Connecting Caring Communities is a grassroots community renewal organization in Abilene Texas. Established in 2005 CCC is an independent non-profit group. It was inspired by Shreveport-Bossier Community Renewal. Three strategies are form the core of the CCC model: Caring Team, Haven House and Friendship Houses.
Caring Teams seek to connect Abilene’s caring people. It seeks to build sense of community by focusing on the positive not just the sensational. The Caring Team is a community wide intuitive.
The Haven House stragtey targets all neighborhoods. In an age of instant communication with others world wide we often fail to make connections with those who live next door. Haven Houses seek to turn neighborhoods from groups of strangers into connected communties. Haven House volunteer leaders host block parties, help neighbors find community resources, provide a listening ear or just be friend to their neighbors.
Friendship Houses target Abilene’s most vulnerable neighborhoods. Coordinators and their families live in houses in these communities. They seek to rebuild these neighborhoods from the by developing meaningful relationships, connecting neighbors with community resources, working with neighborhood leaders to improve the area and serving their neighbors. Currently, CCC staffs Friendship Houses in the College Heights and North Park neighborhoods. As student tutored in both of these neighborhoods and helped sponsor an annual Christmas party. I was struck by the need in this area. Many of my students needed more than just tutoring. They often lacked the basics like school supplies, food and other things many of us take for granted. Friendship Houses seek to provide longterm solutions for underlying problems not just treat the symptons.
The Dee Zone 