Page 17 - Catholic Extension Magazine Winter 2019

Winter 2019 17

At the Friendship
House in the
renovated
Allendale
neighborhood,
McCarter stops to
play with children
in the after-school
program.

God told him that the situation Community Renewal all. But relationships often get bur-
could be healed. International ied under busyness, individual-
Guided by his faith, McCar- Community Renewal Inter- ism, tribalism or divisiveness. He is
ter theorized that the root of these national (CRI) was founded by working to cast off the layers that
problems was a lack of connection McCarter and his supporters in obscure relationships and restore
and love among neighbors. Peo- 1994 based on the premise that their transformational power.
ple were not getting to know each relationships are essential to com- The neighborhoods of Shreve-
other or helping one another. munities. CRI’s mission is to foster port have changed. Children play
He set out to build a system of these relationships. outside, people smile and are
caring relationships by tapping into McCarter believes that rela- friendly, houses are tidy and col-
two human needs that are rooted tionships connect people to their orful community gardens have
in faith— to love and be loved. faith and to the intrinsic dignity sprouted in former drug zones.
To restore the broken relation- of each person. They allow us to They are places you want to live.
ships, he created a plan: every experience the face of Christ in McCarter’s dream has become a
Saturday, he walked the streets of each other. movement.
Allendale, the city's oldest neigh- "Relationships make people
borhood and one of its most feel safe, confident and optimis- Neighbor profiles
blighted, knocked on doors, intro- tic. They motivate them to practice Michael Jackson grew up in the
duced himself and asked peo- their faith, go to school and work “Bottoms,” a neighborhood which
ple if they wanted to be friends. and be productive citizens," said was full of “gangs, drugs, prosti-
The response was slow at first, but McCarter. "Strong relationships tutes and a lot of things that kids
gradually children became inter- define all healthy societies.” should never see,” he said. Deep
ested and soon adults were wait- According to McCarter, being down, he yearned for positivity.
ing on their front porches to greet relational is at the heart of being When he was 12, McCarter showed
the gregarious new visitor. human and a continual longing. up in his neighborhood and told
The ability to pursue relationships
is accessible and free of charge to