My Neighborhood: Jennifer Jordan Works to Bolster Driving Park on Columbus’ East Side
The executive director of the Gertrude Wood Community Foundation aims to make the community more vibrant and talks about some of her favorite places.
Barney Oldfield sped around Driving Park on July 4, 1905, at a little more than 60 mph, setting world records for every distance from 1 to 10 miles. A lot has changed in 119 years. The racecourse is long gone, and the neighborhood on Columbus’ East Side comprises mostly middle-class, African American families. “We’re working to create a more vibrant community and a better mix of commercial, residential and affordable housing,” says Jennifer Jordan, executive director of the Gertrude Wood Community Foundation. Housed in the old Livingston Theatre building on East Livingston Avenue, the nonprofit specializes in affordable housing and family mentoring, and provides services for the seniors living in the converted movie house.
Sunday Sermons
“I was raised in that church,” says Jordan, who is an active member of Bethany Baptist Church on Bulen Avenue. “There’s such a family feel, from grandparents to grandchildren, and everyone knows each other.”
Nature Wanderings
The Driving Park Community Recreation Center provides a multitude of indoor and outdoor programs. “I love walking along the trail that goes around the rec center,” Jordan says. “I’m a very spiritual person, and I love to walk and reflect and be really conscious of what I’m doing in my community and church.”
Library Lessons
The current Driving Park branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library opened in 2014. “They do a really good job with their children’s spaces,” Jordan says. “They also have programs for adults, like computer classes, and we’re working to connect our seniors [living in the Livingston building] with them.”
Community Gatherings
The Gertrude Wood Community Foundation holds an annual Housing and Wellness Fair the first Saturday in August. “We have health-resources vendors and blood-pressure screenings,” Jordan says. “We also give out 200 book bags filled with school supplies.”
Meanderings
“I love walking around the neighborhood and looking at all the different houses,” Jordan says. “I like to look at the landscaping, the windows and all the different architecture. If I see a vacant house, I think about how we [the Gertrude Wood Community Foundation] can purchase and rehab it to make the neighborhood more vibrant.”
This story is from the March 2024 issue of Columbus Monthly.