The Rosedale Development Association received the Organization with the Greatest Impact award at the Thrive program Thursday night sponsored by the Kansas City Local Initiative Support Corp. (LISC).
The LISC Thrive awards program was held at the Scottish Rite Temple, Kansas City, Missouri. Thrive is an annual awards ceremony that recognizes achievements in community development.
Other organizations and individuals honored at Thrive were Habitat for Humanity’s Home Preservation Program, Broderick Crawford, Diosselyn Tot, Avenue of Life’s Impact Wednesday, of Kansas City, Kansas; Ajamu Webster and Kennedy Johnson of Kansas City, Missouri.
The Organization with the Greatest Impact award was given to an organization that has demonstrated a persistent and effective commitment to and impact on a neighborhood for at least 10 years.
According to agency officials, the RDA was started as the Rosedale Community Council in 1945, and addressed neighborhood blight, business development, crime, zoning and flood control. The organization became the Rosedale Development Association in 1978, and is now celebrating its 40th year. Today, RDA continues to work with residents, businesses and institutions to develop the Rosedale community.
RDA has worked with LISC grants to repaint a mural on Mission Road, work on a water fountain in Fisher Park and help build a playground at Fisher Park, said Erin Stryka, executive director of RDA.
“LISC does a lot of amazing stuff in Kansas City,” Stryka said. “Their investment in communities has made a great difference in Rosedale for years.”
According to an RDA news release, the organization approaches programs and services from a whole community perspective, seeing neighbors as experts on their assets as well as needs.
One neighbor, Peggy Bell, lives at the nearby Rosedale Towers and often participates in the Fisher Park Walking Club. Bell says of RDA’s mission, “Rosedale is a better place to live than any other… a thriving Rosedale community is one in which all members engage with one another and treat each other well… [I want] to live in a place where no one has to struggle alone and where people feel safe and connected.”
Also at the Thrive Awards, Broderick Crawford was recognized as a community leader and volunteer who has assisted and improved the lives of those who are less fortunate.
Crawford has worked to restore the environment in northeast Kansas City, Kansas, including the Jersey Creek Trail Renovation and Expansion Project.
He has worked extensively on community projects with the NBC Community Development Corp.
Also recognized at the Thrive Awards as a youth leader was Diosselyn Tot, a Wyandotte County resident and graduate of Sumner Academy and the University of Kansas.
According to the Thrive award, she uses her experience and passion in community building and engagement to lead environmental, art and entrepreneurial projects.
Some of her projects included an integrated voter engagement program, a know-your-rights workshop and art squad. She is a co-founder of Urbanworks, an organization that supports activities and projects that address neighborhood concerns.
The Thrive Innovation Award was given to Avenue of Life’s Impact Wednesday, an approach to solving homelessness in Wyandotte County that combines collaboration, wrap-around services and comprehensive case management at one location.