Community members are encouraged to add their voice to the mural with the chalk provided. We believe art should be interactive and community involved. So please, visit the Woodbury Junior-Senior High School front lawn and add your voice to this free-standing mural.

The artists who created this piece are De’von Downes and Loren Dann of the South Jersey Artist Collective. Dann says, “adolescents thrive with art, and deserve to be seen. The outside of the school made no representation to the voices inside. With the back in chalk paint this interactive mural allows students to express themselves and their ideas.” Downes feels it is important “that kids are able to see themselves as more than just child and student but as people with feelings and voices. To be able to see themselves in such a light that nothing can dim them- as chances for hope and change.”

Woodbury Heart & Soul, a program of the FAF Coalition, is a catalyst for positive change by actively seeking the collective wisdom of all residents, including those whose voices are often missing. We want to know what matters most to you, hopes and concerns, and ideas for action in Woodbury. Share your story with us today, because your voice matters.

The post Racial Justice Mural appeared first on Woodbury Heart & Soul.

Thank you for your interest in the Share Your Story event at Evergreen Family Success Center (located at 21 Delaware St, Woodbury, NJ 08096) happening on Tuesday, August 16th from 2-3PM. There will be free food provided and you will be compensated $15 for your participation. Please fill out the brief registration below to participate in this event. ** You must register to participate in this event!

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How to Help:

We have many ways to get involved in Woodbury PRIDE if you would like to help out. Community events are more successful when we have community participation, involvement, and ownership! Please fill out the form below if you would like to volunteer and/or become a sponsor for PRIDE.

A massive THANK YOU to our Sponsor, Woodbury Community Pride!

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• I'd like to volunteer
• I'd like to be a sponsor

Your contribution will go towards purchasing the canvas, art supplies, and PRIDE items such as flags, buttons, etc.

Multiple Choice *

• Gather stories from Woodbury Residents
• Help folks write on the canvas
• Help kids do PRIDE crafts
• Any or all of the above

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• Donate now via PayPal
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Announcing: New Program Coordinator

Woodbury Heart & Soul is looking for residents to tell their stories about what matters most to them, their hopes, concerns, and ideas for the future of Woodbury under the leadership of our new Program Coordinator, Kaitlin Rattigan.

The continued collection of our community’s stories will help create a comprehensive action plan for Woodbury’s future and strengthen the cultural, social, and economic vibrancy of our City. Seeking out hidden and missing voices and focusing on what matters most keeps the community at the center of Woodbury Heart & Soul’s mission. We are looking for people to both share their stories, as well as people who would like to help us gather stories from their fellow residents, neighbors, and peers.

Woodbury Heart & Soul is excited to introduce Kaitlin Rattigan, who has accepted the position of Program Coordinator. Kaitlin (she/her) moved to Woodbury with her partner and two children in August of 2020 because of the incredible racial diversity of the City and the public schools, while having a small town community feel. Kaitlin brings 14 years of community organizing experience to the role. As an organizer, Kaitlin has worked to address various societal injustices ranging from LGBTQIA+ advocacy, to racial justice work, to gender equity, to most recently labor organizing for worker’s rights.

Kaitlin has 9 years experience working with nonprofits, particularly startup organizations and programs. As the first Community Builder for Take The Lead, Kaitlin built online communities and programs where women could connect and support one another to gain power and equity in the workforce. As the first Director of Student Working Professionals, Kaitlin spearheaded strategy, daily operations, marketing, communications, and program management for the South Jersey startup organization that helps students from various backgrounds, including those from the juvenile justice system and those with developmental disabilities, evolve into socially conscious leaders. And as the Program Manager of State Adolescent Services at AccessMatters, Kaitlin oversees a youth serving sexual health counseling and education program with a particular focus on supporting LGBTQIA+ youth.

Since moving to Woodbury, Kaitlin immediately became involved in community groups and activities such as the West End Memorial Parent Teacher Organization and the Strategic Plan Steering Committee for the Woodbury City Public School District. Kaitlin has a Master’s degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution, focusing on gender equity and nonprofit management. Kaitlin says she is “excited to continue this important community work,” because she “believes the City of Woodbury should be a place where all people feel included, heard, represented, and welcome.”

