PROJECTS

1. VOLUNTEER SERVICE

Service to our communities is a valuable way of sharing love and caring for our neighbors. Many of the projects we focus on, occur in the inner city, where there is a great need for UNITY. There is no limit to the connections that can evolve for helping where help is needed. The joy of service opens doors of compassion for everyone who participates.

  • NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

    This allows for people to meet, share phone numbers, and identify who actually lives in the area. In cooperation with the police, it creates trust and belief in the "golden rule." We do watch out for each other and we have avoided many acts of violence and crimes by drug dealers who previously occupied the neighborhood which was called "Little Vietnam." When we moved into this neighborhood, many of the street lights had been shot out. We knew that good light was important, so our EastLakeGardens.com (ELG) collected $10 from families who could afford it and matched with a donation from FCS Urban Ministries to pay our part of the cost to Georgia Power to get the lights repaired. It was quite an amazing moment when we had street lights and all the homes had their porch lights on at night. It deterred future activity. We have a Community Room in our Peace Center for ELG to hold their meetings. When the turnout becomes too large, we expand into neighborhood churchs which is a wonderful outreach to a larger community. Through Neighborhood Watch we did "National Night Out - Crime Awareness", a vigil in front of the last remaining crack house (we orginally had 4). We were successful in shutting down the last drug house in 2010. We've used zoning ordinances, tried to buy out the house, used evangalism, attempted to educate the long-distance disinterested owner, cooperated with the police by calling 911, sent in groups of volunteers to clean up the trash the drug dealers create and pray everytime we pass the house. Because of the cooperation of the neighbors, we have official signs posted by the county that say we are a "neighborhood watch" community which sends the message to anyone who can read that we care and are united which is a deterrent. Another neighborhood activity has been our "Neighborhood Country Fair" activities which occur on the streets which we barricade off. With the help of ELC www.EastLakeCommooons.org community we have had two successful events to bring the neighbors together. We plan to have more block parties and ice cream socials during the summer.

  • EAST END NEIGHBORS (EEN)

    Once EastLakeGardens.com (ELG) was organized we realized because of fear and disempowerment, people were locked behind closed doors and security bars. We gradually connected with East Lake Commons (ELC) an intentional co-housing community next to ELG. They had a committee called "Neighborhood Connections" that gave us the model to expand into other neighborhoods and eventually East End Neighbors (EEN) offered quarterly meetings for nine adjoining neighborhoods. We have a unique problem in our area because there are 3 municipalities, which means different government officials, different police, different services, different solutions. Through our outreach, we have connected every aspect of our community together and created a coalition of concerned citizens, businesses, churches, politicians, police, state officials, Dept. of Transportation (DOT), MARTA (Atlanta's rapid transit system) and volunteer groups that get results for this forgotten part of DeKalb County. After having no grocery store within 4 miles because of crime, we now have a Publix grocery store after the revitalization occurred, a new YMCA, Wells Fargo Bank, Subway Sandwich, sidewalks, bike lanes, refuge islands and better street lighting on Glenwood Ave (State Hwy. 260)..

  • LITTER CAMPAIGN

    It's a fact that places with litter are devalued and considered undesireable. Criminals look for trash to prove that no one cares nor is watching so they can continue their illegal activities. When we moved into this neighborhood we knew that a cleanup was necessary to begin the process of loving the earth. We knew litter bugs are uneducated about accepting responsibility for their actions. "Who cleans up after them when they throw the cigarette butt out the window?" We learned that having recepticles for the litter could encourage even uneducated careless people to use them. We received recycled paint buckets that had been donated by a painter and we created original art with recycled vinyl donated by Custom Signs Today. We placed these art bucket recepticles around the neighborhood with a sign "Drop Trash Here" (See Photos) and we were pleased to find them full. In the places that were already run over with trash, abandoned tires and other debris, we enlisted the help of many volunteer groups who visited our neighborhood from around the U.S. ready to aid the transformation of this area. We also had a regular 2nd Saturday morning 9:30am neighborhood pick up with refreshments afterwards. Many neighbors turned out to do their part in keeping the area clean of debris. Now our consciousness is raised so high that our area stays clean. We still take bags with us when we walk to pick up that occassional litter, but on the whole, it's an amazing clean up. Now we're moving into other East End Neighborhoods to help them claim back their yards from trash.

