COMMUNITY ACTIVISM IN OAK PARK: COMPETING AGENDAS ...
COMMUNITY ACTIVISM IN OAK PARK: COMPETING AGENDAS ...
COMMUNITY ACTIVISM IN OAK PARK: COMPETING AGENDAS ...
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expanding arena of public social provision: privately delivered, direct services to the<br />
poor.” Both community groups and non-profit organizations play an integral role in<br />
communities, providing necessary services for people and building neighborhood ties.<br />
“Community based organizations provide material resources, build local social ties, and<br />
offer other kinds of assistance to residents of poor urban neighborhoods” (Marwell<br />
2004:286). These organizations become important stakeholders in the community and<br />
they become the beneficiaries of charity, gain status for their work, and receive awards<br />
for their commitment to social service. The poor, in effect, come to rely on their services<br />
and these services become necessary to support their livelihood and uphold a standard of<br />
living.<br />
Community organizations are perceived by many people as having a positive<br />
presence in the community and are therefore welcomed in many lower-income<br />
communities. While non-profits often provide social and human services for the lower-<br />
income residents, “community organizations tend to engage in crime prevention, such as<br />
block clubs, community associations, umbrella organizations of community groups, and<br />
community development corporations” (Bennett 1995:73). The programs implemented<br />
in communities by community organizations vary from neighborhood watch programs to<br />
property identification efforts to tenant patrol.<br />
While many non-profit organizations conduct work to serve the needy, many of<br />
the programs and activities implemented by non-profits are often constructed to benefit<br />
not only the disenfranchised, but the organization and their agendas. Savas (2002:90)<br />
claims, “government funding of non-profits, through contracts, may have some<br />
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