Woodbury Heart & Soul is a catalyst for positive change by actively seeking the collective wisdom of all residents, including those whose voices are often missing. As part of the Transform South Jersey initiative, our team will lead Woodbury through the established Community Heart & Soul model. Through this process, we will identify partners, build relationships, determine options for the future, and work together to develop projects in Woodbury that our community cares about for years to come. Ultimately, we will establish a locally controlled community endowment fund to support the strategies that result from the Woodbury Heart & Soul process.

If you are interested and excited by this unique opportunity to share your story and/or gather stories from others in Woodbury, please reach out to Kaitlin Rattigan at 856-812-4027 or kaitlin@thefaf.net.

The post Woodbury Heart & Soul Seeks Stories from Woodbury Residents appeared first on Woodbury Heart & Soul.

The program is a simple one: two years of dedicated work through a four phase strategic action plan based on what matters most to the community at large. Yet there were a few other “bonus” components that sweetened the deal.

1. Hidden & Missing Voices

The Heart & Soul model is built on three principles: focus on what matters, involve everyone, and play the long game. The emotional connections communities have to their neighborhood are vital for tapping into the “heart and soul” of that place. Sustainability and making sure the work continues regardless of who’s in charge or where the money’s coming from makes the program the most impactful that it can be. But the root of what makes a program like Woodbury Heart & Soul so special is that it places those normally on the outskirts of local decision making right in the center of it all.

We’ve identified through extensive community network analysis that Woodbury’s youth, seniors, Latinx, and LGBTQ+ populations have not had a regular seat at the table. Bringing those voices into the fold and making sure these communities are heard is a top priority for Woodbury Heart & Soul and we’ve made great strides in connecting with some, but not all yet; there is still a lot of work to be done!

2. New & Emerging Leaders

As we engage with the community through story gathering, public events & activities, and other volunteer efforts, folks from across the city have naturally stepped up as new leaders. The work is so important to us all that it can rest on just one person’s shoulders. Creating opportunities for anyone that wants a chance to engage more directly with their community is what Woodbury Heart & Soul is all about! A perfect example is a young woman that we connected with through a local City Council member who became a Spanish translator for a story gathering event with Latinx folks at a salon in North Woodbury. A connection that might not have happened had Woodbury Heart & Soul not been around actually created a beautiful moment in connecting with our Latinx population more meaningfully. Volunteers who make our work possible are stepping into new leadership roles in their community every day because of our program!

3. Community Endowment Fund

All of the work we do with Woodbury Heart & Soul is grant-funded through various regional and national partners like the Orton Family Foundation and the Community Foundation of South Jersey. That grant, however, is only meant to serve one purpose: implement the Community Heart & Soul model in Woodbury. While this grant has served as an amazing catalyst for our City thus far, we will eventually deplete the funds, which means in order to keep our work going we need a more long-term and stable source of finances. That’s why as we continue to do the work right now, we’re also fundraising to establish a permanent endowment fund for community investment that will live on well past our two year program. Endowment funds are investment accounts that can be used for a variety of purposes, but the greatest feature is that they continually grow. When we start to wrap up the program officially, we’ll ask a group of residents and other community stakeholders to manage that community fund – our stewardship team. This will ensure that new opportunities for investment in our community are coming directly from our community.

These aspects about the Heart & Soul model were so important to me when I first decided to help The FAF write this grant. Building new platforms for folks in our City to share their voices with the larger community, especially those that don’t normally have a platform, exemplifies everything right about community development. Listening to stories and allowing people to tap back into the emotional connections they have with this City is such a beautiful honor to witness, both as Program Director and as a fellow Woodbury resident always eager to always learn more my City.

Community organizing is my passion. Connecting with folks gives me fuel. Discussing issues and solutions to make our City a better place is what gets me up in the morning. That’s why I loved being the Program Director for Woodbury Heart & Soul so much.

