A Walk Through Savannah...

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A walk through Savannah…
Real people. Sustainable connections. Pure relationships. Beautiful stories. March 2012

Upon landing at Savannah Hilton Head Airport, Beth and I were open to new
ideas and experiences. We were promptly swept up by Tom Kohler, Coordinator of Chatham Savannah Citizen Advocacy, citizen of Savannah and friend to many. Back in July of 2011 at the Toronto Summer Institute on Inclusion, it became clear to us that we must journey to Savannah to hear stories directly from people involved in Citizen Advocacy. Introduced to the story of Waddie Welcome in July of 2010, I was moved to the point of self-reflection and started spreading the story worldwide. It was exciting to network with amazing people who like us, feel moved to make it a story that transcends geography, race, socioeconomic status and religion, and speak to all communities globally. You may visit www.waddiewelcome.com to learn more about that story. We also became interested in the idea of bringing Citizen Advocacy to our community here in San Diego. Tom invited us to come on down to Savannah and begin this seemingly endless conversation, or as Tom puts it, this story. This story is where we find ourselves today…

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After dropping off our bags at the Savannah Bed & Breakfast, Tom identifies
race and class boundaries that divide the community of Savannah. We find ourselves driving down streets that Tom admittedly says “friends of mine won’t drive down.” On Tom’s tour, any preconceived notions about these neighborhoods deconstructs right before our eyes. People are people, no matter where or with whom you live. Hand-painted signs adorn businesses and churches and the story behind them resonates with us as well. The sense of pride in community and where people come from and how a trade weaves itself from generation to generation become the foundation for this story that unfolds over the course of our stay. The idea of two Savannah’s, illuminates the idea of people living on “the edges” as Tom puts it, and their relationship with those living in the “safe center.” Knowing this Savannah explains a lot . Our visit gained richness in this initial tour via Tom’s car, and Tom’s ability to tell the true story of Savannah as a whole. It is clear that having been born and raised in this community, Tom, and subsequently, Chatham Savannah Citizen Advocacy, are grounded in what it means to be a real citizen, in a real community.

A walk through Jane’s garden…

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On our walk the following morning to our first meeting spot, The Sentient Bean, we happen across a gentlemen sitting in Forsyth Park. His name is Earl. He sits writing and illustrating children’s stories and poetry. He offers us the gift of one of his poems and welcomes us to Savannah,
a place he has called home his entire life and a place where he simply “serves God and I’m OK.” We continue on our way with an overwhelming sense of welcome. Our first meeting of the day is with a potential citizen advocate, a woman named Kelly. Kelly, a “come here” as Tom puts it, is someone who moved to Savannah just 4 months ago. Born and raised in Redlands, California (same place I was born and raised if you can believe it), Kelly was referred to Tom through a mutual friend. As is usually the case, Tom’s “trust network” yields him a woman who is looking to move from being labeled a “come here” into being labeled as a “stay here.” The story of citizen advocacy at its core, with ideas such as normalization and social role valorization, comes to light through Tom’s words and in Kelly’s heart and eyes. It is palpable this feeling of being at the right place, at the right time. To be a part of this moment was to catch a glimpse into a world where the telling of a story becomes an avenue for discovery, reflection and eventual commitment. We would later find, through a forwarded email, that Kelly processed the meeting and is moving forward with a commitment to become a citizen advocate. And so our story continued, leaving “The Bean” and heading to the first of several meetings with folks who live and breathe citizen advocacy. It was the perfect way to start the day, a day that would prove to be life changing.

What a perfect place to share stories with other citizens in your community…

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Michael Draybek is a man who became a “stay here” by way of New York. Spending the first 10 years of his career in human services, Michael moved to Savannah and removed himself from the human services field. Currently working as a procurement specialist for the United States Bankruptcy Court, he had a void in his life. A Christian, Michael wanted to “live his faith” and found he could do this through citizen advocacy. As Tom’s neighbor, Michael shared his story in 2005 and agreed to meet his protégé, Peter. He and Peter formed a relationship by sharing each other’s stories

and agreeing to try and get to know one another. It becomes clear to us as we listen that this relationship between advocate and protégé, is quite reciprocal. Michael articulates what he takes from the relationship, but says “as an advocate, it can get monotonous, but there will be moments that it hits you…boom! I’m making a difference.” We thanked Michael for spending his lunch break with us, and forged ahead to our next meeting place, Johnny Harris Restaurant.

