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The Power of Community Engagement with Faithe Colas
Multifaceted Faithe Colas discusses the power of community engagement and connecting people, emphasizing the importance of trust when building personal and professional relationships. She also shares her thoughts about authenticity and why she enjoys supporting young people as they’re coming up in their careers.
Finally, Colas discusses community journalism in Milwaukee and how members of the Black press and broadcast media impact community engagement.
Tune in for valuable tips about building and nurturing relationships!
Episode Highlights:
01:48 - I think about community engagement being the heart and the soul of an organization. I also think about community engagement as being the heart and the soul of the community. Because when you connect people together, one to another, it grows the community. It can be organic or it can be strategic, but it is a plus for the community.
08:59 - I think you have to be genuine about sharing your gifts. Be authentic about caring, about what someone brings to you. I mean, you got to feel it in your heart. And as a woman of God, I feel it in my heart. I can see that this person is genuine, that they really care about the community. They care about this project. They care about what it is they're trying to do.
19:00 - You got to be willing to hold the hand of someone when they come and ask for help. They have dug real deep to come in and ask for help, whether it's generational or not. They are still digging deep to ask for help. And by you having the conversation, you put them at ease. You say, "I'm someone you can talk to. I'm someone you can trust. I'm someone that cares about why you came in. But I know if you came in for that, you probably need this, this, this. And we won't talk about at all today, but I want you to know that I'm thinking about you because I care about you." That's meaningful community engagement.
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Guest Bio
Faithe Colas has a 33-year career in media and community engagement. Her sweet spot is connecting people and growing the community through public and community relations. She’s passionate about empowering women, supporting Black businesses and changing the narrative about Milwaukee.
Colas is the host and producer of “I’m Every Woman” and “There’s Always Something Good to Talk About,” which air on 860Today.com. She’s a member of the National Council of Negro Women-Milwaukee Section, NAACP Milwaukee Chapter, Wisconsin Black Media Association, Milwaukee Press Club, Public Relations Society of America-Milwaukee Chapter and WUWM Advisory Board. She’s also a lead fundraiser for the WUWM Eric Von Broadcast Fellowship, which honors her late husband’s legacy by fostering the next generation of broadcast journalists.
Colas was born and raised in Milwaukee. She is a John Marshall High School graduate and holds a bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies from Midwest Bible College.
In another life, Colas would have been a professor of African-American studies and the history of the Black press. If she ever gets free time, she’d fill it with reading books, going to lectures, attending author readings and watching documentaries.
