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Monday

All Welcome to The Following Events at The Center

Thanks to Tulsa City/County Library for great donation of audio and VHS curriculum and books to the Center. Come see many of them left. Thanks to Great Visit by University of Oklahoma Staff Leadership Institute. Thanks to Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma for site visit. Thanks to Cherokee School and McLain High for partnerships. More to Come with Greeley School......No OU Community Health Clinic this Friday April 2 or Monday April 5; resumes Friday, April 9.

Tuesday March 30 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm Free Meal, Community Academy for all 14 and up, and monthly meeting of Turley Community Association. Come find out what is happening in the community, bring ideas, connect, learn leadership and relationship skills. Open to all.

Thursday, April 1 6:30 pm Maundy Thursday Communion Service at the Center, free and open progressive Christianity for all.

Friday, April 2 noon, come participate with Turley LivingRoom Church in Good Friday worship service at All Souls Church, 2952 S. Peoria Ave.

Friday April 2 5:30 pm Tulsa Community College Northeast Campus "From Turley to TU" meeting monthly first Friday with Rep. Seneca Scott, community coalitions.

Saturday, April 3, 11 am to 3 pm Easter Eve party, Ron Robinson and Bonnie Ashing's house and garden, 563 E. 63rd St. N.

Saturday, April 3, 11:30 am Easter Egg and Doggie Biscuit Hunt, O'Brien Park, 6147 N. Lewis.

Resurrection Sunday April 4 Liberation Worship and Service Project 10 am

Tuesday, April 6, 6:30 pm Community Arts and Crafts gathering

Saturday, April 10 All Community Breakfast Benefit 8 to 10 am $5 donation

Saturday, April 10 Random Acts of Kindness and Beauty 10 am to Noon

Tuesday, April 13, 6:30 pm Gardening Group and Movie "SuperSize Me"

Saturday, April 17, 10 am Community Gardening, Cherokee School

Saturday, April 17, 2 pm Saving Pets of Turley

Tuesday, April 20 and April 27 5:30 to 8:30 pm Community Academy, free 14 and up, free meal, classes to help with organizations, ideas, leadership and relationship skills.

Saturday, May 1, 8 am Community Clean-Up and Keep Oklahoma Beautiful Planting Day, celebrating our grant to beautify the welcome signs for our community.

And more to come: Our Board will be conducting three sessions of Leadership Retreat in April; we are forming new projects with Cherokee and Turley area businesses, and of course we are seeking support and partners for the Welcome Kitchen Garden Park Project. See below.

Wednesday

Watch this video, part of our Welcome Kitchen Garden Park Radical Vision

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhgFKD6_i_w

See post below on what we are doing, why it is radical, why this project needs to happen, and why here, and why now, and how it only can with your contribution and your letting others know of your support. More to come soon.

Saturday

The Welcome Kitchen Garden Park Initiative Is ON...

....with your crucial help. Now. Read below and pass on to everyone, let's see how fast we can get this around the world via the internet. If you are reading this and finding out about us and our project and community for the first time, welcome and stay in touch, and thanks.

Consider this: At a bad economic time of recession. At a time in our Tulsa area when community centers have been closed down, especially in our lowest income areas like ours. At a time when parks which are so critical to the life and health of communities and families have had budgets slashed. At a time when our state is dead last as the healthiest state. When our 74126 zip code has the lowest life expectancy in our area. When 40 percent of the vacant residential properties in our two mile radius have been abandoned, not for rent or for sale. When we live in a healthy food desert. When a recent survey we helped coordinate with OU showed a third of the respondents in our area feel insecure about feeding themselves and their families with healthy food. When nothing new is beginning for our children, and instead our schools are cutting out teachers, programs, in ways not seen before in our history...

...Being a group of "crazy" local northside residents in this area, we believe another world, another community, another response is possible. So working with the University of Oklahoma Graduate Design Studio and the University of Oklahoma Graduate Social Work Department which helped us with our initial brainstorming and dreams and project we are developing plans for a place for extensive community gardening, gazebo for entertaining, space for families, a living kitchen right by the garden where people who grow can cook and dehydrate healthy food on the space, where we can have cooking lessons, nutrition demonstration, even outdoors community health classes, community meals, play equipment, a firepit, where folks can watch fireworks and the stars at night, where it will be an outdoors "third place" environment, sustainable, bringing hope. So...

