ServicesareBadfor People
(
You're eithera citizenor a client
Hur'.n s<'v,cesn€edcl,rnts. Th.y nccdcli-
.trs to sunive tEc,ruscwithonl €licnt5thc United
Wrt ur rh. pov.mment *rll no long.r tund lhcm.
Tl'.'.foc. prol.s3rcn!lru(ul !diepmv'd.tu hsvc
. vesredinr.rest i. peoplc n..ding Ihcm. Il lh.y
can r chim filt thcrc arc many Pcopleo{t in lh.
neighborloodswho nc.d their s.rvic€s,ftcn rhctr
fundrnSdriei up md I\c mrddl. d uppcrmtddlc
c l J s ss c d r c <p r o ' , d < r s l o s '.n c n j o b s .T h o s co f u s
who nrt. spenta Lons,dcnbl. ltmc ia low incom(
ncighborhoodsknov rhlt icNic. Provid.s udi
rroull) mr.ipolrtc lhctr dlta to mak. rr l@k lik
rheyrn providn8 an invrlusblc scrvicato a com
mun,rywhcre.rhc) c hirn. lbcrc!t! cvcrmorcpcoplc
ComnLnrucs.,inhkchumansclvic.s.needc'li
zcns. Crtircn is th€ nam. lbr lhc pcopte rf, "
u c , r o rr J r t r ' u L i c r ls h o h ! v . ! n . q u r l r h . r c o i t h c
rorll n,'ucr ot rhc socrcty. How.v.r, . cn'zer has
much no'! powe! than I votc. Voling i3 a vcry
, r r v r d u r r r r r h r t c n t { i l s B . v ' n gp o v c r r r . y t o
tonreonc'vho will hopcfully rprq.nr you. Th.
'l.rin'rron of a po*criul crtizen crn r .nd th.r.
becruscrcrlly po*erful cililent mak. p..rwd b)
colningrogerhcrandutc powcr by lcling rogeft.r.
ttl Dt,t, \ ta.r in a n",i.d Alcr isD. Tocquvill.
sn,drld ours wus thc sfongcsl dcmocracyon thc
t,l )el. rot bcc.uscof our frEc votirS slncm, but
bccr r r. ol rhcprcpondc.mccof !ctivc c it izco!rso-
eiluons drrt wo{cd on solvinS prcbl.rN coll.c-
Scrv,cesy\{cmsrcquir. clicnlsnndcoft|nunrt}
o'lunizrrons requi'. cnrz.Ds. Thrr ie why s.r!ic.
'y\rcnrs rrc uftdr lntirh.ticsl to powcrfulcommu
Sysrcms drc hrcnrch,rl |lnd mr de.nocratic.
Tley hJrnesspcopL.s powerro cxccotcth€plan of
C,n,r rnrry orennizationsnrcth. vchiclcslhlt
hirn.\s rh. porcnrll powcrofth. crtrz..s to crc.t.
thcir0wnplan,CLlrzcns
lrde\caule po*cr
nrnka
h ! . o , r I i . r r o c c i l r c Jr r ) dt r k c p o * e r b y r c l r n g t o '
wlled Jrzc!\ 8cr logcthercnduy Ourorgs-
Paqe49
John McKnight
nizltion c3nslve mey of theproblcmsrhdthuir r
s.nice syst€mscontrol, thcn therc will b€ a con
flicr. TTh! v€slcd intaes$ of rhc soqal scnicc
syst.m *ill rd.mpl ro th*.n thc €ffo s oa rh.
comfiunily or8a0izarionto controlwharhuppcnsrn
its ncighborhood.
Th€ prcf.!siond/cli€nt.nodclis r supcrio.!cr
sus infcnot, or dominanl vcrsu! submis$iv. r€l!-
t i o n s h i pW . hilcwcll-runs..vic6hav€lhcirpl!ce.
lhcy tu.nc!er goingtocmpow.r ncighborh@ds.1..
L c r . w h . n d d y z i n S ( o m m u n i r i c (y.o u l l l i n d t h ! .
thcmorcserviccslhcr€.re in rharncighborhood.lhc
lcs! po*cr thrt commuDityhaslo Lontrolrtsfururc
S€Nrcc ryilcm3 rcr on tlE prcmrs( (hrl ltrL
protcssioml ha.' crpcdisc and thc client hdr thc
probl.m. Thc problcmsolvi 8 powcrofrh. pcoplc
In lh! ncighborhoodsts unimpo rnt. Ihar prole.-
r i o n . l i d . a i s e x . c r l ' l h e o p p o i r c" l w h r c o h ' n L
n i t y o r g c n i z i n g r t l c m pt$o d o . T h c o r S 0 n r z c r t e l l s
th€ p.oplc lhar lhcy havcploblcmsolvrng rbiliricr
Whenanalyzing(ommunii.s, )ou ll Jind hat ,lrc
more senices rhereat e in thdt netllhboi hoo.l,lhe l(:is
powerthatcommunity hasto (ontrt,lt!t Iutute
and Ihcy can ch.rngcftcir{ommuniry.
