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March/April 2010
Carla Dawkins: A Valuable
Community Resource
by Betty Banks
 The very
young sounding voice on the other end of the phone when called was
Carla Dawkins. She was also peppy and very energetic. This Mother of
two and Grandmother of two is a Chicago native and came to Madison
when she landed a job as a Leasing Consultant at the Old Gaslight
Square apartment complex.
First American Properties hired her and so she uprooted her two
daughters in 1999 and moved to Madison. The job included the apartment
they moved into. "I was on a mission", she says with pride in her
voice. "I wanted certain things to happen for my family and me, so I
worked two jobs to accomplish those goals".
In 2006 she moved to the Allied Drive neighborhood and at first she
asked herself, "What have I gotten myself into?" She was dismayed
about the drug and gang activity but at the same time encouraged by
the neighborhood residents who had launched a campaign to "move
forward and not out"
The marches through the neighborhood and the interest she saw gave
her hope. Freddie Clark was one of those residents she met. It was he
who got her involved in the mobile food pantry and when he left, she
took over as its Coordinator. She marvels at the leadership that Alice
Howard demonstrated. "I see so many positive changes now. Kids can
play outside more.
You don't feel threatened by what you see when you walk through the
neighborhood." And, although she doesn't live in the neighborhood now
(she resides on Grandview Boulevard in Arbor Hills), she still belongs
to the Allied Neighborhood Association and she continues to support
activities that go on there. She believes that residents in all
neighborhoods have an obligation to help turn their neighborhoods
around and her message to them is, "Have a plan of action, respect and
beautify where you live. Know your neighbors and get together to make
the changes you want."
Carla appreciates the support she got from others while living on
Allied. Lina Trevedi helped her get her present position with Isthmus
Publishing where she has been an Administrative Assistant for the past
three years. "I love my job. It is like being a part of a family. The
work I do allows me to meet many people and I have great benefits."
Susan Corrado encouraged her to get involved in the neighborhood.
Jaimie O'Dea was another person who helped her get on her feet. "The
great thing about Allied Drive is that there are so many people who
want to help others and they work hard every day to see that programs
and services are available," she goes on to say.
Volunteer work for Carla includes being a strong contributor to
VOICES, a board Member of the Allied Wellness Center, and working on
Breast Cancer awareness so that African American women become more
aware of the risks and what to do about them. She also works with the
Wisconsin Well Woman Program another program that educates women about
how to become healthy and remain that way. As a past graduate, Carla,
continues to be a supporter of (MAP) Madison Apprenticeship Program.
When asked where she got her work ethic and drive, she talks about
her family who worked hard and valued being able to attain the things
they needed and wanted. "No one hands you anything," she says, "you
have to work for what you want." Her advice, "Find something you like
to do and work at it".
Carla likes taking are of her Grandchildren, working hard on her
job and reaching out to others. I think I was meant to help people,
whether I get paid or not. It makes me happy."
This is how Carla sums it all up. For her it is about family, work and
community. This is how she lives her life and builds her bridges.
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