Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

NETWORK STORIES WEST LOUISVILLE NEIGHBORHOOD DATA last-goodbye THE TRANSITION ZONE NC3 Family, Partners and Allies, In 2005, a group of ordinary but enthusiastic folks came together with the idea that we all deserve a better Louisville. Their idea of community change was rooted in the belief that we can’t be that better Louisville until we all had the same opportunity for success. They formed NC3 to build new leaders, advance educational opportunities, and strengthen neighborhoods. Network organizing is radical. The idea that wonderfully average people can come together with a unified voice and lead the direction of their city isn’t easy to understand. It isn’t easy to describe. It can’t be summarized or compressed into an elevator pitch or a mission statement. It is the culmination of the collected experience of the lives it touches. Since its founding, over 5000 people joined the Network; each with a voice, a dream and most importantly a responsibility. The Network proposes that everyone needs each other, and that we all are better off being in community rather than being isolated. More than a decade after the birth of the Network, we find ourselves at a crossroads. Prematurely and with work still to do, NC3 as we have known it will cease operations effective July 11th, 2014. As so many other nonprofits know, the struggle to operate an organization is a daily one. This closure is due to a lack of funding, not a lack of commitment. The leadership is working to ensure a smooth transition, and everyone remains optimistic that we will build on the momentum we have all created. As always, our doors remain open through July 11th, and we encourage you to stop by our office during this time of transition. NC3 will no longer help lead the Network as a brick and mortar organization, but that certainly doesn’t mean the Network will disappear. From day one, the Network has been bigger than we have all understood. The Network is greater than the sum of its parts. Each person, experience and victory is the Network. We all count on each other to continue the hard work that was started years ago. There will be a realignment and adjustment period moving forward. While it isn’t clear yet how things will come together, we have faith that the people of Louisville will continue to focus and drive the conversations around still unresolved issues surrounding equality, opportunity, and engagement in our most marginalized communities. You are all amazing, beautiful people who are a living legacy of excellence, compassion, and change. In the tradition of Network Nite, we are here holding hands, praying, and working together toward a better Louisville for all. Thank you for everything you do, The NC3 Team