Jul 26, 2018 3 min read

A couple of decades ago, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton helped to make the phrase “it takes a village to raise a child” popular with the release of her book by that name, which laid out her vision of Americans working together for the greater good.

While Clinton has been a polarizing figure throughout her public life, the message still resonates. And it seems to have in Washington – Pennsylvania, that is, not D.C.

Earlier this month, several Washington residents raised concerns about the safety and condition of the Seventh Ward Playground on Donnan Avenue. In what should be a place to play has become a place to vandalize and loiter. Nearby residents told City Council earlier this month that they’re worried about what the condition of the playground is doing to the safety of the neighborhood.

At the urging of the residents and city police, council voted July 12 to close the playground until a solution could be found.

While the playground’s closure will give police the ability to cite or arrest trespassers, it doesn’t change the overarching problem. But the community has since responded by working hard to take back the playground.

The Dreamers Company, a nonprofit collaboration of churches, brought several youth group students to the park last week to clean up the park, investing more than $12,000 in labor and materials to spruce up the damage done by vandalism and neglect. Volunteers laid down several truckloads of mulch, picked up garbage and trimmed overgrown trees and bushes to help with visibility from the road. The group also wants to install new lights and improve the park’s playground equipment.

The community could have stopped there and moved on to other problem areas around the city and county. Instead, local leaders doubled-down on their efforts, with MJ Markley and Suzanne Kelley holding a town hall-style meeting Saturday to discuss what can be done to keep Seventh Ward Playground and other city parks in pristine condition and welcoming to residents.

Some initial ideas, which will be shared with City Council next month, include upgrading equipment and offering programs for children.

This is just a start, but it’s invigorating to see the community come together to find a solution to a problem rather than just complaining about it. Imagine if that passion was transferred to other problems in our society.

Our little villages could do much more than just raise a child.