Lcr nrcuscthc cnmpl€ or nry cltcilicd brAto.
I ' m c c n r h l y h r p p yt h l r t h e c e p ( n t \ s i o n r t \ o u r
t h . r c* h o l n o w w h a rr or l ol o r r e r lt h r {p n r h t c r n , . I r u
Ius.un.ofdlcm. Bur my pcrsonrlpowcr 's ,rircl )
Eht.d to my ur. ot Foacrr'onrls. I u) ro dcFn!
u p o nl h c mr i l i u l € a s p o s s r b l cB . ecr!\c rl Iny ,,ti
rs hcavily involvcd wuh rhe socrrl worter, rhe
d o (' u r . l h ep \ y c h r a t n f lr.* o r h r . g sb c n x r h r l t t r
' o m . , O n . n r h u tl . . r c r ' . r o J s o r l u u t d r N l -
d c n c t . T } c o t h c rl ! t h { l n y r l n , n ( yr \ i n ! r r , r \ . I i r i
c o n \ u m c db ' l h c ! €p c o p l cd. n r r n r s h ' Dt!r r ) . r h l r ' .
l v h r t e f i n r n c ' r lc h o r e c r .l t I b . c o r ) r \cu r r o L , r \ . ( ( ,
bv x ihre,r of $rv'.c\. rhcn l \. ro\r nrhrh 4t drt
oocr,lz'nc41
 oower to m*€ d.cisioos-
It's th. samc with a community. If it is sur-
roundcd by a for€s{ of scrvicca, lhcn ir losca the
poeer ro d€cidc as I conmunity ll should 8o
wrthout sayinS,thrl corntuuDrlyorgr zcrs should
nor rcl !s attorists, tcachinS pcoPlc how to golv 0
forc. t oa scd i..s {ound tbem. Thtt is rbc appro..h
of rhe mrsintormed comnunny ort$izcr' Tlus
Alinsktrcalizealthotoll themonel th^l wentinto the
to( tal scrvi(csJtlemsinacommunitj competeddireciy
'.-.
ith th? !rgdniziall ptoccss.
orguiz.t nistakcnly ri.s lo m'l' morc clrcnls
rrlhc.lhln cxp.ndirg thc Powc.of(hc citiz€n Ttrc
po*crtuIconrmuri(votg.rniarioncoov'Gcly 3cctl
poliricol and cconomr. cootrolov.r ihc scfticcs in
r l 5c o m n u n i t Y .
A good t6t of lhc cornmunity'scoorrcl ovcr
'erric.t.!n b. a.conPlshed by $king fourqu.._
tions.Th. liEt is, sho tctually con(mlsthc s.rvicc?
Doesrhecommunityhrvc ftc fintlsly in thcd.ci-
sronmlkin8 proc.ssoris it iusi m ouposl of n big
ry(cm wh.r. leal opinronh.s no vnltr.?
Saond, who do€s rbc scrvicc systcm hir.?
Docs it hirc prfcssionlls who ittc moncy or hu
Nlu rcsouLcctout fmm r community,ordoca il put
mon.y ardjobs inlo lhc communit_l'
Thnd, who docsihc s.wicc provid.l putc[asc
ir i rcsourccsfrom? fu. thcy buy in8 locally or is lhc
mon.y in rhc.onlmrni.y b.ingcnctrlat.d outof it3
dom.tin?
And founh. a|]d leait important,althoughthis
qucstionrlcciv€s tha rnostttlcnlion, who is bcing
s..ved? Answ.nnS fi€s. lou. qucst'ons wtllgive.
commoniiyo.8eiarion ! prcny 8oodid.n ehclh.r
rhcy h:rvecontml ov.t lhc sl icc provtdcrs.
