Inclusive & Resilient Yellow Springs Coalition

The Inclusive & Resilient Yellow Springs Coalition mission 
is to support diverse communities by identifying and removing barriers to opportunity and success in order to create a more equitable, inclusive, and livable Yellow Springs.

Current Coalition Steering Committee Members:
​
Alexandra Scott, Yellow Springs Home, Inc. (Convener)
Shadia Alvarez, Antioch College, Coretta Scott King Center
Antonia Dosik, Livable/Equitable/Age-Friendly Yellow Springs
Terri Holden, Yellow Springs Schools
Len Kramer, Community Member
Kevin McGruder, Antioch College, the 365 Project
Caroline Mullin, Yellow Springs Senior Center & Yellow Springs Children's Center 
Emily Seibel, Yellow Springs Home, Inc.
Kevin Stokes, Village of Yellow Springs​
Malte Von Matthiessen, ​Community Member

The work of the Inclusive and Resilient Yellow Springs Coalition is generously supported by the Yellow Springs Community Foundation.
Coalition Activities
2022-2023 Current Activities & Plans
  • ​Bringing Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) trainings & education to Yellow Springs, such as the Getting To The Root workshops sponsored by the Coretta Scott King Center at Antioch College 
   
  • Creating a citizen-informed action plan and a list of projects to support/move forward with based on LEAF results and follow-up with the LEAF Core Team.
 
  • Distributing the 365 Project Brochure to affirmatively market Yellow Springs 
 
  • Supporting  the unhoused in Yellow Springs through collaboration with Village Community Outreach and Homefull Dayton
 
  • Building community awareness about renter/landlord rights/responsibilities and housing choice vouchers and other key issues that impact diverse communities within Yellow Springs, as well as finding and sharing resources to help both tenants and landlords when dealing with health and safety issues in local rentals.
 
  • Supporting projects already underway in the community that address community needs such as the YS Community Foundation's YS Equity Universal Basic Income Project; Yellow Springs Home, Inc.'s The Cascades Senior-Focused housing development and repair grants; and additional projects to be identified by the LEAF core team as a result of survey responses
  ​
  • Embracing community togetherness and visioning, by way of community relaxation/self-care event(s) and community conversations to explore values and respectful dialogue, alongside connecting organizations and responding to opportunities as they arise 
Recent Activity Highlights
2020
  • ​Coalition formed in 2020 under lead convener Kineta Sanford​ 
  • Strategic Plan created to guide future coalition work

2021 
  • Virtual Cost of Poverty Experiences held to inform local response to poverty from a place of connection 
  • L/E/AF survey to gather information about barriers to access and opportunity in Yellow Springs completed
  • Began expanded Affirmative Outreach and Engagement with gatekeeper organizations outside of Yellow Springs, conducting listening sessions with diverse populations to learn about barriers and opportunities to access, perceptions of Yellow Springs, and to market Yellow Springs as a destination to live, work, and play
  • Outreach to area organizations to collaborate on 2022 educational events 
  • New Lead Convener named mid-year: Alexandra Scott
  • Coalition members participated in Yellow Springs Schools Equity Work, Courageous Conversations, Yellow Springs Housing Stability Work, the WYSO Race Project, and other community initiatives to promote a more inclusive and resilient Yellow Springs

2022 
  • Continued outreach to gatekeeper organizations for diverse populations outside of YS
    • Connected with Greater Dayton LGBT Center
      • As a result, worked to connect LGBTQIA+ resources in Yellow Springs.
      • Worked with YSHS GSA, YS PRIDE, and Antioch College queer Center on letter in support of Trans Youth
    • Listening session held with Dayton Unified Power
  • Continued efforts to bring community education around empowerment issues
  • Created Internal Coalition Questionnaire to review what perspectives are represented on coalition and identify any potential gaps
  • Planned Yellow Springs' first ever Transgender Day of Visibility event 3/31 in conjunction with YS PRIDE
  • Began efforts to support the unhoused community in Yellow Springs in conjunction with Homefull, Yellow Springs Community Foundation, and YS Community Outreach
  • Livable, Equitable, Age-Friendly (LEAF) YS Focus Groups held

2023
  • Livable, Equitable, Age-Friendly (LEAF) Yellow Springs Core Team, lead by Toni Dosik, formed
  • First YS Equity Cohort began receiving payments
Please visit us on Facebook to keep up with the coalition!


​Thank you to the Yellow Springs Community Foundation for your generous support.