Building Community is a strategy by Life Line Chaplaincy, in partnership with like-minded agencies, to strengthen relationships between neighborhoods and law enforcement officers through local home repair projects. This is accomplished through identifying homes that need repair, then recruiting volunteers from the neighborhood and from the local police department to join hands in addressing those needs.
In addition to the building event, we bring local law enforcement officers and community members together for a dinner the night before for a relaxed time of food, fun, and fellowship. We are finding that when two people voluntarily break bread together, and then sweat together, barriers fall and bridges are built.
Life Line Chaplaincy, through its Building Community initiative, is honored to have been a national partner with Charter Communications in its philanthropic efforts. Charter Communications invited Life Line Chaplaincy to serve as liaison with police departments in seven metropolitan areas across the United States for projects in 2017, six metropolitan communities in 2018, and seven communities in 2019. There were seven additional projects scheduled for 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic prevented all but one in Stamford, CT. Working with additional funding partners, Life Line Chaplaincy hosted a total of 23 Building Community events from April 2017 to October 2020, helping to cultivate peace in some of the most troubled cities in the nation.
Some Images of Past Events
In 2019, we were privileged to work with police departments and local communities in St. Louis, MO; Columbus, OH; Cleveland, OH; Norwalk, CT, Indianapolis, IN; Stamford, CT; Tampa, FL; Charlotte, NC; and New Haven, CT. Here is a sampling of images from those events.
Cleveland
Tampa
St. Louis
New Haven
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In 2018, the Building Community initiative, in partnership with Charter/Spectrum and Rebuilding Together, linked law enforcement officers to their communities in Tampa, FL; Cleveland, OH; St. Louis, MO; Columbus, OH; Stamford, CT; and Charlotte, NC .
In early April, 2018, we had the pleasure of working again with the Tampa Police Department, FL, in partnership with Charter Communications and Rebuilding Together, Tampa, to assist in the repair of three homes in Old Tampa. Mt. Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church hosted the dinner on Friday night. Here is a brief slideshow of that event.
In mid April, we had the joy of working with new partners, the Cleveland Department of Police, in conjunction with Charter/Spectrum and Rebuilding Together, to help repair three homes. The dinner on Friday night was hosted by Jones Road Chapel. Here is a brief slideshow of that wonderful event.
We were thrilled to partner with Chief Hayden and the Metropolitan Police Department - City of St. Louis in Mid May. The dinner on Friday night was co-sponsored with Greater Mt. Carmel Baptist Church. Here is a brief video of that amazing event.
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In 2017, the Building Community initiative, in partnership with Charter/Spectrum and Rebuilding Together, linked law enforcement officers to their communities in Charlotte, NC; Columbus, OH; and Metropolian St. Louis, MO; Stamford, CT; Cincinnati, OH; Ferguson, MO; and Tampa, FL. In addition, a generous grant from the Stacey Foundation allowed us to partner with Rebuilding Together, Broward in our Building Community Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
Here is a brief video of the April, 2017, event in Charlotte, NC, in which the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Chief, Kerr Putney, played an active role.
In June, 2017, we had the privilege of working with the Police Department from the City of Columbus and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department, in partnership with Charter/Spectrum and Rebuilding Together, to impact two communities. Here is a brief slideshow of the Friday and Saturday events.
In July, we had the privilege of working with the Pagedale Police Department (located in Metropolitan St. Louis, MO), in partnership with Charter/Spectrum and Rebuilding Together, to assist in the repair of three homes. Here is a brief slideshow that highlights their participation:
Here is a slideshow of our Building Community Stamford event in September, 2017:
In late September, we were delighted to work with the Cincinnati PD in the Building Community, Cincinnati event.
We were privileged to work with the Ferguson, MO, Police Department in our October Building Community, Ferguson event.
In early November, we had the joy of working with the Tampa PD in our Building Community, Tampa event.
Our 2017 schedule ended with the Ft. Lauderdale PD in our Building Community, Ft. Lauderdale event in mid November.
Here is an excellent article from our Ft. Lauderdale event that captures our efforts and goals:
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Some of Stamford’s finest helped improve two homes in the September 2016 rebuild event in Stamford, CT. Here are some images of those fine officers from that day.
In November 2015, Life Line Chaplaincy and the Stamford Police Association participated in a home repair project with Charter and their national nonprofit partner Rebuilding Together in Stamford, CT.