Vision Smoketown began as a volunteer based community-canvassing project conceived after Kentuckians For The Commonwealth (KFTC) relocated our Jefferson County office to the Smoketown neighborhood in July 2013. During this time, members of the Jefferson County Chapter’s Economic Justice team were focusing their attention on local affordable housing issues. After moving to Smoketown, the team wanted to understand the desires and needs of Smoketown residents within the changing dynamics of Louisville. From May through August 2014, KFTC members and volunteers went door to door in the Smoketown neighborhood collecting responses to a 51-question survey developed in partnership with Center For Neighborhoods. KFTC collected a total of 140 survey responses and continued building relationships with community members during three Smoketown community cookouts held in the backyard of KFTC offices during the summer of 2014 and our Smoketown GetDown for Democracy a block party held on September 19, 2014. This canvassing project has evolved into working with residents in defining problems and issues in order to develop strategies that bring positive changes in the neighborhood and to its residents’ everyday lives. KFTC believes that providing a means to convey a community’s voice can lead to a more collaborative community vision and will help develop future neighborhood leaders