We, A Third Place Community, now have a chance to purchase a city block, an acre, up on a hilltop overlooking downtown Tulsa, at 60th and N. Johnstown Ave. where two abandoned homes are rundown and abandoned. Right across from where one of our community gardens started last summer is now located. A location bridging two ethnically diverse neighborhoods, one incorporated in the city of Tulsa and one in the unincorporated Turley part, where people and school children walk.

We have had our offer of $15,000 accepted for the property, paid in cash at closing. Now to make it real we have to raise the funds as soon as we can. Which means we have to ask everyone for help and to pass this on to their email lists and social media in order for us to reach our goal:

Be a part of this groundbreaking, ground transforming initiative, at this time, and at this place. Be a part of the group that makes another world possible. People from right here, and from around the country and even the world have a chance to make this real, to be listed on our sign at the site of Welcome Kitchen Garden Park Givers. Your name, your family, your children's names, those whom you want to give it in honor to or memory of.

We need as soon as possible to raise the $15,000, even as the OU Design Studio is finishing up the plans and visuals that we will pass on as soon as they are completed.

We need just one person to give $15,000, or 15 people to give $1,000, or 150 people to give $100. That is how we make it real. Be a part of this opportunity, right now, to be a part of this original list of Garden Park Givers. Reply and let all know you are helping. Let's raise it by Easter, April 4. Talk about a resurrection of hope and spirit of life. Pass this notice on to all and let them know you are contributing at what amount and give them a chance to change the world too between now and Easter. We want it to be a global connecting park with donors from around the world.

Send checks made out to A Third Place Community Foundation to 6514 N. Peoria Ave., Turley, OK 74126. We are a 501c3 non profit organization. Sorry we don't have an online donation avenue possible yet, but don't let that stop you. Do it the old-fashioned way.
Send a message that another response, another world, another kind of community is possible.

Go to http://www.turleyok.blogspot.com/ or become a fan of us on Facebook and follow how we are doing, what we have done, and our activities coming up and dreams. This initiative is a great one, but even greater is on the way.

Pledge, donate, surprise yourself and the world and all those who don't know that a small group of dedicated citizens can change the world. Pass on the Possibility.

Thanks so much,

Ron Robinson
A Third Place Community
"small acts of justice done with great love change the world"
6514 N. Peoria Ave.
918-794-4637, 691-3223, 430-1150

Coming Events in Our Area For You

Please come participate in building community life in the Turley and surrounding area. Your presence brings hope to others. If you have an event to add leave it in the comments section. And feel free to sign up to follow our blog and get notices when we update. Big news coming soon.

Monday and Friday mornings, our Health Clinic for All, by University of Oklahoma Community Medicine.

Tuesday, March 23: Community Academy. Free classes and free meal with OU graduate students. Bring an idea you would like to get help with? Come learn relationship and leadership skills. Add to your resume. Job skills. 5:30 to 8 pm. All ages 14 and up. RSVP if you can at 794-4637 or thirdplaceturley@aol.com or just stop by that night. Those who come for all four sessions get a ceretificate of completion. Other sesssions will be held March 30 and April 20 and 27.

Wednesday, March 24, 6 pm Volunteer and Work Day at the Center getting ready for OU leadership visit. Free Pizza.

Friday, March 26, 10 am Come show appreciation for the OU Health Clinic and the many programs and partnerships we have with OU. The OU Leadership Staff Institute will be visiting in Turley. Spread the word and let's welcome OU to Turley area. It will be a great time to hear of our partnership and the many programs and new things to come in our area with OU.

Saturday, March 27, 10 am. Come make a welcoming home for Cherokee Elementary students as we do a cleanup and planting of more flowers in the beds we started last fall, and as we help with their vegetable community gardens. 6001 N. Peoria. Help our children start the day with a beautiful environment to walk past as they begin their studies.