At Johnny Harris’s, we met with 3 different citizen advocates. The first
story told by Linda Wittish, a citizen advocate for 35 years with a woman named Charlene. Linda originally met Tom through a mutual friend. Tom invited Linda to lunch and the rest is history. Linda shared many thoughts and feelings, sharing “There was a big learning curve. I went through an evolution of personal perceptions. I’ve learned patience. I had to take a hard look at how I feel about different people. It has been a life-changing experience and I truly feel that I get more out of it then I put in.” The next story came from a man named Arthur Peagler. Arthur went to elementary school with Tom, but did not travel in the same circles as an adult. After running into Tom at a coffee shop and talking about what they were doing, Arthur developed an interest in meeting a man named Billy. They attend baseball games together, spend time with Arthur’s wife Candace and

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their dogs. Only an advocate for about one year, Arthur states, “Still a neophyte in this, my take away is huge. My perceptions of people have changed dramatically. This experience is truly heartwarming.” Dicky Stone finished off our lunch meeting speaking eloquently of “messing with people” when he hangs out with his protégé, Robert. “Here I am an older white man, eating lunch with Robert, a young black man with cerebral palsy, and alternating bites of food from the same plate and fork. You know I say we like to mess with people, but really what we are doing is affording other people the opportunity to learn from our

relationship.” Dicky and Robert dispel myths about what a relationship has to be, or what it must be predicated on. “Relationships are one on one, but the greater goal is community,” says Dicky as he reflects on deeper meanings of citizen advocacy. All three, Linda, Arthur and Dicky, agree that becoming a citizen advocate is like taking a leap of faith. Over time, you begin to better understand yourself and your protégé and what each of you can come to mean to each other. Then together, start to understand what you can come to mean to the common good.

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Upon leaving Johnny Harris’s, we headed for the law offices of a man named John Lientz. Like many, John is someone who has every reason to say, “I don’t have the time to be a citizen advocate.” Yet, like many, John finds time in his life to be a citizen advocate.

John has known Tom for a long time. Upon meeting his protégé, Lafayette, ten years ago, John says that at first he didn’t tell anyone. Though not able to recall the reason why, he does share that he didn’t know how people would react. John also feels uncomfortable with ‘advocate/protégé’ labels saying, “All we have become are friends.” Over the years in their relationship, John has learned different lessons about what it means to be an individual in a relationship. “I went through a period of time where I tried to turn Lafayette into a middle-class white guy. I learned fairly quickly that he wanted no part of that story.” John now understands who Lafayette is and what they mean to one another. “I feel tremendous affection for him. My take away from doing this is no different than the take away from any other relationship. It is real.” With that we were off. More stories to hear and more learning to come.

After a quick break to catch our breath at “The Bean” and gather our thoughts,
we went to our last storytelling destination…The American Legion. It was here where the largest number of citizen advocates gathered. A whirlwind of stories from people like, Billy Norse, a lawyer with a sense of pride in being a citizen advocate. His protégé, Kai, lives in a group home and Billy and his wife get together with him frequently. Billy says “People who are involved in this are leaders in the community. It’s prestigious to a certain extent. If you are asked to be a citizen advocate, then another member of the community thinks highly of your character.” Bill Lewis talked about being a citizen advocate for 15 years and about what he has learned, “It’s not about the house you live in; it’s about how much you take care of each other as a family.” Bill has become a trusted ally for a man who lives with his elderly father and his sister. Bill spends time on the family porch listening, talking and problem solving. Chris Phillips talked about being a citizen advocate for 19 years and about how he and his protégé, Randy, have a couple of traditions. Sharing a talk and a Dr. Pepper at Chris’s downtown office and sharing deer meat that Chris hunts in his off time. Chris says, “I enjoy being with Randy. Period.”

Richard Lane, a financial planner, talked about being a citizen advocate for a woman who lives in his neighborhood. He helps “a delightful woman named Delores” manage her finances and they grocery shop together. “It feels good, and I tell all of my small government friends that instead of just talking about it, how about getting involved with someone and do something useful.” As if the laughter needed any more fuel, Malcolm Mackenzie began his story. A citizen advocate for a man named Edward for 22 years, Malcolm started his relationship helping Edward out of some scraps with various bureaucracies. “My sons, Lyle and Maxwell, have had the opportunity to grow up learning from my relationship with Eddie. What’s more, is that they too have a relationship with him.” To highlight the beauty of difference in stories, Eddie is a homeless man by choice. Malcolm called Edward a “free spirit” and shared a wonderful story about Edward riding a lawn mower across state borders not once, but on two different occasions. Phil Peterman, a computer programmer, talked about being a citizen advocate for the past 5 years. He spoke about his protégé Tony, being someone who is making many of the same mistakes he did as a very young man. He shared about knowing in his heart that “even if the office were to close, and Tom and Ashley and Robin went away, that would not change who I am, what I do, what Tony means to me.”

On our day of departure, we had a few hours to process
with Tom back at his office. We discussed trials and tribulations. We discussed the underlying theme of the ‘unlikely alliance’ and the importance of affording people the opportunity to share their stories. “It doesn’t take much for someone to get going, and if you can keep people in the story, then the story will find it’s way forward,” Tom reflects. Our trip to Savannah exceeded our expectations. Our work in San Diego takes place within a great service system, but perhaps we rely too heavily upon the system, and not enough on the simple idea that people can, and want, to be in relationship. Connected to each other in such a way that they come to mean a great deal to each other, and in turn, to the beloved community.

~Kirk Hinkleman

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