Clean Water Action
by Eric Hadley-Ives, Assistant Professor - University
of Illinois School of Social Work
The social work community organizing class (SOC W 402) sent five students
down to East St. Louis on October 18th and 19th to work on the Clean Water
Action publicity event and help the Lansdowne Community set up a block
organization system so the residents can achieve some of the goals in
the Lansdowne Redevelopment Plan.
On Friday we prepared for the media event at Frank Holten State Park,
mainly by photocopying papers and reviewing the facts about pollution,
contamination of fish, and local dietary habits in East St. Louis. We
joined with the political science class in setting up (tables and chairs)
out at the state park. The presence of our two classes doubled the audience
size and certainly improved the atmosphere on a rather windy and bleak
late October afternoon. A reporter from the Post-Dispatch covered the
event. Members of the state's departments of environmental protection,
natural resources, and public health all attended. Although all were working
on various aspects of water safety some of the state employees were meeting
each other for the first time. State Representative Wyvetter Young was
attending. She and several of the state employees received awards for
their contribution to cleaner waters and safe fish in Illinois.
Also on Friday my students had a chance to have long meetings with two
Lansdowne Residents who want to be involved with a block group system.
One has a history of being politically active in the Lansdowne community,
while the other is a resident who is just now getting interested in becoming
more involved in improving her community. Students also phoned several
residents to begin the contacts that will lead to meetings in the third
service weekends.
On Saturday students in the social work course and political science
course attended the East St. Louis Community Action Network meeting at
the Neighborhood Technical Assistance Center. In the afternoon three of
my students went door to door with local residents, distributing fliers
about community meetings and fish contamination. Two of the students met
with a local minister who offered several suggestions on how the class
could be helpful to Lansdowne. In conversations with this minister and
with many residents some common themes about barriers to effective action
were repeated. People seem to agree that a neighborhood group such as
the Lansdowne Steering Committee needs to be supported by permanent institutions
such as the NTAC, local churches, the Jackie Joyner Kersey Center, and
possibly some level of government.
In Lansdowne efforts to improve the community arise and fade away. People
have formed groups, received grants to develop some program, and then
lost interest or disappeared. Many people distrust their local government
and government services. There is also stiff competition for resources,
which erodes a willingness to share and collaborate. Yet, at the level
of blocks, people do have friends who live near them, and people can easily
see the problems in their neighborhood. Also, people seem to want the
same things. The goals in the Lansdowne Redevelopment Plan seem a good
summary of what people want. However, people have difficulty seeing where
to start or how to develop their organizations into a situation where
they can contribute to achieving their aims. Students in the social work
class will be working with residents over the phone and during the third
service weekend to help them begin their block groups.
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Outreach
Weekend Report
Once
again the East St. Louis Action Research Project headed back down to East. St.
Louis to work on 9 projects. With the help of faculty, students, staff, and
residents the team was able to accomplish a lot of things in only two days.
The ESLARP team included around 90 people, including students from classes and
volunteers. There were students from Urban Planning, Libray and Information
Science, Engineering, and Prairie Net. With the dedication and hardwork from
these people they were able to complete most of the tasks that we set out to
do, even though it rained a lot on Friday night. The projects completed were:
Design and Construction of NO DUMPING signs for SENDO, Removal of weeds and
Garbage between 16th and 17th St., Tilling and clean-up of the Bolden Community
Garden, Cleanup of Jones Park fountain, measurements for the Norfolk Tower,
Clean Water Action, Edgemont Survey, the house at 2035 Trendly Ave. was painted
and reconstruction of the porch roof was started. Also, students started to
paint the NTAC ramp, which will be finished in the future. 