  • COMMUNITY GARDENS

    Anyone can join us for the multitude of gardening projects we have created. We started out small with a vegetable garden on the street in front of our Peace Center which gave many kids an opportunity to see things grow for the first time, then harvest and eat the produce. We then designed labyrinth gardens in both the front and backyard which are open to the neighborhood to walk in silent meditation. Every plant, shrub and bush is a rescue from gardens in NE Atlanta, office parks or construction sites. It's a good example of reycling and creating more beauty. Our composting began the minute we moved in because there was a large enclosed fence area in the backyard which we piled high with leaves from the many cleanups. We let those leaves sit for 2 years and used the organic matter to enliven every garden we created. We also had a truckload of compost donated by Bedminster which explains the tropical look of our gardens (See Photos). Eventually neighbors expressed an interest in having a garden in their yard so we did eight curb gardens, again with recycled plants and seeds. We are fortunate to have Gaia Gardens at the end of our street which is owned by East Lake Commons (ELC) and managed by Farmer Joe Reynolds (former farmers Ryan Cohen, Daniel Parsons, Rachel Kaplan). This organic Community Garden is a cooperative effort and feeds more than 70 families who buy shares of the annual produce that grows from April to October. There are many opportunities to volunteer and learn about every aspect of organic gardening. (See Photos) (See Photos)

2. VIDEO DOCUMENTATION

The revitalization of the inner city is duplicatable. We have footage of the ongoing process and plan to share it with major cities once the project is finished. There is still much in the process that is occurring, so the "story" is not complete yet.

3. PEACE POLE PLANTING

"May Peace Prevail on Earth" appears on all 25 Peace Poles we have planted in Atlanta. (See www.AtlantaPeaceTrails.com) Hundreds of thousands Peace Poles in 180 countries have been erected to remind us to think peace. We dedicated our first Peace Pole in 1990 at Goodwin House in N.E. Atlanta along with Therapeutic Supply and Services. On Earth Day 1998, we planted a Peace Pole at the Peace Center with friends from all over Atlanta who have followed out project activities. The Peace Pole resides between three, very old, tall gumballs trees. Before we planted the pole, we had neighbors stand in the center of the three trees and find the vortex of energy in the middle. Once consensus was reached we dug the ground and proceeded to install it with a ceremony. Next, we planted the whole circle within the trees with flowers and shrubs and a trail that goes through. (See Photos) We create gardens around every pole we plant. We also give out a button that says "May Peace Prevail On Earth", which can be ordered from the World Peace Prayer Society in Wassaic, NY #845-877-6093 which affirms WORLD PEACE "is a continual process of remembering to choose harmony and communication rather than conflict." www.worldpeace.org Pic of Pole

4. COMPUTER RECYCLING WITH LINUX

We have a Learning Center in our Peace Center which recycles old computers and keeps them out of landfills. A Board of Advisors member, Tom Younker with Dare Computer (www.darecomputer.com 404-248-0336) is our expert technician who miracleously knows how to reconfigure old computers, using the Linux Operating system to make them useful for people who need the basics for computer use. Linux is capable of meeting any computing need, makes efficient use of the power of older computers, and is as easy to use as the better known operating systems.

5. HEALTHY HABITS EATING

Because of our gardens, we have access to good organic raw food. This has prompted people to want to learn more about living food with enzymes still intact. Another one of our projects is to teach how to prepare raw foods for days of healthy, nutritional, easy eating. We have a Community Kitchen that is designed for anyone to get something to eat. It is set up without a stove. We do have a toaster oven and crock pot for those times when people need something warm. We have access to a large dehydrator which is a simple drying process to preserve foods without chemicals. We sprout nuts and seeds. We juice vegetables and fruits. Whenever someone comes to the Peace Center we offer some new taste treats that are healthy, delicious and beneficial to our digestive systems. We are also fortunate in Atlanta to have www.LivingFoodsInstitute.com 404-524-4488 which teaches how to heal your body, mind and spirit with raw and living foods recipes. Also more and more restaurants are opening in Atlanta with raw foods.

6. EARTH DAY CELEBRATION

1998 was our first community wide observance of Earth Day in our neighborhood. The dedication of our Peace Pole was the highlight because the whole neighborhood was involved in its installation. This is an annual event for ten years. Over the years the number of participants has grown as well as an expansion of activities offered on that day. 1999 we planted a Peace Pole at FCS Urban Ministries because Bob Lupton and his group had made our permanent headquarters possible and it was our thank you to them. (www.FCSministries.org). Jazz musician Alan Dynin (#404-378-8898) has graced many of our events including other musicans who have entertained and inspired us as we sing songs of peace and drum along. Storyteller Audrey Galex (#404-636-2702) has started a tradition of storytelling which speaks to all our hearts. Many youth volunteers come to create more new garden for the neighborhood. Many youth volunteers come to create more new gardens for the neighborhood. We always plant donated flats of annuals. We offer a variety of raw food to introduce people to the delicious living foods in Nature. We always have a walking tour of the many gardens we've planted. We chalk the driveway with Peace symbols. We create more Litter Art Buckets. We often offer a yard sale to benefit the projects of Partnerships In Peace. The intent of this event is to bring attention to the Earth energy and remind people to be kind to the Earth for it is our home. (See Photos)

