Area residents study community building in Boston

PHOTO PROVIDED Pictured above, area residents gather in Boston for the Community Leadership Institute hosted by NeighborWorks America. Front row: David Lewis, Bath Landlord Association. Second row: Susan Joyard, Neighborworks America; Kate Adams, SCAP; Deborah Boatwright, district director,f Neighborworks America; Kate Mattoon and Kym Wilson. Third row: Jeff Eaton, SCAP; Evie Lamb, resident team coordinator; Stephanie Rawleigh; Andrew Dubois, Bath police department, and Tom Sears, Bath village board.

BATH - A group of Bath area residents recently traveled to Boston to participate in the Community Leadership Institute, sponsored by Neighborworks America, a national organization established by Congress to provide financial support and training for community leaders.

The institute helps local residents learn new techniques for building community organizations and focusing their resources on specific local issues.

Attendees from Bath participated in workshops on coalition building, protection against predatory lending and basic community marketing.

Visiting from Bath were: Evie Lamb, captain of the Bath Neighborhood Watch; Jeff Eaton, executive director of Steuben Churchpeople Against Poverty; Bath police Sgt. Andrew Dubois; Bath village Trustee Tom Sears; David Lewis president of the Bath Landord Association, and community members Kym Wilson, Kate Mattoon and Stephanie Rawleigh.

Mattoon, a former member of the Bath village board who has joined the SCAP Board of Trustees, attended a workshop on board relations. She also attended a workshop that focused on building community organizations.

"I learned a lot," said Mattoon, who had spearhead development of the Wilson Skate Park.. From here I'm getting energized toward getting youth involved in more community organizations. If you give them a chance, they'll get involved."

Mattoon added she plans to encourage local government officials to create a Comprehensive Community Benefit Fund, financed through new businesses opening in the Bath area. The fund would then provide financial support for community-based initiatives like the skate park.

Neighborworks America Chief Executive Officer Ken Wade said the participation of local residents in community organizations goes a long way toward improving the local quality of life.

"We know that resident participation is vital to the health and vitality of communities and an essential ingredient in any revitalizaion effort," Wade said in a prepared release describing the Community Leadership Institute.