Season 2, Episode 7: The Core Work of Living in Community (w/ Gabrielle Alzate)

Just Neighbors

On this show, we’ve talked about many ways you can be a Just Neighbor. But in this episode, we have the honor of hearing from Gabrielle Alzate about what it means to be a community of neighbors walking with one another: a Just Neighborhood!

Research shows that the average American will move 11-12 times in their lifetime! When we relocate so frequently, it can become difficult to invest deeply in our neighbors, community, and local government. Gabrielle is here to share with us a different approach to living in community; she challenges to recognize the great value of stability and sustained community engagement.

Gabrielle is the Executive Director of Because Justice Matters, a nonprofit dedicated to building pathways to brighter futures for women and girls in urban communities. Quickly after joining this team in 2010, she launched their youth ministry serving girls in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District and piloted their Leadership Development Intensive.

In this episode, Gabrielle shares why investing in your local community matters more than chasing the “perfect” place to live, what it truly means to be "salt" and "light" in the world, how living in proximity to people from different walks of life can foster mutually enriching relationships, and so much more.

Find resources mentioned and more in the show notes for this episode: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/gabrielle-alzate-s2e7/