Welcome to Raleigh Parks!

Parks departments across the country bring people together all the time, whether it’s through an adult writing class, preschool soccer class, or even just new playground equipment. As kids negotiate turns down a slide, or someone bravely reads an essay draft aloud, we make new friends, and experience new things. All thanks to parks departments.

As the Raleigh Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources Department (Raleigh Parks) considered new ways to break down barriers in their city, they decided to connect two communities within a single zip code.

Welcome to Raleigh Parks

Two primary communities live in one Raleigh zip code: immigrants and refugees from Central and South America and U.S.-born families receiving financial assistance to participate in Raleigh Parks’ programs. Both use Raleigh Parks programming for child care needs, but don’t participate much in other offerings, of which there are many. Across Raleigh’s 200 parks, they have classes and events in aquatics, arts, athletics, nature education, health and wellness, and more. We know that recreational activity has positive impacts on physical, emotional, and social health and well-being, so Raleigh Parks created a program that would both bring these communities together and introduce them to all recreation programs, activities, and resources that are available to the community. Welcome to Raleigh Parks was built as a low-stakes—and very fun—way for families to experience new things and engage with neighbors they might not otherwise meet.

The eight families that made up the first Welcome to Raleigh Parks program learned about the place they call home on a historic tour of the city, got a futsal lesson and ate pizza, and went fishing, among other activities. During a ceramics class, it became clear that no one had done anything like that before. Together, these eight families were trying new things.

Making Welcome to Raleigh Parks accessible was critical to its success. Raleigh Parks staff made sure there was food, provided transportation, and always had Spanish interpretation. The families that participated also received a gift card to be used to sign up for future Raleigh Parks programs.

Bonded Through Bread and Flan

While everyone had fun at events, it wasn’t until the fifth one—a community gardening and cooking class—where the barriers really broke down. The plan was to learn about growing food and to make bread and jam. As was the case for every event, there was a schedule, but “clean dough off every surface” wasn’t on the agenda.

The event was chaotic, loud, and very messy. Everything was taking longer than they’d anticipated, flour was everywhere, and kids were throwing dough around. Raleigh Parks staff were stressed and worried that they would be frustrating the families that they cared so much about.

But in a moment of regroup, the staff looked around and realized that everyone was having a blast. The kids were all playing together, and the parents and caregivers were socializing. Importantly, everyone was laughing. It was a turning point. As the rest of the events came together, there was more connection and less structured time.

Food was, and always is, a great uniter. Eating together creates a different level of intimacy, and shared meals were important to facilitate those moments. At the end of the three months, they held a potluck to celebrate and mark the end of the program. Staff compiled a recipe book with submissions from each family of dishes meaningful to them. The potluck included foods from the recipe book. Some folks got to try flan for the first time, and no surprise, everyone loved it.

A Zip Code Becomes a Community

When Welcome to Raleigh Parks began, these groups may have been neighbors, but they weren’t a community. As the program went on, and more dough was thrown, they were given more shared experiences that fostered empathy for each other.

Take Sherry and Ashley as an example—two single mothers who lived within a few blocks of each other. Since participating in Welcome to Raleigh Parks, they support one another with the responsibilities of parenting, like carpooling and childcare; but they also get to share in the joys as their kids grow together. Because if one thing is clear, nothing is more equalizing than seeing kids–who so rarely see differences–goof around.

Welcome to Raleigh Parks was such a success that Raleigh Parks continued the program after their On Common Ground pilot project. Beyond the project, Raleigh Parks continued to find ways to more equitably spend their parks budget to better serve residents.