Community: Rising Appalachia Action Days in Chicago
What happens when you mix volunteers, music and permaculture? You get a whole lot done! On November 15 and 16, Rising Appalachia and The Permaculture Action Network paired with Chicago organizations, iGrow Chicago and The Breathing Room to make the city a more colorful, sustainable and educated place. Between stops on Rising Appalachia’s “Resilent” tour, Permaculture Action Days were set up to make a lasting difference on the cities they stopped in. Seven events were held and Chicago was lucky enough to host two. Each event featured workshops and projects to improve the urban gardens and community space.
Permaculture Action Network, or PAN, helps touring artists and varying events make a sustainable difference in different stops on their tour. Action days include a schedule of workshops and projects with a free lunch in the midst.
PAN has worked with artists such as The Polish Ambassador and Beats Antique and have been present at events such as Sonic Bloom, Arise Music Festival and Summer Camp Music Festival.
Here’s how the Chicago days went down.
For the Permaculture Action Day on Thursday, November 15 volunteers headed down to the iGrow Peace House and Urban Farm in Southern Chicago. The community space is ran out of a foreclosed home and hosts weekly yoga, after school programs for kids and an array of other workshops. The garden (with chickens!) is across the street on two previously empty lots. IGrow’s goal is to empower and enable the local community, taking one of the most dangerous blocks in the neighborhood and making.
IGrow’s website shares, “I Grow Chicago started in the streets, is supported by the streets, and is transforming the streets of the West Englewood neighborhood in Chicago, where a community is ready to make a difference for themselves, their neighbors, and their children.”
Outdoors, attendees split up to winter-ize the chicken coop and vegetable beds. Others painted the boarded up windows on the block’s foreclosed houses. Indoors, attendees held space for each other in a Reimagining Justice Circle and a women’s group. Everyone was also invited to enjoy a musical performance by Altruin and witness the afterschool program first hand.
“I had decided I would paint an octopus on the last foreclosed house left to brighten up.” One of the ladies who leads iGrow came up to me and suggested we add a caption,” shared PAN team member Nahannii Lukes. Lukes was first introduced to the organization when she took a class from co-founder Ryan Rising in 2015 when the network was merely a dream in the works.
“We were throwing around ideas when I came up with, “eight arms, better to hug you with.” Her eyes lit up and she suddenly hugged me. She was so supportive of my idea and I saw that this must be how she cares for the community – with that genuine heart flow and support.”
That’s what iGrow is really about.
The following day, the team went to another community center, The Breathing Room, and followed a similar schedule. This time, garden projects included the construction of raised garden beds and crop covers that served as mini greenhouses. The resources room at The Breathing Room was also reorganized to be better utilized for future projects and events.
The workshops included a presentation by Timmy Châu of Alternatives To Calling Police During Mental Health Crises. He described the presentation as “a step to build our capacity to act”. It included Do’s and Don’ts of how to being an active bystander with concepts such as making your presence known, taking cues from victims and not assuming someone else will take responsibility!
Out in the garden, a drum and dance class was taught by Breathing Room community member, E’u. E’u has been drumming for 11 years and has been actively involved with the Breathing Room since her first invite to it’s monthly kickback: she’s been “kicking it ever since.” When E’u was asked to host a workshop for this event, it was a no brainer. She opened up the workshop with “Drum, yoga and dance. The greatest forms of losing your mind.” She proceeded to help everyone, mostly myself, find a beat by letting go and well, losing your mind.
Pssst. She also hosts weekly classes in Rogers Park alongside a many other artistic and holistic endeavors.
The permaculture blitz team and Rising Appalachia moved their efforts to Minneapolis two days later to continue sharing how we can live a resilient life. The final Action Day of Rising Appalicia’s tour on December 12 in Atlanta.
Feature Photo by Caedmon Berkes-Adams
Story photos by Alycia Grace
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