The post My Time As Program Director appeared first on Woodbury Heart & Soul.

by Linda R Wright
10/10/2021

Days of youth
quietly re-awakened
Soft rustling autumn leaves
slowly dancing from treetops,
baptized again and again
by gentle rains invoking remembrance

Sitting leisurely, our ghosts of past,
that Spring’s innocence of then …
excitedly watching
the train of life speed by
on the long steel tracks…to somewhere

The lonely forgotten train station
standing the test of time,
gave shelter
on busy Saturday afternoons
to our youth,
taking advantage
of the long bench’s comforting arms
Welcoming us to rest,
waving to the conductor in hopes,
a return wave of recognition,
enhancing our joy
over such a small trivial thing
as he had done many times before

Years passed
The train traveled to somewhere
…. and so did we

In the Autumn of our years,
we returned ….
After years of neglect
and those forgotten dreams of youth,
a dazzling diamond along the tracks
greeted us with enthusiastic memory

Liken the lady she is,
surrounded by nature’s ornaments,
she offers the same warmth,
inviting us
into her inner walls of times past
to reflect and dream again

We are all onboard that train
Passengers,
on our golden journey … to somewhere
looking out the windows,
waving to the youth ….
that was us

The post Woodbury Station Cafe – Sitting on the Bench Dreaming appeared first on Woodbury Heart & Soul.

The five other awarded towns were announced in February: the Town of Hammonton, Willingboro Township, Winslow Township, Downe Township, and Salem City.

The FAF Coalition, alongside the city government and many local residents, businesses, and nonprofit & faith-based organizations worked tirelessly to secure this grant award. The work consisted of workshops, webinars, submitting a letter of intent and full application, holding a community engagement meeting at the Woodbury Child Development Center, and a site interview at City Hall with members of the Community Foundation of South Jersey and other local and national funding partners.

The grant is made possible through generous support from the Community Foundation of South Jersey’s Transform South Jersey, a collaboration between the Community Foundation of South Jersey and local & national funding partners, which aims to strengthen the social, cultural, and economic vibrancy of South Jersey communities.

After attending the program introduction meeting, The FAF Coalition board felt this would be an incredible opportunity for the City of Woodbury, and one in which we could successfully respond to the Request for Applications and provide the infrastructure to support the program. It felt like a natural fit to step in as the local convening partner because Transform South Jersey complements The FAF’s mission perfectly. The FAF Coalition champions initiatives rich in arts, culture, and sustainable design as a catalyst for community development and economic revitalization. It executes those initiatives by creating engaging places and innovative experiences that transform the lives of the community.

The FAF Coalition is also excited to introduce Jared Hunter, who has accepted the position of Program Director. Jared has lived in Woodbury for over ten years with a long family history in the City. He is currently pursuing a PhD in public affairs with a concentration in community development at Rutgers-Camden. His work in community development began seven years ago in West Philadelphia as an undergraduate student at University of the Sciences, before moving onto Camden to pursue a master’s degree in public administration.

In Camden, he worked for a public health nonprofit and supported the development of the organization’s community engagement strategies on a local and national level. He oversaw a national program that organized people with complex health and social needs to advise healthcare industry executives on their engagement strategies. Locally, he worked with a group of activists to stop the shutdown of a methadone clinic downtown, to ensure that people who needed medically assisted treatment had the access they deserved.

Jared has recently received his second master’s degree in public affairs from Rutgers-Camden, and since returning to Woodbury, has become involved in a number of community-focused efforts. He has joined the Board of Directors for The FAF Coalition, spent a year and a half working for the local government at City Hall, and for the past year has curated a Woodbury coverage podcast called “Woodbury Voice!” highlighting stories about good work being done in the community.

Over the next two years the program’s leadership will lay out a foundation to engage every corner of the City’s neighborhoods and communities, collecting stories and holding public discussions about what matters most to them. Those stories will be transformed into an action plan to address issues, create stronger relationships between communities, and establish new and sustainable economic development strategies.

