Not really a top ten, because we heard and told so many great stories this year—of challenges overcome and impact made—that it would be impossible to pick that few. But here is a selection of our favorites from 2022 (okay, ten) in words, pictures and social media characters. They help narrate some of what happened over the past 12 months, and we think they're too good to miss!

By Lisa Glover, LISC CEO

The racist attack in East Buffalo is a horrific reminder of the threats facing people of color and the communities where they live. As community developers, we must continue to design solutions that tackle systemic racism and, at the same time, address the violence that is so often its byproduct. LISC CEO Lisa Glover has more.

By Letitia James and Denise Scott

In an op-ed for the New York Daily News, New York Attorney General Letitia James and LISC president Denise Scott describe how communities and local governments can turn the tide on vacant and so-called “zombie” homes that drive crime, sap the resources of municipalities and undermine the wellbeing of Black and brown people and their neighborhoods. A New York State law, proceeds from an Attorney General settlement with banks responsible for the foreclosure crisis, and a groundbreaking initiative stewarded by LISC have helped municipalities across New York State can show the way forward in the post-pandemic era.

Kelly Wofford, a 2021 Rubinger Fellow and seasoned community engagement professional in Buffalo, NY, knows that mental health is a critical but underrecognized basis for the overall wellbeing of people and communities. Her frank approach to mental-health skills building as a speaker, peer coach, and workshop facilitator begins by letting go of secrets and shame.

The fundamental role of LISC AmeriCorps members is to serve essential community needs. With the onslaught of the coronavirus epidemic, our members are adapting and devising creative new ways to help the rural and urban residents they work with handle the seismic social, economic and public health shocks of the crisis. (Photo: Americorps members in Jackson, MS in 2019; Member Cynthia Renteria is third from left.)

by Maurice A. Jones, LISC CEO and President

LISC is taking swift action in response to the coronavirus pandemic, to mitigate economic impact on residents in the hundreds of communities where we work. We are launching the LISC Rapid Relief and Resiliency Fund to assemble and deploy resources to our local partners, small businesses and residents who are being hit hardest. The Fund will deliver operating capital, emergency subsidies and IT support, as well as technical assistance, to keep our partners and their communities strong and functioning through this unprecedented situation.