the Home Solutions team.
“The CLI is the most outstanding opportunity to stir up a person’s imagination,” she says, comparing the event to the Oscars. “It really sends you home with ideas to work on!”