Remington builds community in Iowa City

I sit in a lot of meetings, often with amazing people who want to improve life in Iowa and for Iowans.

Yet, so many of these meetings happen without anyone present who would be impacted by the changes or new policies, without anyone who has personal experience with the challenges of the current system. How do we foresee the pitfalls if those in the room have always had a reliable car, an emergency fund, family support, and secure housing?

Mandi Remington has not had everything laid out for her, yet she took her hardships and built from them. She built community, she built information networks, and she built solutions. I got to know her through the Corridor Community Action Network, where she brings nonprofits and community groups together so that we all know what is happening in our community, and where to find the resources we may need, for ourselves and for others. Mandi considers problems, considers potential interventions that already exist, and creates answers where there are none.

When we vote for City Council this year, I ask that we consider what perspectives we want at the table when decisions get made. Here’s what keeps coming to my mind: I want a City Council that is rooted in this community and, far from wanting to pull up the good fortune behind us, wants to make things that much easier for the people who join us here.

State Rep. Elinor A. Levin

Iowa City