{"id":14362,"date":"2016-04-21T17:13:13","date_gmt":"2016-04-21T21:13:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=14362"},"modified":"2016-04-21T17:13:13","modified_gmt":"2016-04-21T21:13:13","slug":"seven-local-nonprofit-leaders-collaborate-to-collectively-impact-the-lehigh-valley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=14362","title":{"rendered":"Seven local nonprofit leaders collaborate to collectively impact the Lehigh Valley"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

NEW INITIATIVE INVITES ALLENTOWN RESIDENTS<\/h1>\n

TO SHARE THEIR VISION OF THE QUEEN CITY THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Building Bridges Project will engage all aspects of community in dialogue<\/u> about needs, perceptions, and social change.<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n

ALLENTOWN \u2013 April 18, 2016 <\/em>\u2013 Last year, seven of Allentown\u2019s nonprofit leaders collaborated as fellows through The Rider-Pool Foundation\u2019s Collective Impact Action Learning Fellowship to learn how to work together in order to make a positive collective impact on the city of Allentown. This year, thanks to a grant from Provident Bank Foundation, the fellows are launching the Building Bridges Project, which aims to identify the community\u2019s needs while having a direct impact on social change.<\/p>\n

The Building Bridges project will use photography submitted by members of the community as a way to involve them in a photographic dialogue expressing personal and organizational visions of what Allentown is and can be. The project will attempt to engage all segments of the community to become part of the dialogue related to the changes occurring throughout the City of Allentown.<\/p>\n

Photographs will be displayed at various locations in the community and online. Conversations centered on the photographs and the visions they express will occur throughout the city to help engage the community and create awareness for the wide variety of perspectives on the strengths, challenges, and aspirations for the community, from those in the community, about the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s Allentown\u2019s turn to speak,\u201d says Deb Cummins, CEO of Habitat for Humanity and team member of the Building Bridges Project. \u201cIt is our hope that conversations will occur that will open people\u2019s eyes to a wide variety of perspectives on the strengths, challenges and aspirations of members of our community. This is a way to give community residents a chance to share their visions for the city of Allentown.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Members of the Building Bridges Project include:<\/strong><\/p>\n