The possible rebirth of Clay County

I have been thinking a lot about where we could live and be a huge progressive force in a community, equipping poverty stricken and hopeless individuals to better their lives and the lives of their brothers and sisters. In this Fort Gaines, Georgia keeps coming to mind. This is a tiny town in the poorest county in Georgia and one I am well acquainted with as my family goes way back in this community and I still go there a few times a year.
I have spoken with most of you about this but I want to post some information on the community to see what you think. Read it, pray about it and comment.

• Clay County Economic Indicators
• Take note of the Demographics and Employment growth (-11.8%)

• Fort Gaines
  
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Gaines,_Georgia
  
• Fort Gaines Presbyterian Church
• Clay County Board of Commissioners
  

I talked with Blair a bit about the possibility of buying a cheap large antebellum home in the "downtown" which is falling about and fixing it up as a community home. This is a town which hope, energy, and education can change things immensely for the better.

Focus

Thanks to Blair, Ellen, and Drew for what they have written. I am new to blogging, and so if this gets posted it will be a miracle in itself.

I agree that there has to be a tight focus and organization to make a commune work, but I think that can be almost secondary as long as there is strong commitment to the cause that holds the commune together, whether that focus be house-building, education, or health care (hospice, etc.) Once everyone shares the common action and a common faith, I think the lifestyle issues become easier. I am not sure about the height of the grass, but certainly simple eating works!

I know that I want to make this kind of commitment. I only hope it is not too late for me.

So, I hope we can be concrete and real about it. No pipe dreams.

Thanks to you all.

Just another example...

Over the week I was in Gulfport, MS with the other Americorps working with Habitat for Humanity and the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Project. I was specifically rehabbing a house in a neighborhood called Forest Heights I think. Extraordinary people, but it is a community where, when being developed 30 or so years ago, they had specific criteria for living there in the spirit of intentional community. I think the specifics included big stuff like the head of the house having a full time job, all the way to the grass couldn't be higher than 3 inches. I suppose it is as much a organized community as an intentional community, but the spokeswoman listed off occupations of some of the children who grew up there and I would say they produce citizens who end up heads and tails above most people coming out of similar economic backgrounds, or any background for that matter.
Now that is written out I am now sure that was worth typing, but I'm just sharing my most recent intentional community experiences.

More

While we're on the subject of land/farming/food, I'd like to mention the Mennonites. In 1974, the Mennonite Central Committee published a cookbook called More-With-Less. This book did not only contain recipes, but also included "hundreds of spiritual reflections and practical tidbits about eating more simply." In the 1970s, an energy and global food crisis affected much of the world (sound familiar?). The book encourages Americans (those who consume consume consume), to use less so others could eat enough. I know this is small, and it's just a cookbook, but I think the mission of the MCC is still relevant. Check out their website and their Biblical Values and Principles for Global Economic Policies.

The issue of land

This is an interesting article on getting land for organic farming.