WALMART FOUNDATION/UPLIFT ENGAGEMENT During the East Berry Corridor Planning Study, a wide array of partners and stakeholders were involved including the Uplift Mighty Academy, Walmart Super Center, William M. McDonald YMCA, Renaissance Heights Foundation and the ACH children and Family Services. Topics involving the safety of youth going to and from school, congestion, and how area stakeholders could engage with the community needs were discussed. Stakeholders began holing meetings to explore potential solutions. The initial solutions proposed sought to address a challenge around less than preferable pedestrian and vehicle traffic patterns to and from the area Walmart. The City of Fort Worth study team facilitated a series of meetings with the stakeholders who were committed to finding workable solutions. After a bit of back and forth on various proposals, a paradigm shift occurred when an additional partner, Dr. Wayne Cohen, CEO of ACH Children and Family Services, suggested shifting focus to solutions that provide a positive intervention with the potential to offer enrichment for area students and that also could engage the entire community. This recommendation gained support of the other stakeholders leading to a more holistic solution, with more long-term viability. The resulting proposal presented by the YMCA featured three key components: z Providing teen memberships to students of Uplift Mighty; including access to the YMCA facility, sports, post high school readiness, childcare, and programs z Establishing a before and after care for Uplift Mighty students, including transportation z Developing redirection of student/parent traffic patterns to and from the school; away from the Walmart parking lot and store The proposal has gained the support of the East Berry area with many community members volunteering to assist with providing a safe path from school to the YMCA. Additionally, Walmart offered to sponsor memberships through United Way to the local YMCA to encourage students and parents to drop off and pick up students at the YMCA.
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