Chuck Ridley

WHO: Chuck Ridley, Delray Beach, Fla.

WHAT: Founded a local branch of "Men Against Destruction: Defending Against Drugs and Social-Disorder" (MAD DADS), and helped launch "Community Chat," an initiative designed to bring citizens from varied backgrounds together to discuss and act on common issues and concerns

HOW: Ridley, a former drug addict, got together with one of his neighbors to launch a MAD DADS branch focused on looking for and putting an end to drug dealing in the poverty-stricken area of Southwest Delray.

With the help of a small group of volunteers, MAD DADS soon started focusing on the creation of local youth programs and neighborhood associations. Several years later, Ridley, his wife Cynthia, and a local faith leader began working on a way to transition the group from grassroots action often inspired by a single person and idea to a more collaborative approach to change.

"We wanted to create a political environment that would bring out the best in everybody, that would allow people to claim power for themselves and responsibility to others," said Ridley.

The group's focus soon became the development of an innovative new K-12 school in Southwest Delray, one with extended hours, on-site health services, and a curriculum that would be developed by teachers and parents together. With help from outside funders and extensive interaction with key public officials, MAD DADS succeeded in bringing the new "Village Academy" to Delray Beach in 2001.

At the same time the new school was being developed, MAD DADS was working to make its group even larger and more representative of a wide variety of backgrounds and viewpoints. Ridley and a core group of MAD DADS launched the "Community Chat" initiative, which encouraged small-group discussions on such common issues as local race relations and area housing concerns. Eventually, members of the Community Chat groups began forming their own groups of like-minded citizens, bringing Ridley's initial concept of community involvement full circle.

Read more about Chuck Ridley's story and others like his in The Next Form of Democracy by Matt Leighninger.