Sunday, March 28, 10 am LivingRoomChurch holds worship at the Center and has a special Seminary Sunday discussing excerpts from the video of First Light: Jesus and the Kingdom of God featuring biblical scholars Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan. Look at historical insights of Jesus and Holy Week events and how progressive Christians build lives of faith and social change rooted in the biblical stories.

Tuesday, March 30, 5:30 to 8 pm both OU Turley Community Academy, free meal, and a special meeting of the Turley Community Association as part of the class, at the Center. See how the community association is working to improve the quality of life in our area.

Thursday, April 1 Maundy Thursday 6:30 pm Communion Service.

Friday, April 2 5:30 pm "From Turley to TU" community coalitions meeting, Tulsa Community College Northeast, Apache and Harvard, with State Rep. Seneca Scott.

Saturday, April 3 Easter Eve Party 11 am to 3 pm Garden Party at Rev. Ron Robinson and Dr. Bonnie Ashing, 563 E. 63rd St. N.

Tuesday, April 6, 6:30 pm Arts and Crafts Gathering at the Center. Bringing art to the community.

Saturday, April 10, 8 to 10 am Community Benefit Pancakes and More Breakfast $5 or more donation to help the Center stay open and grow our programs.

Saturday, April 10, 10 am to Noon Community Gardening and random acts of kindness and beauty.

Tuesday, April 13, 6:30 pm Let Turley Bloom Movie and Meal and Discussion, "SuperSize Me" and community gardening

Saturday, April 17, 10 am. Gardening Party at Cherokee School, 6001 N. Peoria; 2 pm Saving Pets of Turley, at A Third Place.

Tuesdays April 20 and 27, 5:30 to 8 pm Community Academy, free class on relationship and leadership and helping with your projects and ideas.

Wednesday

FYI: Community Calendar Info Below and Invite To Important Benefit Breakfast Sat. March 13 We Need Your Support

It is time for our next All Community Benefit Healthy and Tasty Breakfast, pancakes and cereal and fruit and eggs and more, this Saturday from 8 to 10 am at A Third Place Community Center, 6514 N. Peoria Ave. $5 donation for all you care to eat. Benefits our nonprofit Center and our work toward justice and reconciliation, health and community development. Afterwards from 10 am to noon we will also be getting one of our community gardens going again for the season, this time up on the hillside at 60th and N. Johnstown, and all are welcome to come and help after breakfast or join us at the site, weather permitting, if you can't make it for breakfast. And spread the word by passing this email on to your email lists, and Facebook, blogs, etc.

If you have community news to share bring it, (we might focus on work at McLain High School this time too) though breakfast is primarily for building relationships and celebrating our connections to help us do the work together the rest of the month in between the breakfasts.

We have just finished one project this semester with the OU graduate social work students here in our area, working toward a new community website and information project that is getting closer; we are still working with OU Graduate Design Studio on a project right across from the community garden site, to transform a city block and abandoned homes into a new community space, and have been meeting with them on other projects, as we have also been connecting students with entrepreneurs in the area to help them research ways we can promote the merging of social and economic capital...

Our next big news will be the free Community Academy with OU that will meet here for all fourteen years old and up to help with leadership skills, organizing communities, etc. on Tuesdays March 23 and 30 and April 20 and 27, free meal included, from 5:30 to 8 pm taught by OU Social Work grad students. See attached flier and help us promote it. A chance for all to learn and grow, and for our youth especially to learn some organizing and relationship skills, or for any interested in pursuing a project or dream.

The clinic from OU is open every Monday and Friday here. Come by if you can on Friday, March 26 10 am to 11 am as we show some OU officials around and show them your support for our all volunteer work.

Oh and we received a Keep Oklahoma Beautiful grant that will go toward planting and beautification and work on the Welcome signs in our area, and we will have a litter pickup day on Saturday May 1 as part of unveiling the new sign work.

We thank all who helped us transform Cherokee School landscape and gardens last Fall and it is time for taking it to the next level and finishing some projects so we will be gathering Saturday April 17 10 am for a few hours of gardening.

Who knows? Maybe we can provide one model of creating from grassroots new community centers that can be helpful to the City of Tulsa as it and community groups within it triy to figure out how to support community centers in changing times.

