‘Making Cities Work is a blueprint for the citizen action that America’s cities need.’
William Thomson, Jr., Mayor, Pasadena, California
‘Drug abuse often prevents the best of employment programs from succeeding. The Woods have had the necessary realism to mobilize a community to face both needs.’
Ibrahim Naeem, Director, Urban League, Pasadena
‘John Wood was able to bring to the school district, the city college and the city government an objectivity that forced us to think of the whole and bring the community skills center into being.’
Kathryn Nack, Pasadena City Council
‘ln recent years in Pasadena there has been a lot of conflict in decision-ma king areas. Nothing gets done until you have people like these whose motivation has been truly directed to transcendent values of the community.’
Nicholas Rodriguez, Pasadena Deputy City Attorney
This inspiring story describes how the initiative of a dedicated couple made a difference in their town. ln the words of Marjorie Wyatt, an experienced community leader, ‘The ambience, the feelings, the sensitivities of Pasadena have changed.’ Quietly and persistently Denise and John Wood went about uniting fellow citizens to come to grips with the problems facing their community: drugs, high unemployment among minority youth, and children raised in poverty without proper recourse to health care. The success of the various programs generated through their efforts gives heart to ail who would hope to impact their own neighbourhoods.
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