I believe that a Zoo would help bring more life, and more revenue, to Ralston’s second ward. As the primary commercial ward, the zoo could help bring in people to the many businesses in Ralston, so that they may be more inclined to shop around. And as with many zoos people may wish to visit multiple times, bringing in more people to Ralston. Additionally, zoos provide a great source of education and entertainment for people of all ages. The zoo could also help Ralston’s second ward to have a better built environment. With the open land and all that comes with a zoo, the second ward would see more natural life in it.
I am proposing that a nonprofit reproductive healthcare clinic be added to Ralston. It’s extremely important that all individuals receive necessary reproductive healthcare, especially women. Services provided by this clinic would include free condoms, information and services relating to other forms of birth control, and information and services regarding fetal termination. I propose that this clinic be placed in Ward 1, as this is where the majority of Ralston’s economic disparity occurs. It would be most desirable for the clinic to be placed near the Canal Gardens affordable housing development, because it is home to city residents who earn less, on average, than residents in any other part of the city. These residents most likely have less access to traditional healthcare services, which is why it’s important to place the clinic nearby. Additionally, there would need to be some formal mechanisms put into place for anyone who might disagree with the clinic’s services.
My proposal before was a community nature center that could be put in one of the many parks that Ralston, VT has. This new building would fit perfectly under the Public Amenities Ward because it would be a nice place where people can convene and look at all the different living animals and plants that live around the city. A phenomenal reason as to why the city of Ralston needs a nature center is because it could bring in tourists to the town. This would help local businesses and it could boost the joy that is already spreading around Ralston. This would also fit perfectly with the Heart and Soul of Ralston because it can reconnect everyone back with the animals and nature around the city/town.
One thing that could really improve the quality of life in Ward 1 would be to build a community center. A big issue that the residents of Ward 1 seem to be facing is a lack of social capital exacerbated by the income inequality in the area. In terms of neighborliness residents rated Ward 1 as “Isolated and Unavailable”. As it currently stands, the only real place that residents can gather is at the golf course or country club. While this does seem to be a good place to get to know your neighbors and foster social capital, it is only really accessible to the wealthier residents. Because Ward 1 is home to some of the richest and poorest people in Ralston, it is important to have a space where everyone can gather without any membership fees. This way, money is not a barrier to people feeling like they are a part of the community. A community center would not do anything to address the income inequality that is so prevalent in Ward 1, but it would help to close the divide between the two groups in Ward 1 and create a real sense of community between all of the residents. Every other thing about Ralston gives the impression that this is a place where people care about inclusion and diversity. This would help to make sure that these ideals are more of a reality in Ward 1. The community center would not have to be particularly big or elaborate: it would just need to be a place where people living in Ward 1 can spend time together as a community.wealthier residents. Because Ward 1 is home to some of the richest and poorest people in Ralston, it is important to have a space where everyone can gather without any membership fees. This way, money is not a barrier to people feeling like they are a part of the community. A community center would not do anything to address the income inequality that is so prevalent in Ward 1, but it would help to close the divide between the two groups in Ward 1 and create a real sense of community between all of the residents. Every other thing about Ralston gives the impression that this is a place where people care about inclusion and diversity. This would help to make sure that these ideals are more of a reality in Ward 1. The community center would not have to be particularly big or elaborate: it would just need to be a place where people living in Ward 1 can spend time together as a community.
The Sabrina Chesterton Adventurer’s League is a nonprofit using the famous ballooneer’s house (with a model balloon attached to the front) as a base. It is dedicated to helping girls & young women break into traditional male dominated fields such as programming, law, politics, etc. It does this mainly by helping them develop a plan to gain the qualifications & portfolio to be the best candidate, as well as by networking to help them develop social capital & get into programs to set them on the right track.
I think that Ralston should create a non profit organization centered around making an effort to stop climate change, this is because this is an issue that affects everyone therefore it would truly be contributing to something good.