You can follow along with A Third Place more at our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Third-Place-Community-Center/286321927878. or at www.turleyok.blogspot.com There you can read our latest history, mission, vision, values, partners, and projects, and dream section. It is pretty close to our frequently asked questions.

Celebrating all you all are and all you do,
Ron Robinson
430-1150, 691-3223, 794-4637

Friday

Free Showing of Food, Inc Award winning documentary Tuesday Mar. 9

Come to the center Tuesday, March 9 at 6:30 pm for free meal, showing of Food Inc documentary about food deserts and food justice and health in our communities, and stay for planning about our Center community gardens and orchards and food projects. Spread the word. Bring friends.

Come Join Free Art Project For All in Community Tulsa North and Turley

All Ages Invited---Community Art Event
Sat. Mar. 6, 10-2, free

Art of Turley/Heart of Turley

For all in the North Tulsa, Turley surrounding area. Supplies in all media provided, or bring your own, work together on community project or on your own arts and crafts. Meet Others. Lunch Provided.
Facilitators: Clara Corn & Bonnie Ashing
Special Art Exhibit at The Center’s Gallery
Come To A Third Place Community Center
6514 N. Peoria 794-4637 www.turleyok.blogspot.com
Stay For Same Day Event: OU-Turley Partnership/Projects Community Information and Connections

Welcome To A Third Place Community Center and Foundation in Turley/Tulsa North

A Third Place Community Center
History, Mission, Values, Vision

A 501c3 grassroots volunteer-based community development initiative
for Tulsa’s northern-edge neighborhoods
6514 N. Peoria Ave. Turley OK 74126; 918-794-4637

Our Name: “A Third Place” refers to the types of public civic spaces where people meet with those who are different in many ways from themselves, for forming community spirit and connections for the greater community life. The “first place” may be the home; the “second place” may be work or a religious body or association of like-minded people; the “third place” is a diverse, and free, community space.

Our History: In January 2007 a handful of Turley area residents, having met as a church that had begun in the area in 2004, decided to transform themselves by moving and renting a larger space to create a free community center for all residents living in a two mile radius, primarily in zip codes 74126, 74130. A Third Place Community Center was born. At the same time we began work toward creating partnerships and our new non-profit community development foundation. In Fall 2009 the A Third Place Community Foundation received its IRS status. Although members of a single church began it, and office space is rented and shared with a national religious organization, Board members now have a variety of faith affiliations and the Foundation is not categorized as faith-based. Below are listed many projects and partnerships to date.

Our Service Area: A two mile radius—from 46th to 86th Sts North, and Highway 75 to Osage County Line---was chosen because it is the area in which our residents live, primarily shop, go to school, use services, and many work. It is also a bridge area connecting incorporated and unincorporated urban neighborhoods of great ethnic and age diversity. We are in the area of greatest poverty and lowest life expectancy in the Tulsa area.

Our Mission: To Change The World Though Small Acts of Justice Done with Great Love.

Our Vision: Creating many diverse kinds of “a third place” centers and connections for the development of community life, especially in areas of greatest social fragmentation.

Our Values: Welcoming All Who Welcome All. Creating Safe and Civil Space For Building Relationships Across Divides of Race, Age, Gender, Sexual Orientation, Physical Abilities, Economic Conditions, Political Persuasions, Religious Affiliations, and National Origins. Dedicated to Sustainability in our Native, Natural Environment, and in promoting “smart growth”.

Our Guiding “4Rs” Principles: Retaining Residents while developing community life. Re-location (of people, families, services, businesses, etc.) into our currently abandoned, neglected, underserved, low-income areas. Re-Distribution of Justice, Health, Goods, Spirit, Hidden Resources of Strength. Reconciliation among separated people, families, neighborhoods, races and cultures, religions, and other groups.

