All posts by ioby

5 Creative Placekeeping Projects We Love!

Arts and culture inspire communities, deepen neighborhood connections, and transforms lives. Whether a Pride parade in June or afterschool music sessions for teenagers, culture is an essential element of thriving public life. 

Here at ioby, we believe strongly in the possibilities of creativity, and a large part of that is due to creative placekeeping. Creative placekeeping refers to a community-driven approach to preserving and enhancing the character, history, and values of a space. Instead of focusing exclusively on adding to a neighborhood through physical development such as museums, creative placekeeping emphasizes the assets that already exist. 

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Neighbors in East Brooklyn Build Networks of Sustainable Care in the Face of Crisis

In March of 2020, Kelvin Taitt had just recovered from COVID-19 when he was approached by one of his close friends who wanted to start an initiative to support their community, in a time of deep crisis. Kelvin immediately embraced the idea and formed East Brooklyn Mutual Aid (EBMA), alongside two neighbors and a community advocate. For Kelvin, taking immediate action was of the utmost priority. “After recovering from COVID, I was looking for ways to support the people that lived around me: my friends, my family, my neighbors. For me, it was an immediate yes. We knew that providing food was the best way to support our neighbors. So that’s exactly what we did.” 

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Empowering Maternal Health: Syreeta Gordon’s Journey and the Power of Crowdfunding

Since 2018, Syreeta Gordon has been at the forefront of Kangaroo Birthing, an organization dedicated to improving maternal health outcomes, particularly for Black women. Throughout her journey, she has utilized numerous ioby projects to crowdfund for various ideas and events. We sat down with Syreeta as part of our 15 ioby stories project to learn more about the growth, challenges, and future of her work in the field of maternal health.

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What Do Most Successful Community Gardens Have in Common?

Summer is right around the corner, which means that gardens have begun to flourish. Ripe tomatoes are starting to bud on the vine and heads of lettuce are peeking through the soil. The long summer months ahead are the perfect time to re-energize your community garden through public events, farmers markets, and guided tours. Whether you have a few neighborhood plots or are just starting to repurpose an empty lot,  here’s everything you need to known about cultivating a successful community garden. 

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Black to the Land Coalition Builds Equity in Outdoor Leadership

In 2018, a group of about 14 Detroit outdoor enthusiasts began meeting at the home of Tepfirah Rushdan, who would become a founding member of Black To The Land Coalition (BTTLC). Being a long time advocate and farmer in the Urban farming scene, Tepfirah (Tee) wanted to form a super team of BIPoC leaders who shared the same passion and goals for building a relationship with each other, through the land. Through their ioby project Be Out!, they are hoping to raise $8,000 before July 11th. Their project is a part of our 2023 Detroit Match Program, meaning donations are doubled up to $400 per donor!

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Neighbors in NYC Hike Through Parks and Chart Their Own Way Forward

Right now, Hike the Heights is raising funds to celebrate their 19th annual event, a community hike and celebration in Northern Manhattan parks. The family-friendly event, taking place on June 3, invites New Yorkers to explore and celebrate their city’s natural treasures by combining physical activity, art, fun, and civic participation. It also helps ensure that NYC parks are safe and accessible to all. Since 2011, the Hike the Heights team has enlisted ioby to help them fundraise and receive grants. 

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One Woman’s Idea to Provide Menstrual Products to her Neighbors Grows into a Large Scale Operation

Eli Cloud co-founded Sister Supply with a straightforward mission: eradicate Period Poverty. After raising over $5,000 on ioby in 2016, she was able to expand the impact of her organization. Since then, the number of menstruation products she has been able to provide for menstruating people in Memphis has nearly quadrupled. 

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Celebration in the Streets of LA Brings Life-saving Awareness to Bike and Pedestrian Safety

In 2015, Adé Neff raised over $15,000 for Street Beats, a community festival that took place in the Hyde Park neighborhood of South Los Angeles. The event took place at the intersection of Crenshaw Boulevard and Florence Avenue, one of the most dangerous intersections in LA county. Through music, food, and art, Street Beats highlighted the importance of street safety and the power of public space. 

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Meet the Neighborhood Leaders Fighting For Food Justice 

From windowsill gardens in New York City to community juice pop-ups in Cleveland, these activists are planting the seeds for a different world.  Food justice leaders work to ensure universal  access to nutritious, affordable, and culturally-appropriate food. These leaders are transforming their neighborhoods through food justice projects.

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An Eagle Scout Gets His Neighbors On Board With Composting

Fifteen years ago, Edward Maddalena was in the final stages of becoming an Eagle Scout. He spent the majority of his youth in the Boy Scouts, but in order to achieve his ultimate goal of Eagle Scout, he had to complete one final leadership project. “The aim is to lead a group of other scouts and adults and bring them all together to accomplish a shared goal of creating positive change in the community,” Edward says. 

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