Our community
September 27, 2018 |
What does it mean for Xavier to live up to its identity as a Jesuit Catholic University in Cincinnati? You might think first of community-engaged courses and our Eigel Center. Fewer of us, I suspect, know much about the asset-based partnerships that our Community Building Institute has fostered locally since 1995. Led by urban planner Liz Blume, the CBI collaborates with neighborhoods, non-profits, and others to study and improve our communities. Think affordable housing, for example. When our neighbors think about Xavier, often they think first of the work and people of the CBI.
I’ve learned a lot from Liz and the CBI—while eating pizza at Norwood’s Moriah Pie or listening to Evanston and Avondale community members in their own neighborhoods. In recent years our students have benefited directly from the CBI too, especially through the MA in Urban Sustainability and Resilience co-directed by Liz Blume and John Fairfield.
Why is the CBI on my mind today? Because I just renewed my donation to the United Way—which provides most of the funding for the CBI every year. I can’t say that I’ve ever been a fan of workplace fund drives. But I am a huge fan of the CBI, and so I give.
David Mengel