I would like to propose the making of a non-profit challenger program featuring different sports to play for each season for Ralston. For this non-profit organization, I think that making a challenger program would be a good fit for Ralston, because by looking at Ralston, you can see that the people living here are always willing to help out their neighbors and be involved with the community. This program will benefit children and adults with disabilities in the area, and allow for more social capital, heart and soul attributes, and contact zones to be formed. In doing this, it will allow the community to become for inclusive and accepting to people with disabilities.
The program will be run by volunteers in the community who are willing to help and work with children or athletes ages 4 to 18 with disabilities. Adults with disabilities can also sign up for the program as coaching assistance and help out that way. Volunteers or buddies that want to help have to be at least 13 or in 7th grade to participate, and coaches have to be adults or experienced buddies. All volunteers have to complete the designated training program for the sport at least once before they become a volunteer for that sport offered that season. It will work by forming some kind of governing structure. Coaches will make and enforce rules and run a program, pairing buddies with athletes, and making and going over practice stations. They will also run fundraisers and be in charge of budgeting. Coaches assistance will assist the coaches in practice. Buddies will work one-on-one with the athletes staying with their paired athlete the whole practice and teaching them how to play the sport.
Parents are also involved in the program and can also be in charge of making fundraisers and budgeting but are not allowed to be involved in the practice. The way the program is designed is to have parents relax and enjoy watching their kids play sports.
The program is non-profit, so fundraising will be a big part of the program with auctions, paint nights, social dinners, and other fundraising events. These fundraising activities will pay for uniforms, merchandise, sports equipment, field fees, and team fees. The goal is that no athlete or parent will be paying to be part of a team, for equipment, merchandise, field use, or uniforms. Children with disabilities tend to have high medical bills in response; it will not cost athletes or their parents anything to play.
Parents are also involved in the program and can also be in charge of making fundraisers and budgeting but are not allowed to be involved in the practice. The way the program is designed is to have parents relax and enjoy watching their kids play sports. The program is non-profit, so fundraising will be a big part of the program with auctions, paint nights, social dinners, and other fundraising events. These fundraising activities will pay for uniforms, merchandise, sports equipment, field fees, and team fees. The goal is that no athlete or parent will be paying to be part of a team, for equipment, merchandise, field use, or uniforms. Children with disabilities tend to have high medical bills in response; it will not cost athletes or their parents anything to play.
What I would contribute to the city of Ralston is a non-profit organization can the Ralston community center. The city of Ralston is a tight-knit community, so it would only make sense that there would be a community center where the after school center would be held and even an adult learning for new foreign residents. The center would be a contact zone since many members of the community would be attending the center. A heart and soul attribute would be community building and just making deeper connections in the city of Ralston.
The ward that I choose for my contribution is ward 2. Since word two is claimed to be the “hub of the city” and also: highly engaging and invested in others.” Since ward 2 has the highest percentage of affording to house, there will be many kids and teenagers to participate in my community center—another reason why I choose ward two because many of the buildings are zoned for non-profit organizations. So we could find a facility that will work well for the Ralston Community Center.
As I was learning about Ralston, one thing that stood out to me was the lack of an official community center to coordinate gatherings for people with similar interests and help more people interact with one another in a common space. Since Ralston seems to be such a socially connected community, I believe this could help more people try new things and find common interests in the community, thus becoming a staple “contact zone” within the community.
I am proposing that a local nonprofit animal rescue be added to Ralston. I personally believe that all communities should have an animal rescue/shelter, however, Ralston especially. Ralston is a community full of functioning members, who understand the quality of life, which is why I think they would extend this understanding to animals as well. Research has shown that breeders can be detrimental for all animals, which is why rescues are necessary. This would be a place for members of the community to meet and hopefully adopt a new member of their family. This space would also be used to house stray animals that have been dumped by their previous owners so that they aren’t running loose around Ralston. If done correctly, I definitely think the Ralston Animal Rescue could be considered a heart and soul attribute.
Ralston, Vermont's "Green Island" City 