CTB User’s Self-Description:

Comments on Their Use of the CTB:

Syed Abid Gilani

Islamabad, Pakistan

Social worker

“… it is really a very helpful site for those who want to contribute in the development of community and society. Very good guidelines for people like me working in this field, particularly in Pakistan where there is no such training...a great job, continue serving humanity with your good ideas.”

Kathi J. Bivens, MS

Hendersonville, NC

“I wanted to say "THANKS" for the incredible website with so many terrific resources for communities to access.  The Community Tool Box is fantastic!

I am charged with the creation of a primary prevention program for rape and child sexual abuse in rural western North Carolina.  There is very little research on these primary prevention rape programs and virtually no models to use as templates.  One of the requirements for the program is that is must be evidence-based.  Your website not only reminds me to slow down, back-up and assess accurately what actually constitutes my community, it provides excellent guides on how to do that. 

I have shared a link to this site with the other 15 rape prevention educators in North Carolina, and I am sure they will find it as valuable as I have.

The University of Kansas has provided me with very hard to find tools.  I wanted to voice my appreciation.”

Verne Kleinsmidt

Pretoria, South Africa

Researcher at the Department of Home Affairs in South Africa.

“I found the Community Tool Box while searching for information on developing a framework for Integration of Migrants in our country.

Many thanks for the information. I have found it very useful.”

Ana Alvarez

Brisbane, Australia

Policy officer working in the development and establishment of early intervention responses to homelessness.

“I have used the Community Tool Box as an information source on culturally competent service delivery.”

Jacob Kahemele

Dar es salaam, Tanzania

Tanzanian professional working in areas of health and development. Has a background in Theology and development studies and has worked with a number of faith-based institutions in development work, HIV and AIDS, and Health in general. Currently working with an International NGO with main focus on youth.

“I just found out about this tool and already I am seeing great potential for its utilization in a number of areas of my work, so I hope to make use of it.”

Gwen Murphy

Durham, North Carolina

I am a nutritionist and education specialist in the Community Health Division at Duke Medical Center.

“I love your site and have used it many times.  It is a complete, well organized framework that fits well with many different projects.

Thank you!”

Michael Wilson

Boston, Massachusetts

RN who has worked for 13 years in a hospital burn intensive care unit and for three years as a hospice visiting nurse. Also a board member of the Massachusetts Coalition for Compassionate Care and a founding member of a community coalition called Palliative Care Coalition.

“I have found the [CTB] articles and how-to guides wonderful in my attempt to pull a community coalition together. I am a nurse, I have never done such work, but this website makes it possible for me to feel like it is possible to surmount the difficulties of placing three hospitals, two hospices, two family health centers and representatives from several other agencies at the same table, rise above territorial and political issues and find a common path to our shared goal of improving the care we give to the dying. I thank you for all your efforts.”

Pam Rask

Tulsa, Oklahoma

I am the Manager of 3 programs at the Tulsa Health Department - School Health, Healthy Communities Access Program, and Tulsa Fetal and Infant Mortality Review. 

“We are always looking for tools to use where we do not have to reinvent the wheel and also for best practices and models to implement within our community.”

Daniel Borrero

Shonto, Arizona

Dentist with the USPHS at the Inscription House Clinic, located in the Diné Nation (Navajo).

“I have been working to start a patient education program in our clinic. I'd like to begin by establishing a participatory community coalition to deal with numerous health promotion issues . . . [starting with] how to prevent early childhood caries. . . . I'd like to see our program use the latest knowledge from cognitive science as well as to do everything in a culturally competent way, so we build over the foundation that is already in place. I just found the Tool Box site today. I will use it for everything.”

Vincent Njuguna

Nairobi, Kenya, East Africa

Worker in a not-for-profit regional NGO, as a training consultant and specifically in monitoring and evaluation and economic financing

“The site is an incredible source of resource materials. In the next two weeks I will be the lead facilitator in a training course for senior managers in the water and health sector. They will come from five to six different countries. I intend to use relevant sections to supplement what we have used in the past. I will also let them know about the site. Thanks and keep up the good work.”

Vanessa Braithwaite

Atlanta, Georgia

Executive Director, Health Initiative Programs with the Georgia Department of Community Health

“Utilizing the tools related to coalition building and methodology of logic models with staff. The staff is composed of several individuals who possess different levels of expertise with coalition building and logic models. Excellent materials are offered on your site. Thank you for creating such a tool.”

Cheryl Pestaina

Miami, Florida

Project Director for a Service Partnership for preventing risky behaviors in adolescent youth in the Overtown Community of the City of Miami. Has a Master's Degree in Public Administration.

