By Jamannie Morgan
AFRO Intern
jmorgan@afro.com
Associated Black Charities (ABC), an organization focused on racial equity, will host their next Community Convo on Feb. 19 in Cherry Hill to address public safety and resources for elderly residents.
The Cherry Hill Community Convo will take place at MedStar Harbor Hospital’s Baum Auditorium at 6 p.m. and will continue connecting neighborhoods with existing resources available in their communities.
“Our goal is to hear from the community, not just about their issues, but also about the resources they already have right there in their neighborhoods,” Thornton said. “That allows us to amplify what’s working and position those efforts to receive more funding and support.”
During ABC’s most recent Community Convo in the Hamilton community, food insecurity emerged as a major concern. Thornton said the discussion revealed a gap in awareness rather than a lack of services.
“We had several food providers and food pantries represented in the room,” she said. “People just didn’t know those resources existed in their own community.”
The Cherry Hill Community Convo on Feb. 19 marks the organization’s third time returning to the neighborhood.
Thornton said the conversation will focus on public safety and resources for elderly residents, two issues residents have consistently raised amid recent incidents of violent crime in the area.
As part of the event, ABC will screen a short documentary highlighting a longtime Cherry Hill resident known as “Termite,” followed by an open community dialogue about neighborhood needs, safety concerns and resident-led solutions.
Thornton said the Community Convos are a time for residents to talk about their concerns, but also their resiliency and triumphs.
“There’s been a lot of violent crime happening in Cherry Hill,” Thornton said. “But we also want to talk about all the things they have happening in Cherry Hill through their own self-determination.”
Thornton said ABC’s approach to the Community Convo series prioritizes listening over a focus on simply directing a discussion.
“Our secret sauce is listening more than we talk,” she said. “Sometimes the conversation shifts in real time, and people in the room can help solve real community issues.”
Thornton said she hopes attendees leave the Feb. 19 conversation feeling empowered and hopeful.
“We want people to walk away feeling like they can solve their own community issues,” she said. “The resources are available and within reach.”
Thornton said the long-term goal is to reshape how community conversations function by giving everyday residents consistent access to resources and decision-makers.
“For too long, these conversations have been centered around election cycles or a few people holding power,” she said. “This is about shifting power back into neighborhoods.”