Palm Beach County residents were asked:
Please tell us about an important moment in your life that would help someone understand what it’s like living in your neighborhood.
The stories and micro-narratives they submitted (as part of the We Are Here SenseMaker project) are listed below. Click ZOOM IN to learn more about the community member and how they interpreted their submission. NOTE: Some stories were partially transcribed by volunteers who shortened the narratives and referred to the storytellers in the third person (e.g., “her experience was” instead of “my experience was”).
I am well known in my neighborhood. I have lived many places because of the hype others speak about but I always end up back here where it all started. Many places had nice homes, scenery and a lot of people but those places were missing Soul and Character. Here I have my family and my church and at this age that’s all I need
Neighborhoods with poor quality housing, few resources, and unsafe conditions impose stress, which can lead to depression. The stress imposed by adverse neighborhoods increases depression above and beyond the effects of the individual’s own personal stressors, such as poverty and negative events within the family or work-place.
Me and my neighbor work together and made an outreach program at.I soon became involved with many other churches and outreach programs like the one at “agape”.I organized volunteer groups and helping out with special needs at the church. The church and neighborhood work as one big team
I was playing around and my dad was grilling and the oil and fire got on him so my neighbor took the water hose and cooled him off and it worked and I thanked him so much
I’ve been a teacher for over 10 years. I will never forget at my young early stages of teaching about 20 years old. A young black male came up to me and said “your a nice guy”. I smiled and said,”Thank you” he replied with “your the first nice white man I have ever met, I was always told that white people are bad and mean.” I look at him and smiled I said “well yes there are many bad white people just like many bad black people. never judge someone off there skin tone.”
I like it in my neighborhood. Every time I accomplished something they put me in the news paper. Came down to Delray from Alabama. Lived in a very close tight knit neighborhood. Moved into this neighborhood back in 70’s, west side. Big dreams, read lots of magazines and showed black successful people and events in cities like Chicago, Newyork, etc. Dreamed of meeting those people. Ran for radio station in wpb hosted by urban league; talent show. Happiest day was when Jackson ran for president. Letter to attend convention in Atlanta delivered few days later. Invited into the private reception before program starts. Met Reverend Jackson. Delray allowed me to live my dreams, and granted me many opportunities.