Category: Community
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It’s What Comes Next
By: Selina Pedi-Smith, Pellere Foundation The demolition work inside Seneca Plaza’s smaller building is almost complete – and the transformation is already spectacular! The previously claustrophobic hodge-podge of internal dividing walls is gone, and what’s left is one bright, open, and airy blank slate. For the first time in a long time, you can actually… Read more
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Where the Echo Still Lingers: Part Two
By: Selina Pedi-Smith, Pellere Foundation Two weeks ago, we asked a simple question: Where are your memories held? We asked for your moments, your places, your stories. Your reminders of what matters, and why it’s worth remembering. And sure enough, some started coming in. Reminiscing in Rockland shared the importance of a playground: “There’s this… Read more
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Where the Echo Still Lingers
If you’ve ever had a flat tire, a busted mower, or a car that made a noise no one could quite diagnose… there’s a good chance Bruce Donaldson took a look at it. For fifty years, he’s been the mechanic down on River Avenue in Emlenton – with grease on his hands and stories for… Read more
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Redevelopment: 3 Pitfalls Worth Rethinking
Selina Pedi-Smith, Pellere Foundation If you’ve ever raised an eyebrow at the word “redevelopment,” you’re not alone. We’ve all seen the news stories where we know something just ain’t right. Fly-by-night developers. Big, flashy ideas that seem totally out of place in a community. Here in our own region, let’s be honest – the biggest… Read more
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Conversations in Motion: What We Learned on a Thursday Afternoon in Emlenton
Selina Pedi-Smith, Pellere Foundation It started as a simple plan: take a walk, capture some video footage, and talk about how different brains and personalities work together to build community. It turned into one of those seemingly-simple but deeply impactful afternoons that left me feeling a little lighter, a little clearer, and even more grateful… Read more
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Building Community, One Cup at a Time
For the past two weeks, we’ve explored how smart investments—whether in businesses, public spaces, or at home—shape the future of our communities. This week, we’re bringing that idea to life with a story about one local business owner who saw an opportunity, took a risk, and built something that is now an essential part of… Read more
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Smart Investments: How Thoughtful Choices Today Create a Stronger Future
Why do people buy quality tools instead of the cheapest option? Why do they spend time hunting, fishing, or gardening when the grocery store is right there? Because they know that making an investment upfront saves money, frustration, and time down the road. But beyond the practical benefits, there’s also a deep sense of accomplishment… Read more
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Investing Isn’t Just Money—It’s What We Choose to Care About
Most people don’t think of themselves as “investors.” That’s for big companies, real estate moguls, and people in fancy suits, right? But…we all invest in things, even if we don’t call it that. You buy quality work boots because they last longer. You fix the porch now instead of waiting for it to fall apart,… Read more
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Seeing Progress: A Designer’s Perspective on Community & Change
When I was younger, I thought I would end up in a city. I grew up in a small town, and like a lot of people, I imagined that my future was somewhere bigger—somewhere with more opportunities, more energy, more everything. But as it turns out, city life wasn’t for me. Instead, I found myself… Read more
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The Work of Change: Progress, Possibility, and What Comes Next
Selina Pedi-Smith with Isaias Gomez, Pellere Foundation When you’re deep in the cleanup of a long-neglected house, you learn to see progress in small victories—another wall stripped to the studs, another load of debris hauled away, a little light breaking through where there used to be none. For Isaias Gomez, who’s been hard at work… Read more
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Turning Blight into Bright: How Restoring Homes Revitalizes Communities Turning Blight into Bright
You probably see them every day. They’re in every town, sometimes on almost every street. The houses with peeling paint, sagging roofs, and yards where the weeds have taken over. They’re hard to miss, and if we’re being honest, they can feel like a thorn in the side of an otherwise beautiful street, but here’s… Read more
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Breathing New Life into 403 W 2nd St: Pellere Foundation’s First Blight Remediation Project
By Selina Pedi-Smith The Pellere Foundation is thrilled to announce the beginning of our first blight remediation project at 403 W 2nd St, a once-stunning Victorian home in the heart of Oil City. This property, generously donated by Sadie McLaughlin and her brother Ian McLaughlin, represents both a challenge and an opportunity—a chance to breathe… Read more