Building Up a Grassroots Revolution in York

You don’t have to talk long to Sal Galdamez, the CEO of York XL, to see how deeply he’s committed to growing communities from the ground up. York PA is fertile ground for this approach, with its historic downtown core surrounded by a variety of residential neighborhoods, many home to communities of color and struggling with decades of disinvestment.

In 2017, Sal created York XL to bring people together to create empowered neighborhoods. Since then, the small nonprofit has helped people use their strengths to become the change they want to see. New projects are often suggested by an innovative data source: going door-to-door on a block, talking to people about their interests and hobbies, asking them about needs and goals for the community, and plotting responses. With all this on a map, York XL can help find solutions rooted in the strengths and talents of the residents, an approach that guarantees community engagement and ownership.

Sal’s work often takes difficult conversations head on: “Supporting oppressed neighborhoods isn’t as simple as getting rid of barriers. It also means coming to terms with the injustices that have been done and providing ways to heal and reconcile the harms done. We are here to create a common language for this to happen authentically.”

If you’d like to learn more about York XL’s work, you can reach out directly to Sal, visit the website, or check out this recent article by Strong Towns.