Humanity in the Room: Reflecting on the November 2025 COMMUN1TY+ Retreat

On November 22, 2025, COMMUN1TY+ partners, residents, and stakeholders came together with a shared intention: to deepen relationships, clarify purpose, and strengthen COMMUN1TY+ as a true container for social change.

What emerged was a grounded, powerful, and deeply human experience — rooted in trust, honesty, and collective care for our community’s future.

Why We Gathered

The retreat created space to pause, reflect, and realign. Together, we revisited the core concerns shaping our community and began shaping a shared mission grounded in lived experience — not assumptions.

Participants reviewed the goals, strategies, challenges, and action steps of the original five COMMUN1TY+ workgroups, focused on:

• Neighborhood Livability

• Economic Opportunity

• Health

• Safety

• Child & Youth Wellbeing

  

  
  

Across these focus areas, four consistent themes emerged:

• Limited opportunities and ownership for community leaders and residents

• A need for belonging and connection through safe, collective spaces

• Ongoing neighborhood care and preservation

• Securing our community’s future through economic mobility and workforce access

These themes now serve as guiding anchors for COMMUN1TY+ moving forward.

What We Did Together

The retreat opened with introductions and a grounding message from Yolonda, alongside facilitator Nate, setting the tone for intentional connection and shared leadership.

Participants then:

• Connected through an icebreaker and networking breakfast led by community leaders

• Established shared Rules of Engagement to hold space with care and accountability

• Rotated through breakout groups to refine and update community concerns based on previous working group storyboards

• Reviewed revised priorities together for alignment and clarity

• Engaged in a Community Exchange, a facilitated space to connect needs and opportunities in the style of an Offers and Needs Market

The energy in the room was thoughtful, honest, and collaborative.

What Comes Next

This retreat marked a continued commitment to the residents living along Route 1. Next steps include:

• Consolidating shared purpose statements to draft the COMMUN1TY+ mission and direction, with continued community input

• Understanding Root Causes through collective analysis of priorities and problem statements from November 2025 convening

• Community Council conversations to deepen community trust and relationships while strengthen collaboration through community leadership

  
  

COMMUN1TY+ is being built with the community, not for it — and every voice matters.

Join Us for our upcoming engagements

COMMUN1TY+ Convening

📅 Friday, March 14, 2026

🕙 10:00 am – 3:00 pm

📍 Hybla Valley Community / WISH Center

This convening will continue the work of shared purpose, collective action, and relationship-building across lived experience and sectors.

Community Leadership Academy

📅 Saturdays, February 21, 28, and March 7, 2026

🕙 10:00 am – 3:00 pm

📍 Hybla Valley Community / WISH Center

Join us in a transformative journey designed to equip residents and grassroots leaders with the tools, insight, and connection needed to lead with vision, equity, and collective power.

Come help shape the future of COMMUN1TY+.

Together, we create healthier and wealthier communities.