Participants – 30 Community Leaders from Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren counties

Dates & Location – March 2, 2023, Berrien RESA 711 Saint Joseph Avenue, Berrien Springs, MI 49103

“Given what we know, what are dominant, ingrained narratives that exist in our community? What do we make of them?”

Stories about the resources in the community:

·       People don’t know what resources exist in any county.

·       There is a disproportionate distribution of resources.

·       Resources are siloed.

·       There are plenty of jobs, but not enough people to fill them. 

·       There is not enough housing or childcare resources.

·       Grants and resources are not going to areas where the perception is that the population is wealthier, even though there are a lot of individuals with significant needs in these areas.

·       Grantors want you to be innovative, but they severely restrict how funds can be used.

Stories about disconnection and isolation:

·       The tri-county area is not considered one community, so there is a lot of disconnection between people, organizations, and efforts.

·       Berrien County has pockets of different communities that are very disconnected and distinctive. Each has its own engrained narrative/story.

·       So many groups in our community (across the region) are labeled as “the other,” or “haves vs. have-nots.”

·       There are many stereotypes associated with each different community (“the others”).

o   Benton Harbor and the city of Niles are both violent and have a lot of poverty.

o   All Spanish-speaking people are farm-workers.

o   All Black people live in Benton Harbor.

o   Poverty is a personal failure, not a social condition. If you are in poverty, you have failed and are bad.

o   Cass County doesn’t change. Things are how they always have been and will continue to stay the same.

o   There are no services offered in Cass County. People have to leave in order to access services.

o   Van Buren County has a lot of drug problems.

·       People spend time and connect with who they know and take care of those within their group. Anyone outside of that group is seen as “the other.”

·       People focus more on differences rather than similarities and don’t make connections.

·       The COVID-19 crisis increased social isolation of individuals and groups.

·       Families and providers don’t trust each other.

Stories about the diversity of the community:

·       There is a lot of diversity in our community in terms of Race, Socio-economic status, and Beliefs.

·       Few people are knowledgeable or comfortable talking about diversity or working to improve conditions.

·       New people moving into the community don’t see this diversity because it’s not celebrated or often even recognized.

What key insights did this spark?

·       Everyone is feeling the same, but no one knows what to do about it.

·       A lack of resources is just a perception vs. a reality. We just don’t know what steps to take to connect to the resources we need.

·       There is a big perception that people have retreated into their own small groups and label anyone outside of these groups as “the other” and use stereotypes to create stories about them.

o   We don’t know or own our stories, so we don’t tell them or celebrate them. Doing this could help break these negative stereotypes.

o   We need to celebrate our wins more publicly. A lot of great work has happened in the last few years, but no one knows or talks about it.

·       Are we serving with a deficit mindset?

o   Almost every story we uncovered was negative.  There were no stories of hope.

o   Funding is almost always targeted at the deficit, so that is where we spend our time.

·       Although there were many negative stories shared, it’s okay because there is still time to do something about it.

What do we want to carry forward for next time?

·       Using a positive lens instead of a negative lens for our work will do more to inspire Hope & Healing for those who we want to serve.

o   What positive narratives can we put forward and focus/build on going forward?

·       There is a desire and will for our agencies to work together and connect in new ways.

Now What?

·       Reflect - Do any of your efforts need to be recalibrated based on what we learned together?

·       Connect – Did you hear a key point that you’d like to follow-up on? Is there someone you met that you’d like to connect with?

·       Look ahead – Our next Innovation Spaces and Open tent sessions will take place this summer and fall. We hope you will continue this journey together!

·       Print – The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation’s Key Mantras to Take Action to stay grounded in this work.