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 remember there was an incident of a boy getting shot by my house. The whole city was not so much shocked because we know how it is nowadays. But the thing is everybody in the community was there for the parents and family like we all were family.
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.
In 2011, child poverty reached record high levels, with 16.7 million children living in food insecure households, about 35% more than 2007 levels.A 2013 UNICEF report ranked the U.S. as having the second highest relative child poverty rates in the developed world.According to a 2016 study by the Urban Institute, teenagers in low income communities are often forced to join gangs, save school lunches, sell drugs or exchange sexual favors because they cannot afford food.
Many people may say. Things they don’t mean ! The community I growing up in was a community of violence if you have ever been told to stop doing things please stop when you are told always listen !
I am very close to everyone in my community. I’ve been battling pneumonia and leukemia for many years now and my insurance stop paying for a lot of my hospital funds.My Neighbors and community as a whole raised money for me. They raised at least $78,000 to help me pay my hospital bills.