How long have you been a member of the community?

Duane: “I’ve been a member of the community for over 30 years.”

What does community mean to you?

Duane: “Community to me means togetherness. Looking out for one another. It also means having a highly populated area, and having access to different businesses, stores and housing.”

Please explain what your role entails.

Duane: “My role is to gather information and inform and engage the residents about what is taking place in our neighborhood. If someone has started a business, I find out information about that. Then, I invite them to a community meeting to explain the benefit that they offer with their business here. I keep the community informed about these kinds of things, so they won’t be in the dark about what is taking place in our neighborhood.”

What motivates you to do what you do?

Duane: “The thing that motivates me the most is that I grew up in this neighborhood. I remember when it was a thriving neighborhood. Over the years, the housing stock decreased, the businesses left, and things were going downhill. I remember when I was younger, I would see the different newsletters and things come in from the Mcdougall-Hunt Neighborhood Association and how people were representing the neighborhood. I learned that it was possible to make a difference. I said as I got older, that I wanted to be part of that change because I wanted our neighborhood to remain a nice neighborhood. As I saw the neighborhood on the steady decline, that’s when I really got interested in joining the board when I was old enough to. I wanted to see that togetherness again, the kind that I was used to seeing when I was younger, and I didn’t want that to go away. I’ve seen that a lot of the seniors were in need of assistance and a lot of people needed work done on their homes and different things. So, I wanted to be part of that and keep our community together. I didn’t want to let it go downhill, as the homes were deteriorating, and they were being torn down. I just wanted to make a difference.”

How has the community changed over time?

Duane: “Well, it changed a whole lot, as you can see! There used to be a lot of homes on every block. It was not as vacant as it is today. There were so many neighbors, and everyone looked out for each other. We had businesses in the neighborhood that we could walk to. Lots of mom-and-pop stores that just don’t exist anymore. I would like to see some of those things come back.”

What changes would you like to see implemented in the community moving forward?

Duane: “Moving forward, I just want to see more houses and businesses that are within walking distance, so we don’t have to drive everywhere. It would be nice to get some groceries and things that we need without having to go so far away for them. I want to see more people and togetherness. It would be so great to see this implemented in our community again.”