Our Current Projects: The Community Center Meeting Space For Making New Friends and Dreaming New Dreams…OU Community Medicine Clinic…Community Resource Information…Our Own Library….Free Internet Center….Food Pantry, including dog food…Giving Room for clothing and other items….Art Gallery…Music Coffeehouse Concerts…Community Meals and Feeding and Nutrition Programs….Children's Area and Library….Television watching and Game Playing….Community Festivals and Holiday Celebrations….Community meetings….Community development service-learning projects between residents and OU graduate students….Nutrition Class, Diabetes Class, other classes as part of grassroots Community Academy….Sewing Project…Arts and Crafts Gatherings and Projects….Let Turley Bloom community gardening and community orchard and roadside beauty….12 Step Recovery….Saving Pets of Turley

Our Current Partnerships: OU Graduate School of Social Work…...OU Community Medicine…..Cherokee Elementary School…OBrien Park…Turley Community Association….Healthy Cornerstore Initiatives….McLain High School Initiative….North Tulsa Economic Development Initiative….House District 72 Community Coalitions “from Turley to TU”….TU SEED Law Clinic….OU Tulsa Urban Design Studio…. The Living Room Church….Turley United Methodist Church…Unitarian Universalist Christian Fellowship…The Lighthouse 12-Step Recovery….North Tulsa Farmers Market….Pending partnership with the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma.

Our Dreams: 1. Purchase and renew the historic but abandoned 10,500 square foot Turley Methodist Church building and properties near 59th and N Peoria to expand into and create a Community Center for Body, Mind, Spirit, moving and transforming our clinic and current projects into this newer better space with room to grow new projects connected with our community gardens and food justice work; 2. purchase and transform a hilltop acre at 60th and N. Johnstown overlooking downtown, a “city block”, with two abandoned dilapidated homes and transform the space into The LivingKitchen Garden Pocket Park for growing, cooking, teaching, feeding, celebrating, bridging two neighborhoods, one incorporated and one not; 3. create one or more “healthy cornerstores” in our center and in other areas of our service boundary; 4. Grow Staff Capacity to support current and future projects; 5. Create additional A Third Place Centers, either in building spaces of their own such as in the McLain Shopping Center, or in existing businesses and schools or spaces used by existing groups, and in non-building spaces such as our community gardens or in other public spaces…..

…..All so every neighborhod has a free community center within walking distance, and has volunteer trained neighborhood community health associates and designated resource responders within walking distance.

New Website under construction as project of OU graduate students and the Center; in meantime see http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Third-Place-Community-Center/286321927878 and www.turleyok.blogspot.com. Contact thirdplaceturley@aol.com or RevRonRobinson@aol.com

Our Leadership: Executive Director, currently volunteer: Rev. Ron Robinson, Turley.
Board members: Dr. Lisa Byers, Owasso and originally from north Tulsa; Marcy Janitz, Turley,; Dr. Bonnie Ashing, Turley; Julie Sansone, Turley; Chris Sansone, Turley; Gwen Goff, north Tulsa; Linda Taylor, north Tulsa; Jim Webb, Turley.

Our Members and Governance: We are a voluntary association. Membership is open and needed by all, individuals and institutions, within or beyond our service area. Members elect the Board which operates the Foundation between Annual or Special Membership Meetings. Membership Forms are available at the Center or currently by calling 918-794-4637 or emailing thirdplaceturley@aol.com.

Our Thanks For Your Interest, Support, and Partnership As We Dream Another World Into Being

Welcome OU-Turley/North Tulsa Community Project and Free Art Program Saturday March 6

Come to the A Third Place Center, 6514 N. Peoria Ave., Saturday March 6 from 10 am to 2 pm for two Big Events for the community. Free. Lunch provided.

Come find out what community projects are going on, and meet with OU Tulsa graduate students who are working with community residents on these projects through the Community Center. Stay for lunch catered by Elote Restaurant, local organic Mexican restaurant, and from Turley's Simple Simons. Also during the 10-2 time residents will be working on a community art project with individuals and families all ages. It will meet in The Giving Room space while the OU Community project is going on in the main room of the Center.

Welcome to the northernedge of Tulsa and relationships building a better community for all.

We will be hearing presentations on community gardens, beautification programs, food justice and food pantry programs, animal assistance projects, community involvement initiative, and more. We are working on a new community website and information exhibits.

Don't miss it.

794-4637 or 691-3223 for more information. Just stop by when you can. Spread the word.