We Went to Washington and Brought Our Neighbors With Us.

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to join fellow members of the Purpose Built Communities (PBC) network at the Policy Summit in Washington, D.C. It was a powerful reminder of what’s possible when community-rooted organizations show up together.

Southeast Raleigh Promise is proud to be part of the PBC network — one of more than 25 place-based organizations across the country working to ensure that neighborhoods are places of real opportunity. Being in community with peers who share that commitment makes our work stronger.

I teamed up with Gregory Hairston of Boston-Thurmond United, our PBC neighbor in Winston-Salem, along with other team members from PBC National, and we visited with our NC delegation — including Representative Deborah Ross, Senator Ted Budd, and other NC congressional representatives. We thanked them for their support and shared how federal programs support our work locally.

Before heading to Capitol Hill, however, we were reminded that we were not there to represent ourselves or our organization — we were there to amplify the voices of our neighbors and members of our community.

That’s what this network offers. Not a single voice, but many — from multiple states, grounded in real communities, speaking to what works and what more is needed. I’m grateful to have walked the halls of Congress, and grateful for the partners who make Southeast Raleigh Promise’s work possible every day.