“The Community Tool Box is a lifeline for the Partnership in may ways: finding best practice models for just about anything regarding at risk children and their families; assessment tools; computer as well as publication resources; how-to hands on approaches to areas such as marketing, community involvement, etc.”

Lorna Morgan

New York, New York

I am focused on building competencies of management staff to improve the quality of the work we do in communities in Harlem, the Bronx, and Washington Heights.

“These are good frameworks for helping staff think about their work and the resources needed to accomplish it.”

Max Llewelyn

New Zealand

Community Group facilitator contracted by the NZ Government to work with not-for profit organizations to build capacity

“The Community Tool Box is a tremendous resource and I have been using it for over three years. [It] is a particularly useful tool in that I can prepare manuals in a simple language for use by community groups and show them the site so that they can use it as a resource should they require. I have found the Community Tool Box to be excellent and congratulations to those who have and are still putting it together.”

Ann Salazar

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Project Coordinator for Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy KIDS COUNT

“I am constantly referring my Leadership group to this site as a resource for what they are doing in their communities and for their KIDS COUNT Leader Projects. Every time I go to this site I am amazed what is offered. I always find something new. I have never found another site to equal this one as an available usable resource for positive community change.”  

Rolf Luyendijk

The Netherlands 

International Development Worker

“I use it as a quick reference / reminder for the many things once learned, worked with, or seen but slightly forgotten. I also use it to get additional practical ideas for tackling all kind of communication and community development related issues. Thank you for making this toolbox so accessible and available to all!”

Kathleen O'Malley

Christina Lake, British Columbia, Canada

Project facilitator

“I am facilitating the creation of safer communities for women, children and other vulnerable people in our rural communities. We have just completed the development of an Action Plan using data collected through community consultations . . . developed by 50 people representing all sectors of the community. We are now seeking funding for its implementation. I think this is one of the most useful sites that I have found on the Internet.”

Sylvia Rickard

Mold, Flintshire, North Wales, United Kingdom

Health Promotion Specialist working to support an increase in breastfeeding rates, particularly in poorer communities

“Having downloaded the information will share with breastfeeding mothers and health professionals in the area to discuss how best to move forward. Thank you for access to the site and sharing the expertise and experience.”

Laurie Call

Divernon, Illinois

Consultant in the substance abuse prevention field

“It is an absolutely incredible resource. The most comprehensive resource I have found for skill and knowledge based information for our field.”

Eva Yakutis-Mcniel

Riverside, California 

Office of Neighborhoods, Manager for the City

“Am on my way to give a presentation on Asset Based Community Development and Community Organizing to the Crime Free Multi Housing International conference and am taking the good news about the CTB with me!”

Rodrigo Cantarero

Lincoln, Nebraska

Faculty with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln

“I am collaborating with a local organization (Health Partners Initiative) on a project working with two local neighborhoods on developing a "neighborhood service exchange" program.  We are initially working in the areas of access to health (neighborhood is heavily minority population, especially Latino) and safety.  Your site is a wonderful source of ideas and tools.”

Jairo Viafara

Winnipeg, Canada

Urban Planner and Sociologist

“I am preparing to work with a community group assisting them in the implementation of a community safety program. Three years ago, I implemented two community safety programs. From the beginning to the end, every time I advanced to a new phase in the program, I … read your pages for guidance, and reference. Your tools were extremely useful. Thank you.”

Parker Plitz

Oneida, Wisconsin

Community Planner for the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin

“Techniques are presented in the Toolbox that are transferable to community planning in many ways from strategic thinking to task completion. Thank you for providing such a broad and in-depth service.”

Sondra Myers

Crowley, Louisiana

Educator of 33 years - teacher, principal, currently 10 years as Director of Head Start within a parish school system

“Head Start management involved a cycle of planning and assessment. With the Head Start Act needing reauthorization every 5 years, there are constant changes in program regs and services. TOOLBOX IS WONDERFUL!!!!!!!”

Ghazi Kayali

Balamand, Lebanon

Instructor/researcher at the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Balamand; doing research on illiteracy and health awareness

“CTB proved over and over again that it is a great resource for both teaching and conducting community-based programs. I refer my students to CTB as the first choice for resources relevant to our work.”

Maritza Castillo

Barquisimeto, Lara Venezuela

“I am working in a ‘barrio’. I download many of your pages. I will read them. I am thankful.”

Gareth Thomas

Swansea, Wales, Great Britain

Works as a manager of a community development programme at Cardiff University