Cultivating Community

by Faith Higgins

For the residents of Camshire Meadows, their one-year-old park, locally named “Meadows West,” is a shining example of the pride they place in making their neighborhood a true community. It was just a year ago in May 2018 when the K-through-12-year-old playground was built, an effort achieved through the rallying of Camshire Meadows residents, leveraged by local donations and sponsorships.

Amazing volunteers from Michles & Booth P.A.

On Friday, September 27 , 2019, Pensacola Habitat’s Neighborhood Revitalization department lead a Rock-the-Block event, and with the support of volunteers from Michles & Booth P.A. and Magic 106.1 Radio, Meadows West Park has moved into the next phase of development with the installation of graffiti walls, benches, and an embedded natural landscape around the playground. These additions are not just items from a wish list, but intentional assets towards helping the residents achieve the goals for their community as well as enjoy a better quality of life.

Volunteers building the graffiti wall

The graffiti or “permission wall” is designed for older youth and advocates for creative and controlled original expression. And the benches, well, they are a natural complement to the playground that says to residents, “this is a place you can relax.”

Volunteers helping landscape Camshire Meadows

While this will be the final Rock-the-Block project for 2019, with more than 30 homes and properties served and an increasing interest from an energized volunteer base, Neighborhood Revitalization is looking forward to working in more communities come 2020.