S{rl Alntty. in man} *ayi rh. lbundcr of
modcm commonityoBsniaing, hatcdinything ru-
s.nb ting socill workc.s l r!mcmbcr when Sar3.nl
Shnv.r lvls hc.adingup thc ftd.6l govcmmtnfs
rnri'pov€dy progrom. Wc p.cmdcd S.ol rocom.
to r confcrenccand dcbirtcShrivcrabo!t&c mcri6
of rhc worr ofrhc ffri-povcny proFarn. Sa'rlwas
trblturcly conrcmFuousof rhc social scrvic€ fo-
. u y . d r n r , p v c r r y p m s m m .i s e i l i o B i i , s n s u b s r i -
rggr
42 spnwc,su^r',ren
Paqe 50
t u t c f o . E l l p r o b l c ms o | l , n * i n P o o rn e i g h b o r
hoods.H€ finrshadhh prcs.nliilionallhc debateby
t.Urn8 Shlver, Yo!r Sodd:.rn.d Programi\ Po'
litical pomotraphyl"
Ahnsly rllhzed lhrr 3ll thc Inonc! lhar *<nt
rn(o lhr social s.wic. \yrrchs ,n a cod,mun,ty
codFr.d d iEcdy wirh rhco.s!trizins prcccs5.Thc
morc scrv'c.s .nd money for scrvic.s 'n lhe .om_
munity, th. hldcr rt r3 to or8an'zeand cmPo*er
Today,on thc frontlines in lhc communLty,h€
ag.nn ot thc i.Nr(. \ysr.m rl( nrdinly r)on proi,,
agcncre\andIndrvidr.tlpro|c5sionrl prov idcrs Thc
€ o v . m m e nut * d r o p ' o v ' d c\ e n i c e sd r c c r l r . b n L
now rt rr m. nrajor rund.. oi se'\rc.s and not lh.
providersof scrvrc.s. Hoecver. lh. govem'ncnr^
f,or€ntiEly our ot lh€ !.rvicc busi,l.ss.
l a l . p u b t i ch o u s i n ef o r c t . n r p l . P u b l i c h o u s
, n E t c n a n t sl r c c l i c n ' t . t h c t c c c i \ c r so f . c t v ' c .
p r o v r d . db y t h . h o u s r n .t ,: u r n o n l r c rN' o o r r c w o u l d
sly rhorlhc$\ tcrln rs ,rr. cmpos crcd I h. (otul
tion5 of public houx,ot dcvelopmcnl\ \how rh.
c l r c c t so t t h r r d o m i n a n v s u b m ' s \ r 'veer v ( c ' c l .
noothrp. I od8'. howeve.,tltcrchasbctn J Pu\hb'
asidcnrr to b.comc mmaS.relnd prov,dcrt n the
projc.ts. Rcsidcnt groupsc.mss thc countrv rr.
rryinSro ovcflhrow rh. tcrvicc idcolos' cr.ar.d in
puDlichousingafld tcpl!!c rr wlth rlr( pnnerpr<]of
communiryor8rni2atron.
T h e p r t f l c r p l eosl c o m t n u n , lo! , t J n r l J r i ^ nr t r
s i m p l ca n d s r f u s h t f o ' w l r d O n e . ! r ' y ' . r e , . ,
citi&n fiFt. a clicnrconrudcr sccond Two, ro
r t t r r np o l v c rp . r F l c h l l c r ? r c t . o l l c c t i v c l ) . T t c r
muslcomctot.rhcr and say. 'wc rc dtc prinopal
problemsoltcrs in this communrty.
A Emd .rnmd. oi rhn id.r ir r.rx,. ,( rhc
presentschool rclbnn nlrlsurcs in Chicago For
)crrs cducator(protccrcdccnrrr[cd tro$cr In ,he
c r t y s e c h o o sl y s t c m . C o , n n u n , r r cs\ < ' c c \ \ c r
I r l l y i n . p r c l i s s ' o n r l / . l kn rr l J r o n \ h ' p * r h . d L
cr,tors,und baclmc po*crlcss to chrnSe thc txro!
condilionsof th€ schools. lnitially. rclbmr cltorts
w e r . f M u < d o n r h cr o p , h J { r 8 c m . not t r h c\ y { c m
So Ch'crgo proceqted'o ro rhrcusl' 5 .up(':nter.
" r h e5 . r t ? n C: l i r h i s h r c . i ' r d r ( u t i f r r r l
d e r l s .O n l y
prcrcssronnliecrc soujhr lbr rhc to\rrran our
$lud.nrl.st scor.s tcpt S.)inEriowi icBrrillcs\ ol'
',vh(chprof!ssionalconrroiledthc \yncm.
