Communit Action!

By Arnoldo Hurtado

Who knows a place better than the locals?

Community residents savor the highlights of their neighborhoods and are the most impacted by its downfalls. When looking to the future, there is no one better to create change than the residents themselves. In Fort Worth, Comunidad27 is a powerful example of impactful community-driven development.

Comunidad27 is a group of neighbors, families, and local businesses transforming Fort Worth’s North Side In 2015, a group of residents hosted a potluck to discuss rising crime in the neighborhood After one successful dinner, another followed, and another after that As the gatherings grew, this group of primarily Spanish-speaking locals began to call themselves Comunidad27 and direct the growth of their Fort Worth neighborhood They want to highlight the diversity, hardworking people, vibrant cultures, and loving families this community offers This group attempts to tackle urban blight by tapping into the resources, skills, creativity, and rich culture of locals Since its inception, the community's accomplishments have significantly impacted the area.

Comunidad27 won a tree grant from Fort Worth's Forestry Section, where they distributed and maintained dozens of beautifully growing trees around the neighborhood

Members regularly hosted potluck dinners for the Fort Worth Police Department and hosted a yearly National Night Out in the form of block parties The pandemic swiftly brought all of these activities to a halt The good news is that Comunidad 27 members

That helpfulness and that ability to love her work resonate through her images. Her mother passed away in May 2021, this was a trying moment for Selena and her family. But she remembers the last time she took photos of her mom. That moment will forever stay with her. “I found value in those moments. I can look back and see how she felt that day.” Selena says voice wavering as she recalls that day. “She didn’t have a lot of energy, but that day she used all her strength and knew she had a perfect daughter to capture that day " That was the last photo shoot that they have of her They did her make-up and she got dressed in a beautiful dress, they took pictures of her in the shimmering sunlight “It was the perfect day, I have those photos, and five, ten years from now I know they will have so much more meaning. That is why I wanted to be a photographer because I can look back on those photos, and know. Those photos motivated me as a photographer, I want my clients to keep coming back to capture those moments. I want them to put those pictures; those moments into a photo album or in a beautiful picture frame to be shown years from now.”

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Selena would like the North Side community to know that she would love to be able to provide them with visual milestones. She wants to be able to show that captured moment, a moment that families for generations could be proud of “I want to capture their life, and have them hang that moment on the wall to attach value to that picture That is what I want to do for the North Side community for years to come ”

INCLUDES: FULL COLOR

GRAPHIC DESIGN

IN-PERSON/PHONE/EMAIL INTERVIEW

1200 WORD COUNT

DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION

PRINT DISTRIBUTION (LIMITED)

NO EXTRA ADS PAGE 2 OF 2