While the program leadership is expected to change and grow over the next two years, the initial leadership team highlights the City’s diversity, collective strengths, and commitment to partnership:

Jared Hunter Program Director

Bonnie Powers
Secretary, The FAF Coalition

Dr. Melinda Johnson
Founder & President, Johnson Manor of Faith & Education, Inc.
Woodbury School Board Member

Ted Johnson
Woodbury City Councilman

Reed Merinuk
Woodbury City Councilman

Cassidy Swanson
Woodbury City Community Events Coordinator
Woodbury City Neighborhood Preservation Coordinator

Jamilah Damiani
Owner/Operator, MADE. Artisan Marketplace
President, Woodbury Human Rights Commission

Jose Avila
Owner, Vallarta House Grocery Store

Rev. Dr. Charles Boyer
Pastor, Bethel AME Church of Woodbury

Savanah Lewis
Local resident and high school student

Transform South Jersey is built on the Orton Family Foundation’s Community Heart & Soul model, a catalyst for positive change in small cities and towns. By actively seeking the community’s collective wisdom, including those whose voice are often missing, Woodbury will become a stronger, healthier, and more economically vibrant place to live, work, learn, and play. During this two-year process, the program will also actively dedicate resources toward asset building by establishing a community endowment fund. This fund will dedicate wealth, resources, and direct investment into the Woodbury community for many years to come.

If you are interested in and excited by this unique opportunity in Woodbury’s history and would like to get involved, please reach out to Jared Hunter at (856) 812-4112 or jared@thefaf.net.

The post The FAF Coalition Awarded $100,000 Transform South Jersey Grant appeared first on Woodbury Heart & Soul.

The swish… a red bullseye… the golden arches… even without brand names attached we recognize these logos as representing Nike, Target, and McDonald’s respectively. All three are examples of how an effective logo can speak for a brand.

So what about Woodbury Heart and Soul – a South Jersey community development program? What image could possibly characterize it?

Heart and Soul is more than an organization located in Gloucester County, NJ and our driven team of Heart and Soul members wanted to represent that. But how?

Rick Clemmons knew. He proposed a heart inside of a multi-colored circle.

“The circular multi-color graphic best communicates the notion of different cultures combined abstractly and simply,” said Clemmons, an Oklahoma-based creative design and marketing business owner..

While Clemmons successfully captured what Heart and Soul was hoping to represent, it took about 10 days and around five different logo designs before narrowing it down to two.

Next, a decision had to be made…

By having multiple meetings – some in committees, others with the full team – a system was utilized: discuss and vote.  Members shared their thoughts about each logo design and what it meant to them. Afterwards, they cast their vote.

Once the logo was finalized, a few members of our team participated in recording a logo unveiling video that was uploaded to our social media platforms. Viewers are able to learn about the process of establishing a logo and what the image meant to the Heart & Soul team.

You can watch the unveiling video here: https://fb.watch/8si0hmnsVD/ and listen to the podcast episode here: https://anchor.fm/woodburyvoice/episodes/Woodbury-Heart–Soul-evna7b

The post Our Logo appeared first on Woodbury Heart & Soul.

The summer pop-up park, spearheaded by The FAF Coalition, has been one of Woodbury’s most incredible annual events since 2014. On Friday nights between June and August you can come out to a public space that’s designed to capture Woodbury’s heart and soul. Live music, games, food trucks, wine & beer; and as of last year there’s been an even stronger presence of the arts including live paintings, clothesline displays, and an enormous interactive mural right at the center of it all.

(Pictures of the north and south facing sides of the mural at LOT 323 by Runnemede artist J. Kenneth Leap)

While the COVID-19 pandemic forced us all into our homes last summer, as restrictions loosened the community came back together in full force for 2021 at LOT 323! Woodbury Heart & Soul joined along to connect with our neighbors and chat with them about what matters most. Over the three weeks we set up at LOT 323, we asked the community three simple but extremely important questions: 

• How would you describe Woodbury in three words?
• How would you describe what you’d like Woodbury to look like in five years?
• What is your favorite Woodbury memory?

From these three simple questions over three weeks we got 170 individual responses! These stories that you shared with us included descriptions of Woodbury as “community,” “potential,” “home,” and “diverse.” In five years the community told us that Woodbury would have more stores, an ice cream shop, and better appreciation for the arts. And some of the greatest memories you shared were about all aspects of community life including walking down Broad Street, the Wood Theatre, and kids playing in the local neighborhoods. 

We also had great activities for our youth, asking them the same questions, but with some more creative & interactive end results!

We’re so excited to explore our community in Phase 2 and look forward to staying connected as the work continues!

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