Denise Porter
"Albion is more than just a zip code and lines on a map to define it. There is such a variety of great people here that that really want to do well, do great things, give back to others. It is a very caring place"
Interview
“I’ll have you state your name, where your from, and how old you are”
“My name is Denise Porter; I’m from Albion, and I am 49 years old”
“So, I already asked you, you're from Albion, how long have you been a citizen of Albion?”
“47 years”
“What are you involved with within the community? This could be jobs, extracurriculars...”
“I work here at the Albion Community Foundation. I work at St. James Episcopal Church. I am a member of Albion Area Philanthropic Women. My husband and I are members of the Historical Society”
“Are there any big projects you're working on currently, events, anything like that?”
“Well through the foundation, with our work, we are working on a lot of park revitalization, to bring new and updated things in each park around the community so that's been a big job at work right now is getting the funding to match that. So we can make things happen like the recent splash pad on the west side of town. So that’s been very exciting to see happen”
“Cool. So, it seems like you are pretty involved and I know you’re also involved in Kids 'N' Stuff with the new event coming up, but I kinda wanted to ask like, what’s your why? Why are you so involved in Albion? Why do you choose to be a part of so much?”
“I guess my why would be, I guess you mentioned the Kids ‘N Stuff event, I’m on the planning committee for their auction fundraiser in September, when I look at like that event, that’s a place my family, I took children when they were growing up that we enjoyed and it was a neat place, and I want to be able to give that longevity to museum for others. So I guess my why am I involved is because I was born and raised here and had great experiences and upbringings. And want to ensure that that is here for more generations”
“So, I kind of, I’m having each interviewee choose their own location or a few even at that. So, kind of expanding upon that, why did you choose this location?”
“My office here at the Foundation is a rather quiet space, but it is a very busy place. There is a lot of behind the scenes work that the director and I do in addition to the park project with the matching funds that we are raising, the community foundation is based on grant making to non-profits, so this is kind of a pivotal point where nonprofits can come and apply for funding for programming to do in the community for citizens. And it is quite a process if you're not in the know or a part of it but a lot of projects and activities for the community we have a hand in so to speak"
“So, kind of expanding more on Albion and how you're involved in, what is Albion to you? Are there specific people, locations, feelings, like what makes Albion?”
“Albion is a very unique place. For me, both my parents were employed in Albion. My dad worked at Union Steel and was a factory worker for years and that provided for my family. My mom worked at City Bank right downtown on main street. So, having grown up, not only did I live here and go to school here. This was, this community is what provided for our family. So I think that that continues, it's also, the people. Albion is more than just a zip code and lines on a map to define it. There is such a variety of great people here that that really want to do well, do great things, give back to others. It is a very caring place"
“So, kind of moving forward a little bit by circling around. Would you consider Albion to be your home? And why”
“Definitely. In addition to the fact that I have lived here for all but two years of my life, it is home. It’s that comfort of of knowing people, and familiar places. You know I, it's fun to go and visit and meet new people and travel and see new places, but there is always something special about coming home. Cause this, Albion is what made who I am and who my children are, and that that sense is just really important”
“So, you’ve hit on it, I’m going to ask you anyways, because why not. What does Albion mean to you?”
“Albion is home, it’s just that simple for me”
“So, kind of expanding outside of this knowledge and love for Albion, I was wondering in what ways do you think Albion could improve?”
“You know, no matter where you are there are always room for improvement. I think one of the ways we as Albionites need to strive for is better communication with each other. There are many well intended people and organizations, but we don’t always necessarily talk to each other to have a larger collective impact. And I think if we could break out of that stereotype of ownership, I own this event or this is my territory, we could have a bigger and more robust community as we work across those those different lines. You know I said, there is great work in multiple places but to duplicate it is to kind of, it happens, and in a way it’s unavoidable, but if we were to work together and get that communication to see that, maybe we could take on some other projects and have bigger goals for ourselves instead redoing things so much”
“So last question I have for you, and you can take a minute if you’d like. I’d like you to describe Albion in one word. And if you could start the sentence with ‘Albion is…’”
“It is going to sound repetitious, but Albion is home. If I had to choose two words I would have to say Albion is caring”