Meet our newest DIP-IN Neighborhood CHW, Brittany Crone. Brittany replaces Ben Rose as the Near West Neighborhood CHW, based out of the Westside Community Development Corporation (WCDC). Promoted to a Quality of Life (QOL) Coordinator role at the WCDC, the DIP-IN team is excited that Ben will remain a part of the Near West team. We are also excited to have Brittany on board and asked her a few questions below about her work and Indianapolis background.
What did you do before becoming a part of the DIP-IN team?
Before joining the DIP-IN team as an nCHW I spent about 6 months focused as a full-time student, working as the Ambassador of Latin Night at the Jazz Kitchen, and volunteering. Before that, I was leading a team as a Director of Client Services for a staffing agency here in Indy, as well as coordinating events for that firm.
Tell us more about your background in living in and working with Indianapolis communities.
I was born and raised on the northwest side of Indianapolis in Pike Township, and am currently raising my daughter here as well. I have always had a heart for community work and creating a peaceful space for others for my entire life. Although this is my first official role as a community worker, I have spent the last several years volunteering at food pantries, putting together "blessing bags" for homeless neighbors, working in community gardens, teaching English, and advocating for equity and human rights for all.
Tell us a story of a time you felt you had a true impact in your community work.
I am not yet in a place I feel I have had an impact. That being said, I do feel the work and our community have had an impact on me. Especially when I see how people can come together again, and again, to coordinate and collaborate on projects, such as Operation Care Kit where care kits for homeless neighbors are assembled. Participating in events like these, meeting people who are like-minded, and being able to take action to brighten someone's day - or simply ask someone their name and actually listen - makes all the difference in my life.
What part of this project are you looking forward to most?
The beauty in this project is that we have a real opportunity to be an ear and a source of empowerment for the neighborhoods where we work. Where there is unity, there is strength and healing. I am most looking forward to becoming a familiar face in the neighborhood so that community members know they have someone in their corner; to be an authentic connector with the community in such a way that community members feel seen, supported, and empowered.
When you are not working, what are you up to?
I am a firm believer life is for living, so when I'm not working my 10-year-old daughter and I like to stay active. I co-lead monthly multiculturalism discussions on the last Saturday of every month, where safe space is created to dive into the "issues and -isms" of society that we experience individually. I am part of a volunteer organization called Woman Within, that is dedicated to empowering womxn to access their inner wisdom through witnessing each others' vulnerability and supporting one another through emotional facilitation. My daughter and I often take walks in the various parks throughout the Indianapolis area - Eagle Creek is our favorite. We enjoy creating together and supporting local artists at art fairs and museums. We also spend time with our Indigenous community here at church on Saturday nights. I love music and dancing, especially Salsa, Bachata, and Samba at the Jazz Kitchen. I can be found volunteering in community gardens (like the one we have in We Care) or in my own garden. I am a singer and actor, so I can occasionally be seen doing performances at various locations around the city, including in the upcoming Onyx Fest 2020. My main focus at this time in my life is to learn as much as I can from those around me in an effort to prepare for the vision I hold to connect more people with mental health care and emotional wellness.
We Care Community Garden yields success
In our last quarterly update, we featured a few ways our DIP-IN communities were pushing forward with their community work during this pandemic; realizing the need for care and support is greater than ever. One of the featured ways the Near West was looking to serve their community was through reviving a community garden in the We Care neighborhood. By collaborating with DIP-IN, Purdue Extension, Groundwork Indy, and various church groups, the We Care Community Garden has yielded amazing success this summer season. As of late July, the We Care Neighborhood has donated a total of 32 pounds of produce to Hawthorne Community Center and the Lord's Pantry at Anna's House. Through food assistance programs at these organizations, the produce goes directly to Near West community members.
Insulin affordability through Lilly
