“Phase Zero” Development
“Phase Zero” Development
When a once thriving community becomes devastated by some external force, whether natural disaster, war, skirmishes over water, or simply giant corporations uprooting out of neighborhoods to leave behind economic ghost towns... when a community can no longer pull itself up by the bootstraps and when its best citizens run for the hills... this is where we come in. Where conventional methods are no longer a viable option. The only strategy is total immersion. UFG's focus is "Phase Zero Development" or development in places where there is no government help on the way. There will be no cavalry coming. We are going where the city has no plan. We are focused on the most difficult places on earth where no one else will go. Yes, billions of dollars of government money can be targeted at developing these difficult communities, but rarely do their efforts go beyond the fringes. The vast majority of the urban core remains untouchable and desperately without infrastructure because no one is able create a return on government investment. But The Urban Farming Guys believe differently. We are living out this reality on the ground floor. We are seeing a grassroots movement of hope that you cannot buy, and we are establishing a foundation that you can build upon. We are watching a "two million dollar seed" sprout right out of the ground for free!
Two Million dollar Seed
In a "Phase Zero Zone" no amount of money can build a healthy foundation for community. The human investment required is priceless, and cannot be purchased. But pretend that it could. First, you would need to purchase hope in a land where hope cannot be found, a midst a devastated community that once was. These communities have tried exhaustively only to hit their heads against an impenetrable brick wall for years on end. Their only hope is to escape if they can! But what if you could hire hope? It would cost 1 million dollars in payroll and programs to put just 15 positive workers on the ground full time in these neighborhoods, just to begin to rally positive change and try to inspire hope. But who would believe these employees have any hope for the community to start with, because they are all leaving go home at the end of the day. Still the only hope is to escape.
A Model
Let us tell you of another way, a way that breaks every mold, a way that cannot be bought with a million dollars. It comes for free, and it is rare as gold. It is total Immersion. It is a fearless and passionate team of Urban Pioneers. And these pioneers are coming to mine for the gems of human potential. And they’ve put all their chips into the middle. No outside force could be more invested than an urban pioneer. While everyone else goes home at the end of the day, the urban pioneer is here 24/7. Their back is against a wall and they call it home.. But to them it is no sacrifice at all. You couldn’t force one of these pioneers to buy a tan house in a tan neighborhood with tan people if you tried. We choose to live here! So we begin the journey already ahead of the game. We are on the ground and off to the races building positive grassroots community with whatever resources we can get our hands on, from dirt to gardens, from old buildings to after school art programs. We go mining for the “gold” that exists in every neighborhood… the leaders that already exist within, hiding somewhere under the rubble, and the children that make up the next generation. It’s about people! And you cannot buy it!
If you could buy what we do, after spending the first million dollars to payroll a team and fund some projects, then it takes a second million dollar fund to start a housing program for a blighted area. But first it can cost over $250,000 just to do a blight study before a Community Development Corporation or (CDC) will write the rest of the grants to get started. Miles ahead, bypassing all of those costs, Urban Pioneers simply inspire each other to buy homes on the same block, and they invest their own dollars and simply get the job done. Neighbors begin taking pride and taking part. This immediately increases the leadership capacity of the neighborhood and adds many potential mentors on the block: role models, block watch captains, and simply people who care and believe. Eyes are on the street with soccer balls and frisbees flying through the air once again. Kids are joining our after school art program and working in the community gardens with us. Understandably, most CDC employees would not dare move their homes into these problem areas. You couldn’t afford to buy five of these pioneers! This is the “two million dollar head start” and it goes so much farther than just a housing project. We have begun to nourish a community back to hope. This is why we can go where no one else can go. And since we are finding homes to buy anywhere from 5 – 20 thousand dollars we have lots of extra love and time to spare. We are not looking for a quick return on investment; we are in this for the long haul. Our investment is to build hope among the hopeless, to build up basic needs, to empower existing leaders to build up opportunities where very little exists. To take responsibility for whatever issues exist. We are a special ops unit with a deep love and hope for people. We believe in teaching a man to fish, even better to grow their own fish! And we do it because we care, not because we got hired to do so. This is just the tip of the iceberg of the substance of love and the power of community.
More at the link http://us5.campaign-archive1.com/?u=7757f69a701cb06529ae119c4&id=cb79bb4233&e=41d7524eb7
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