☕ John, for Gloria Galindo, building community begins with something simple: a warm drink and an invitation to talk.
Gloria created the Coffee Chat Group to bring together neighbors in Greeley, Colorado, as part of Trust for Public Land's Community Outreach with Resident Experts (CORE) program. Over shared drinks and meals, the group is reimagining Delta Park to be a space that reflects the community’s diverse cultural roots. |
Photo credit: City of Greeley |
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The group’s efforts have included planning park outreach events and engagement activities to gather resident input and ideas for the park and to celebrate the neighborhood’s cultural identity through sports, art, music, and food. |
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The group’s efforts have included planning park outreach events and engagement activities to gather resident input and ideas for the park and to celebrate the neighborhood’s cultural identity through sports, art, music, and food. |
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Sitting around a table in Delta Park, they share shaah, a spiced Somali tea, and malawah, thin pancakes often spread with Nutella. It’s not just about the food, though, but the memories and stories shared with each bite.
Residents, many of them refugees, speak of open spaces back home in Ethiopia or the beloved park gazebos of their childhoods in Mexico. These conversations are shaping the future of Delta Park, ensuring it becomes a place that reflects the community’s dreams and cultures. |
But for Gloria, the real change is more than just a park. Through food, conversation, and shared vision, the neighborhood is not just building a park—they’re building a stronger community. |
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But for Gloria, the real change is more than just a park. Through food, conversation, and shared vision, the neighborhood is not just building a park—they’re building a stronger community. |
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At Trust for Public Land, we believe that parks should be shaped by the people who use them. The work happening in Greeley reflects the transformation we’re bringing to communities across the country. |
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