How "Giftivism" Helped Turn a Tough Oakland Street Into a Close-Knit Community

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The Fruitvale district of East Oakland, California, is the turf of three major gangs. Yet the residents of Casa de Paz never lock their doors. Anchored by Pancho Ramos Stierle and Adelaja Simon, Casa de Paz is part of a group of homes that form an intentional community of peace and nonviolence in an area rife with structural and physical violence.

In order to serve their community, they live with the people—laugh with them, cry with them, and eat with them. They embody "giftivism," practicing radical acts of generosity that change the world, one heart, one home, one block at a time.

http://www.yesmagazine.org/happiness/casa-de-paz-giftivism-close-knit-community