The Center for Dynamic Community Governance (CDCG), a Greenbelt-based non-profit organization, recently completed a yearlong, city-funded project to help Greenbriar residents address obstacles impacting their use of
Greenbelt services, particularly those offered through CARES and GAIL. CDCG employed Dynamic Community Governance (DCG) processes to help the project achieve its goals.
The project was born when a Greenbriar board member asked CDCG co-directors Aileen Kroll and John Buck to bring Dynamic Community Governance training to Greenbriar to encourage community engagement. After addressing specific issues and meeting with Greenbriar residents, Kroll and Buck came to recognize that many Greenbriar residents were unfamiliar with basic services, programs and offerings available to all Greenbelt
residents.
The Process
The process began with a meeting between CDCG co-directors and Liz Park, the director of CARES/GAIL. She and her staff were instrumental in ensuring the success of the program and were eager to expand their offerings to underserved parts of Greenbelt. CDCG then introduced the concept behind the project to the Greenbriar Condominium Association. They offered use of their Community Center for the project and collaborated with Kroll and Buck to distribute flyers promoting CDCG-run community meetings throughout Greenbriar, at community meeting places where Greenbriar residents were likely to go, in the Greenbelt News Review and through social media.
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