Hillside residents are recharged and ready to continue the revitalization of their neighborhood following a national community leadership conference in Milwaukee,

Seven Hillside residents attended last month’s Community Leadership Institute hosted by NeighborWorks America, a trainer of community development and affordable housing professionals. The Hillside neighbors attended workshops targeting leadership development, working in diverse communities and stabilizing neighborhoods in tough economic times.

“The most important thing team members took away from the training is that there are no limits to what they can accomplish as a neighborhood,” said DASH Assistant Director Cathy Smith, who accompanied the group to Wisconsin. “They saw the magnitude of what other neighborhood groups have accomplished and thought, ‘We can do it, too.’ “

That can-do spirit is evident in the goals set by conference participants.

“Although individual team members came away with different priorities for Hillside (beautification, children’s programs, neighborhood safety and community social events), they share a common passion to improve their neighborhood,” Smith said. “At the conference, they quickly came to the consensus that a neighborhood meeting place is essential as a starting point to address all of their priority areas. Their desire is to do it all. They are thinking big.”

NeighborWorks America provided transportation and lodging for all attending the conference. Plus, neighborhoods represented at the national event have the opportunity to apply for a $2,000 grant through the organization to address a neighborhood concern. If awarded the grant, local participants hope to apply it towards developing a community center, potentially at a vacant storefront on Lincoln Street.

“We all felt that having a place to meet is our first priority so we can host a variety of meetings and events such as Neighborhood Watch, educational seminars, fitness activities and festive events,” said Katie Baughman, a Jefferson Street resident.

In the meantime, the Hillside neighbors look forward to putting in action other lessons learned at the conference. For Wilburn Avenue resident Carolyn Reeves, that means beating the pavement to meet her neighbors.

“I learned about the fundamentals of organization in the community, how to make improvements in my community and work for progressive social change,” Reeves SAID. “My plans are to go door-to-door having conversations with each resident and asking them to get involved.”

In this way, she added, she’ll let her neighbors know how important it is for everyone to work together to improve their community.

Workshops titled “Adjusting to a Changing Neighborhood” and “Reaching Out to Emerging Populations” seemed tailor-made for Hillside residents whose neighborhood is known for a diversity that includes black, white, Latino and Korean; young and old; highly paid professionals and blue-collar workers, plus empty-nesters and growing families.

“In my seminars, I learned of the importance of providing a community where the diversity of its members is celebrated rather than being viewed as a hindrance to creating a unified community,” said Noelle Peek of South Lee Street. “One of my goals is to help create a community that is welcoming to all, regardless of race, age, gender or ethnicity.”

The wide variety of classes offered at the conference supplied practical, on-point information, according to Smith, who said residents returned to LaGrange “armed with some valuable tools that they can put to work in Hillside.”

Along with technical training, the conference offered an opportunity for valuable peer exchange.

“Talking to residents from neighborhoods all over the country - and hearing their examples of similar neighborhood challenges and how those challenges were successfully overcome - gave the Hillside group confidence and further fueled their energy and enthusiasm to make their neighborhood the best place to live,” Smith said. “Residents gained a better understanding of what community organizing really means, why it is important, and the power it provides toward accomplishing common goals.”

The overall objective of the national event was to teach residents how to take ownership of their neighborhoods, organize around common concerns and establish goals while providing participants tools and resources to help them reach those goals.

Also attending the conference were Johnny and Rachaele Hurd, Alan Driver and Yvonne Pittman, a member of DASH’s board of directors and Hillside resident team coordinator.

“The strength of Hillside is its caring neighbors,” Pittman said. “Ultimately, connecting people together will make our community thrive.”

Training like that provided at the national conference plays a strong role in uniting the community’s leaders - and in teaching them to connect with residents throughout Hillside, according to Smith.

“The power of a group, especially a group of committed stakeholders, working together and combining their gifts and talents can produce amazing results,” she said. “Residents are the primary stakeholder in a neighborhood. When they unite around common issues and interests, they can accomplish remarkable things.”