Just after 2011 came upon us, First Parish Church in Newbury hosted a presentation and discussion to help the community reflect on the tough economic years behind us and come together to face the opportunities and challenges ahead of us. “Together” is the key word. First Parish Church, along with other community groups sponsored guest speaker Chuck Collins, a senior scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies, to come and kick off Seacoast Community Empowerment Circles. Seacoast Community Empowerment Circles is an offshoot of Chuck’s Common Security Clubs that have groups in 21 states, some having meetings for over two years.
An introduction of the Common Security Club from their literature:
Common Security Club – Building Resilient Communities and Congregations
These are uncertain times. The Great Recession has reminded us of our vulnerabilities. Debt. Foreclosure. Unemployment and Anxious Employment. Evaporating Savings. Rising Costs. Job Insecurity. We can face these changes alone – or come together.
The economic meltdown has left people isolated, vulnerable and afraid. Participants in a Common Security Club learn about the causes of economic and ecological changes, overcome isolation and strengthen community ties.
The invitation came with the banner Grow a Healthy Local Economy, a theme that is popular with all of the community sponsors including the Central Congregational Church (UCC), First Parish Church, First Religious Society of Newburyport (UU), New Eden Collaborative, Pennies for Poverty:2 Cents for Change, The Poverty Program, Transition Newburyport and the Greater Newburyport YWCA. With a tagline of It Takes a Community to Grow a Healthy Economy and the intention to, …”explore the roots of the economic and ecological challenges of our time,” Chuck introduced his talk with a reference to 2008 when gasoline got up to (and in some places surpassed) $4.25/gallon. “What is the difference between an investment banker and a pigeon?” asked Chuck. “Only one can afford to make a deposit on a Porsche.”
Chuck cited a Duke University study that noted that over 25% of the American population are very isolated and have no one to talk to regarding worries, concerns, or to ask for help. An additional 25% have only one person to turn to, most often their spouse. As a reference to this, Chuck noted the number of deaths during a Chicago heat wave in the 1990s; people who perished because they did not have the familial or community ties that would encourage someone to check on them.
At this point, Chuck asked the 100+ people in attendance to introduce themselves to someone they did not know and discuss what has happened in each other’s lives with the economic downturn and their feelings about the future. The woman I spoke with was fairly comfortable with her own circumstances but shared that both her mother and her siblings had gone through hell and their prospects were not bright. She noted that her mother was well into her 80s and still needed to work despite physical ailments.
This led to Chuck discussing what needed to be done. At the high level, we need to figure out how to create a healthy, ecologically sustainable and equitable economy. Here he cited several points from his book, co-written with Mary Wright, The Moral Measure of the Economy. “Things can still get worse. Wall Street is unrepentant and there is an extreme divide in wealth.” As an allusion to the colony collapses of bees and bats, Chuck noted, our economy, and indeed our lifestyles are in, “Deep Shift.” This is overwhelming Chuck admitted. “These are really big things – but there are things we can do.”
It was occurrences and studies like those cited above that drove Chuck to create Common Security Clubs. The Common Security Clubs have the following goals:
1. LEARNING TOGETHER: Through popular education tools, videos and shared readings, participants increase their understanding of the larger economic forces on our lives. Why is the economy in distress? How did these changes happen? How does this connect to the global economy? What are the ecological factors contributing to the changes? What is our vision for a healthy sustainable economy? How can I reduce my economic vulnerability? How can I get out of debt?
2. MUTUAL AID: Through stories, examples, web-based resources, a workbook and mutual support, participants reflect on what makes them secure. How can I help myself and my neighbor facing foreclosure, unemployment, or economic insecurity? What can we do together to increase our economic security at the local level?
3. SOCIAL ACTION: Many of our challenges won’t be solved through personal or local mutual aid efforts. They require us to work together to press for larger state, national and even global changes. Coming together, how can we become politically engaged to reclaim our country from the casino capitalists? What state and federal policies will increase our personal security? Can ordinary citizens around the world influence the reshaping of the global economy over the next few years? What program will truly address the economic and ecological realities of our time?
Chuck discussed each of these points in depth, especially pointing out the difference between mutual aid and charity. He talked about resource sharing bringing communities together much in the way of extended families or immigrant groups. He gave one example of an older woman who was recently widowed. She not only missed the company of her husband but also missed the chores he did around the house – winterizing, chopping wood, repairs, etc. She put the word out in her community that she needed help but had limited funds to pay for services – but, oh, she did have her husband’s old truck. This truck, as Chuck put it, “transformed her socially.” She not only had all of her tasks attended to by neighbors who originally came to her need in trade for the use of her truck, but these neighbors became friends, also solving her problem of loneliness.
If you are interested in learning more about the Seacoast Community Empowerment Circle initiative in Greater Newburyport, please contact Conrad Willeman or 978.462.1308. If you are interested in exploring Common Security Club initiatives for other towns and cities, or would like to be a facilitator, please contact Sarah Byrnes or 617.477.8630 x 307
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Christin Walth is a contributing editor to Newburyport-Today. She lives in Downtown Newburyport and pens a weekly column on life in the City. She can be reached for comment at cwalth@comcast.net