C o n n r u n i t i e sl i M l l y r c ! l i z c dr h c , . o u l d n o
l o n p cirl r o r d r o b c c h c n l i( ) lr h cs ' \ r c r n 'c o r u u l l e d
by pror'.s\ionxl .duoroN Thev\nw thJ| .tun!,iE
rhepnif.\si.nal\ !r thetop.bu! lEavingihcsynem
oi prollssion.rlcontrolin plnccwas not goingto
: n l . i . : i 1 l r l g . W i : ! * 3 s ' . a l l v n e . d . r lw a r s c n u -
jnc 1(lornr Th.r nrclnt .hlngint Pow.r rclanon-
shipsby redeiinir)gwho was 'n cotrtrol. ThcEfor€.
Chr, ri'u I r' ghbomuodoBanr.dtionsworl€d sircnu-
ousl) Io gel lcSrslalioop8ss.d thal would ctum
coNrol oi rheschoolsto rhe local conmuniiics
As r .csuh. thc statc legislalutc passcda law
di!rdio_{rh€ schoolsysr€minto 468 schoolboards
. , c c r c db ) l o c J ( r t r z . n ' \ o w . f t . l G a l l y . l ( c l c d
boJd h.! rhc power to hire nnd tirc lhc priDcipal,
. e v . l o p c u r ' c u l u n ra n db u d g €lrh cs c h o o lt m o n . ' .
The inrenr of fte neiShborhoods to rcSain control
ov.r th. prokssioDll s.rvice syst€m succc.dcd.
\ci!lburnood powll hasr(pltced thc ptolcrsionil
d o , n , n r o ( co f t h ec r r ' t r r l i z e dm a n i g c r n c nst ) s l c m . nor€ poecr th€y b€com.morc rcsponsible,
lr,, Ll.ir ronr tr"s.rJ,nplc rhtr the commoniry
.,Srn,zfl,ois lho{id n€v.r let rhe f'rof€isionals
t l t ( ( r v c o , g J o ' z , n g! r ) o m o b i l i z ? sF o p l . i o
hclp enchorhcr Humln icrviccs arc a sccondrrt.
{l\,iru. r o , t h c c o m m u n i r yb u i l d i n 8 p r o c c s s . scc how lhc co munity givesrway its oqn po*€r
sc'vr.cr cJrlor ter pconlc loScthcr(o form 0 dr)
cJrc coop(rrt,rc or d ncrShborhood *atcn. TIis 's
rh. un,qu. power oi cnrzcn Associltios, t.cklihg
cornnruorry-wrdc probl.ms lik. c.im.,nd dtugs.or
s t , r l ' n g r o l c r p . l d c r l y r c ( r d c n l si n r h . n c i g h b o r
c'omrnun,tyorg6i2at ro!t th!t h.!. rcal powcr
hlve un.conomic fo.us mthcr ihan a s.rvic. focus.
In our serery, poq€r .quals orglnizcd p.opL ot
orE!nizcdmoney Erflcrivc cootrr!dity org.nir:-
trons,tbr rh. n6rt pfft, osc p.oplc poscr lo affoct
"Ho$
Inoncy puuer Thc organiring q'r.stion is.
catrwc hlvc a localccooomytharoffcrs rarlchoics
rnd th. pot.nbll lo. a tood livingl"
Becrosepowcrcomcsfromchoicc.comlnunity
o.! niz nons should rcllizc thar if moncy in $c
.ommua,ry Bo.\ ro rhe U rcd w.y *rvic. syr-
r.mr, rnd nor tb.community arnpowc.tn.ntoreG
ronrc dcvelopmcnt,rhcn thc.ommuoity n€€dsto
s u . t h r r r l I o r e s a . nc o n r r o lo r € r t h c m o n . y t h c
, ( ^ . c c , ) \ r c m . r p l u h o f f . E d u c a t , o n*. c l f u r ,
\oc,irr\.^ rccs.3llthrsmoncync.ds Lob€ rcdcfin.d
. ' r ( lc o n r o l L e db y l o c a lg r o u p s .
A hx rndrcrtoro f an.m Powercdconrmunrryis
, l . r ' n N r . f ( ' @ d sr r J I n { o ' n .b c ' n Be . n c n l . d b t
r ( . r . . r r c n t \ l , o o s c r l c \ ' c o m m u 'ftl ' . s . g o o d sl J l d
. v c m m fn r p r o S 1 1 n ' t .
