Meet the Commission Chair - Karen Duncan

Finding A Place in Your Neighborhood
By Karen Duncan
Chair, Hampton Neighborhood Commission

At a very young age I learned about neighborhoods and community values from my parents.  They were very active in their neighborhood civic association and community outreach programs at church. 

My mother, now 87, is still a member of the civic association where I grew up and a member the garden club.   My father served 2 terms on the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) in Washington DC. The ANC considers a wide range of policies and programs affecting their neighborhoods including traffic, parking, recreation, street improvements and much more.  ANCs are the neighborhoods closest government representatives, much like Hampton’s Neighborhood Commission.

Growing up I watched what my father did in our neighborhood.  He was always involved in something - writing a paper about an issue, going to meetings, having people at the house to discuss ideas, changes and anything that would make the neighborhood therefore the community and city a better place to live.  I saw the changes and improvements that were accomplished when our neighbors worked together and all these years later feel very fortunate to have been raised in a community like that.  It is a big part of who I am.

My father never tired of neighborhood work, in fact, at 80 years old he became the Commissioner on Aging.  He had a stroke on the subway while on his way to testify at a Commission meeting.   When he was in the hospital, he was still concerned about his calendar and schedule of meetings.  I was inspired by his dedication to neighborhood action and the change I saw happening as a result of neighbors working together.  This is why I became involved in my neighborhood and am now so proud to be serving on the Hampton Neighborhood Commission as chair.

The most successful neighborhoods are made up of everyday heroes who do their part and we all have a part to play.  Neighborhoods are where our lives unfold and play such a critical role in who we become.  The more successful a neighborhood is, the more successful our city is, our state is, our country is, etc. Before we purchase a home, we look for neighborhoods that meet and/or exceed our personal standards.  Location, good public schools, safety and price are just a few.  Once you move in, you want that neighborhood to maintain these qualities.  It’s not automatic.  You have to get involved.

If you are not currently involved in your neighborhood in some way, big or small, I invite and encourage you to do that in the coming year.  Find out what is happening in your neighborhood.  Don’t procrastinate. Turn a complaint into positive action.  It only takes one idea to get things moving. Meet your neighbors, get to know each other so the lines of communication are open. You never know when you’ll need help or when they will need your help.  

In my neighborhood, the Northampton Civic League which has been around for 57 years, applied for and received a grant from the Neighborhood Commission to participate in Hampton’s  400th Anniversary celebration.  Our project was the creation of a multi-media history album entitled “Northampton Times”.   It did not take a lot of money, but it did take a lot of time and effort on the part of the league members.  We worked together and really got to know a lot about each other, met and interviewed residents that provided photographs, documents and shared memories and learned the interesting history of Northampton. (you can read a previous article about this effort HERE).

You can click HERE to see a map showing all the grants provided by the Neighborhood Commission

Recently, I’ve had two neighborhoods contact me that are interested in starting new neighborhood organizations and nothing excites me more.  They have seen a need to organize and are motivated to make it happen.  How about you?  It may not be starting an organization, but there are so many ways to make your neighborhood and City the best it can be, just email me at dist1c@earthlink.net . 

Together we can rock Hampton!

Karen Duncan recently retired from Langley AFB after 31 years of service. She served as a Contracting Officer.  She is a graduate of Hampton Neighborhood College, Codes Academy, Citizen’s Police Academy and has been a member of the Northampton Civic League since moving to Hampton in 1988.  Karen was appointed to the Hampton  Neighborhood Commission in 2005 and is currently the Chair.