Community Resilience at Cactus

Growing community resilience through learning, connection, and continuity

Join Community Resilience at Cactus!

Read about CRC in Shepherd Express!

🌵 Community Resilience at Cactus is a volunteer association started in 2025 that is built on three pillars:

📖 Learning – Practical demonstrations, hands-on training and short publications designed to grow community resilience knowledge, skills and experience.
🪢 Connection – Building a network of local volunteers, community leaders and experts who will strengthen community and inter-community resilience.
🛞 Continuity – Maintaining and supporting volunteer networks over time with fun events and continuous engagement to keep resilience skills sharp and at the ready.

🌵 Community Resilience at Cactus features four groups focused on:

10-4 Good Buddy! – Community Powered Communications
Cactus Cultivation Community – Community Gardening and Urban Agriculture Club
Sawbones! – First Aid Training and Community Health Volunteers
Solidarity Supper Club – Free Community Meals and Mutual Aid

Each group will grow community resilience skills, support community resilience outreach projects, and develop a network of volunteers who can respond to a broad range of community needs.

Email contact: crc@cactusplus.org

Community Resilience at Cactus Groups

🔸 10-4 Good Buddy! – Community Powered Communications

- Coordinator: Joe K.
- Learning and Demonstration Topics

- - Walkie-Talkies – FRS and GMRS radio communications
  - LoRa / Meshtastic – Community based secure digital messaging
  - HAM Radios – Long distance radio communications
  - Digital Radio – Sensing Digital Signals in the Airwaves
  - ‘Zines and Sign Printing
  - Risograph printing
  - Cyber-Security Workshop – Secure your phone and data

- Community Projects

- - Building a resilient and reliable Meshtastic network in Milwaukee
  - Leading the Community Resilience at Cactus ‘Zine series
  - Leading a Communications Design Volunteer Group to support other community resilience projects.

🔸 Cactus Cultivation Community – Community Gardening and Urban Agriculture Club

- Coordinator: Rachel S.
- Learning and Demonstration Topics
  - Seed Saving and Sowing/ Vegetative Propagation
  - Canning and Food Storage
  - Ethical Foraging
  - Food Waste Mitigation Techniques
- Community Projects
  - Cactus Community Garden Beds
  - Growing Food for Community and Mutual Aid
  - Free Food Fridge / Pantry at Cactus Club

🔸 Sawbones – First Aid Training and Community Health Volunteers

- Learning and Demonstration Topics
  - Basic First Aid Training
  - Creating a Medical Kit

- Community Projects
  - Blood Drives
  - Community Health and Disease Prevention
  - Volunteer Medic Corps

🔸 Solidarity Supper Club – Free Community Meals and Mutual Aid

- Meal Program
  - Free vegan community meal supported by volunteers, donations of pantry staples, local garden bounty, and financial donations.
- Community Projects
  - Food drives and mutual-aid support for Milwaukee food banks and kitchens
  - Exploration and demonstration of alternative / efficient cooking methods like solar cooking or pit roasting.
  - Food prep and delivery volunteer group to support other local groups like food-not-bombs, Sauce MKE and others.

Community Resilience at Cactus Zine Library

- Each CRC Club will produce a short ‘zine outlining the key information provided in their quarterly learning demonstrations.

What is Community Resilience?

Community resilience refers to a community’s capacity to prepare for, withstand, adapt to, and recover from various disruptions and challenges. It involves leveraging available resources, strengthening social connections, and developing sustainable strategies to face adversity. [1, 2, 3]

Here’s a more detailed explanation: [1, 4]

Prepare: This includes proactive measures like disaster preparedness, risk assessments, and developing emergency plans. [1, 4]
Withstand: This involves the ability to absorb the initial impact of a crisis, such as a natural disaster or economic downturn, minimizing damage and loss. [2, 4]
Adapt: This refers to the ability to adjust and change in response to ongoing challenges, developing new strategies and practices to address evolving situations. [2, 4]
Recover: This is the process of returning to normal functioning and addressing the long-term impacts of the disruption, including physical, social, and economic recovery. [2, 4]

Key elements of community resilience include: [5]

Strong social connections: A sense of community and mutual support, where individuals and groups help each other. [5]
Access to resources: Having the necessary infrastructure, supplies, and support systems to respond to and recover from crises. [2]
Strong leadership: Effective leadership at all levels, both formal and informal, to guide decision-making and coordination. [6]
Public health and healthcare: A robust system to protect and promote the health and well-being of the community. [7]
Economic stability: Diversified and resilient economic structures that can withstand shocks and provide opportunities for recovery. [2]