r n \ r e . , l tl o
' h r U , r . r ( Jw . y r n d p n v l t c f o l n d J I r o n so r ' f c rs c
Page51
vic€s,not srraightincomc.In Chic.80, for insrancc,
25,000publicdollars.omcs into th€ city forevery
Iow incofte f.mily of four p.oplc. Bqr rh,sfinily
recciv.sonly9,OOOdollc incash. Th. rcsrol (hc
moncy is consumcdby hcalthand humanscmcc
profcrsionllsprovidcdfor lowrncomc.omnrunr
Lic.. Thu5. thc low-incooc lamily i! serv,c. nch
and nloncypoor. This is. in effecl legrshtcdpov-
cny bccauscad.qlrre public incomc is .pprcpa
ar.d but is notavlrl{blc for choice.Ir rstvail3bl! (or
Pcoplc will arguc how€verthrl poor pcople
crn'tberrustcdwirhft sh-Thcr will ruyth. so!cm-
mcnlknowsbasrhowrospcldpoorp€oplisDotr y.
Thn notion is whlt buill $c socid sr.vac€cmprrc
on lhc blcks of Amcric! s poor. As pcoplc h3vc
nol the
orhci vnt !rcund. Raponsibiliry grows with !u
rhority. Communiry organizinglcrds neighbor-
hoodr.sdcnts ro becomcrcaponsiblc p.oblcmrolv-
e$ in thc n.ighborhood. Wh.n rc5rdcntsreJliz.
lhct hav! th. powcr toch.nA. thin8s,rheysr!r( lo
in.xchlrgc for rcrviccs.
Education,welfare,so(idl sctviccs.ull thir motley
needsto be redeJiiedand connolled br lar.tl lrokps
Unfortun!t.ly, someof tlle b'ggesrcommunrr)
brsrcN vnhu th. ncrghborhoo(.havc becnsornr
o l t h c c h u E h c s .I n r h . s cc h u r c h . \r h t r . , s r h e a , )
.mphftis or che.iry. lt i! anif.st.d in ch!rch
m c m b c r vl h o h c a ri c a l l l u _ s . r v c o r h c r r .W h r l (
rhis is a nrlural part of rhc church expcriencc,il
dcge...rrcs .6ily intu rhc doori{aoF{,bois$v.
clrtionship so common in profcssionalscrviccs
Tt€s€chrirch$ 3!y lhcy rrc involvedinor sponsot
orsariEalionsihat b.nctlr the commuriry. Br rhe
( h u r c h! c h r n t ym o l i v . * . u l . n ( t h . . u f J h r l ( ) o l
bo'ld'ng .npowcrcd community n5t{ur,onsdcdi
cJlcdto sarllchan8c. In rhcscchurchcsrhc rcsul'
ot lhe congr.g on s concemis ro cr. e, Lorddl
b.comc plln of.r profcssionl rcr!ice nerwo*. ftr
Itcse ch$rchcrrhe pr\tor .espond\ ro rho5cwirh
probl€msby scndinSrhcmto:cr!ice ug.tr!r.!. iry-
i n t i n e i f e c rr.h ep o v c ri s r o r i n r h i : c h u r c hr on t v c
oncorrznc
43
 yourproblcm,rhcpowcrlicscl5cwhcr.rtrprole!_
sionrls-Thcscarl thccommunrtybuslifi8churchcs,
rhorcwhoassumc thet.skolcllalingmor!scwic€s
reth..thanb!ildingp.obleInsolving.cligiouscon-
grcgaooo9,
Efl6rtvc paslols conn..t p.oplc to hclp clch
orh.!. Tlry wdk ro b.ing lhc tnowl.dge .nd
capacitics of thc conSrcSationlogclhcr. How?ver,
many mainlinc ch!rchcs {f! powcrlc$ todly bc-
(aus€ thcy rclNcly Ervc away thc pov.r of thc
corgEgrtion to h.lp c8ch othcror ils @molutrily.
Tl'.fl tasror *rllEIer a probl.m kid" to a prctes.
sional youtl couNlor and wrll lcad t dnv. to gcl
morc youth couns.llinEscFicct roto lh. commu_
niry. This &t'on obt hi! ch!rch ..ld hidcodmunnt
44 spatxo,sutiflentggt
Pase52
Ar cilcctivc communily is one whete people
arc comnrtted ro each orher cnd rolve lroblem'
togdhcr. An.r-fe.rive community,s movrngawirv
f r o r ub . ' n g f r l l . d e i r h c l i < n r s A
. p o s e ! r u !l o m m L
nity is lhc hom. ofthr ciLizcn.lnd can harn€rsrhr
powcrof ciuzcnsthrouth thc vch,clcof cum1lunn,
John McKnigbr i! Dnccror or
C@dlrity Studi.i.t ihc
C.nt rlor Uftd Afr.i6 ind
!bli.r Rcs.dh J( Noahwes'.m