This chapter lays out the personal experiences of the author who began work as a volunteer at Casita Maria Settlement House on Simpson Street in the South Bronx in early 1970s; took a full time job there as a social worker in the mid-seventies; and moved into the area at a time when landlord abandonment and arson were destroying a culturally rich and vibrant community. While still working at the Settlement House, the author began organizing residents of the area, culminating in the creation of one of the premier self-help housing groups of that era: Banana Kelly Community Improvement Association, Inc. This group went on to develop over 1,000 units of affordable housing, train thousands of youth and adults in the construction trades, and provide valuable services to thousands of residents.