7. PEACE MOBILE

Before we moved to the permanent headquarters of Partnerships In Peace, we operated out of the Peace Mobile which is a recycled 1977 Toyota Corolla which has been worked on and groomed by many a fine mechanic. Before we covered it in colorful vinyl with peace messages and images, it was called the "yellow peril." What a transformation the car went through as we completedly rehabbed it, inside and out. It took one year to complete this project. The backseat was taken out and we installed the old carpet from the old Peace Room to cover all the exposed areas, so we could use it to cart our supplies for our projects. We reupholstered the two front seats in beautiful fabric donated by Dogwood Fabrics. In the recycled piles of samples we found matching squares that we used to finish off the inside of the roof of the car as well as the dashboard. A carry rack was designed by Shepherd Joy from California to put on the top when we really needed some extra space to lug things around. The car now sits in the backyard Friendship Garden at the Peace Center as a storage unit, up on blocks, housing the supplies for our projects. It won an award from Dekalb County for recycling. (see Photo) We are now creating a new Peace Mobile out of a 1987 Toyota Camry, using the same vinyl idea. "Beauty Changes the World."

8. PEACE ROOM

In 1989 we dedicated our first Peace Room, based on the model of futurist Barbara Marx Hubbard who suggested that if we can create war rooms, we can have peace rooms. Many people from around the U.S. came to the concecration of this space, anointing it with blessing of light and love. The Peace Room became a sacred space that offered the opportunity for groups to meet such as an esoteric study group Creative Energy Group, a Mindfulness Practice Group, a Bible Study, a Goddess Group, a Quilting Group; classes on Sacred Geometry, Stress Reduction, Leadership Skills, Consensus Decision Making, Community Building; painting ceramic tiles for the World Wall for Peace for the 1996 Olympics (See Photos).

9. EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

  • Through the Gardening Club, read how to turn your space into a place of beauty using composting, recycling, nature's castoffs and helping decide what will grow in sun or shade and how to install a drip system for watering. Then you have an experiential trek through the actual gardens, picking and eating and tasting whatever is in season. Books that are recommended:
    • "The Holistic Garden" by Barbara Allen (ISBN 0-9635421-0-9)
    • "Backyard Composting by Harmonious Technologies (ISBN 0-9629768-3-0)
    • "The Rodale Book of Composting (ISBN 0-87857-991-5)
    • "Forest Gardening: Cultivating an Edible Landscape" by Robert Hart
    • "Earth Mazes" by Alex Champion (#707-895-3375)
    • "Recyclers Handbook" by The EarthWorks Group (ISBN 0-929634-08-X)

  • Through Creative Energy Group, study the works of many authors and resources such as Alice A. Bailey (Arcane School); Helena Roerich (Agni Yoga Society); Helene P. Blavatsky (Theosophical Society); Manly P. Hall (The Philosophical Research Society); Roberto Assagioli; School for Esotoric Studies material; Martha Linn "Love Speaks" & "Come Into Life"; Edith R. Stauffer "Unconditional Love and Forgiveness"; and Torkom Saradarian to mention a few.

  • Through Healthy Habits Eating, learn easy, nutritional, tasty, helpful ways to eat well. Learning about your own metabolism, digestive system, taste and lifestyle needs are the beginning of the discovery process, then progressing to the kitchen to have a hands-on experience to create food you will take home. Books recommended:
    • "The Living Foods Lifestyle" by Brenda Cobb (ISBN 0-9721490-0-7)
    • "Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices" by N.W. Walker (ISBN 0-89019-06704)
    • "RAW, The Uncook Book" by Juliano (ISBN 0-06-039262-2)
    • "A Vegetarians Ecstasy" by James Levin M.D. (ISBN 0-9628698-7-2)
    • "Healing Foods: Nutrition for the Mind, Body and Spirit" by Michael Vanstraten (ISBN 1-55670-662-6)
    • "Cleanse & Purify Thyself" by Dr. Richard Anderson
    • "Eat Right For Your Blood Type" by Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo (ISBN 0-399-14255-X)
    • "Voluntary Simpllcity" by Duane Elgin (ISBN 0-553-22766-1)