Today, the Woodcock Global Honors Fellows visited everyday Cafe, a local social enterprise in Homewood, PA, dedicated to revitalizing the community. Dr. Wallace, the founder of Everyday Cafe, explained how he started his mission.
Dr. Wallace runs the Oasis Project, which is the community and economic division of Bible Center Church. Under the Oasis project, Dr. Wallace has created a community of learning, socializing, and faith to bring to the town of Homewood back to its former glory. Everyday Cafe is a place for people to enjoy socializing with neighbors and eating tasty food. However, the Oasis Project provides other community benefits, including divisions called The Maker’s Clubhouse, the Oasis Micro-Farm and Fishery, Oasis Transportation Company, and the Oasis Community Kitchen.
The Maker’s Clubhouse is designed to help elementary school children learn STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, Math) skills that they are not taught in their basic public education. On average, students only receive 5-9 weeks of STEAM learning in communities similar to Homewood, so Dr. Wallace organized a program for children to learn skills for the future, helping them find passions for future careers. Children love the program and Dr. Wallace is having greater success with the clubhouse each year.
The Micro-Farm and Fishery is a mini classroom, kitchen, and farm where students can learn the importance of healthy eating and cooking, but also provides agricultural products to the cafe and to the community. Products from the Everyday Cafe are Hyper-locally grown, adding extra jobs and building upon local economic environments.
The Oasis transportation company helps children attend school and out-of-school trips with buses and other transportation to keep them out of dangerous streets they otherwise would have to walk through during early-morning or late-night hours. The costs to consumers are extremely cheap, as Oasis is a not for profit company, and uses most of its revenue to re-invest into their organization.
After learning about Dr. Wallace, his project, and Homewood, I was fascinated by the difference social enterprises can accomplish in struggling communities. Dr. Wallace was quick to iterate that being a non-profit does not mean a company does not make a profit. The projects and division need to make a profit; however, non-profits funnel their profits back into the company and create a social impact. Homewood is yet another community in Pittsburgh that was destroyed by the collapse of the steel industry.
Homewood, however, is one of many communities that need help around the city of Pittsburgh. I believe that specialization is the only way to re-vitalize these towns. First, communities need to be re-grouped to establish larger, areas that can obtain more tax revenue, fund schools more appropriately and be governed under a more streamlined local government. Then, communities can specialize, focusing on themes that speak with the interests of the community members. For example, if Homewood community members had interest in being Pittsburgh’s home of jazz, the community would focus on jazz culture, building their community into the jazz hub of Pittsburgh. Therefore, Homewood
will be unique (and have less competition), and can re-invent themselves. While organizations like the Oasis project are helpful, they need to have long-term, sustainable goals. If not, small startups in each disparaged community will not last.