(2018-2019)
In 2016, neighborhood residents and Promotores worked to transform a vacant house in Maryvale neighborhood of Phoenix into the Heart of Isaac Community Center. They called on the skills and professions of people in the neighborhood–painters, carpenters, tile layers, and plumbers–using “sweat equity,” to transform the house. SFA worked with the Promotores, training them in ethnographic research, to interview each other and neighborhood residents about the Heart of Isaac.
The project culminated with “Corazones de Isaac”/ “Hearts of Isaac,” an art exhibit showcasing the photos and stories of the Promotoresand community leaders who played a key role in the development of the Heart of Isaac Community Center, Arizona’s first community-led Family Resource Center in an educational setting. The exhibit aims to show how the community mobilized to address students’ and families’ needs. It was a grassroots effort to fulfill the dream of creating a community hub to house a myriad of support services for Maryvale residents.
