THE SOUL(S) OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD II:
Andrea Owens
ABOUT PROJECT: The Soul(s) of the Neighborhood is a community photo documentation project that honors and uplifts neighbors of the Boston Square Neighborhood who have been vital in shaping communities in the past and for future generations to come.
Each neighbor is individually important, a contributor to the soul of the neighborhood and continues to inspire others to support and grow the community. As communities change, documenting neighbors is part of capturing history and showing the essence of what a vibrant community is all about.
Artist Statement:
My approach to The Souls Of The Neighborhood II project consisted of two things. Continuing what I started with the first installment, with capturing poignant portraits of my subject, and diving deeper in her story.
With a mix of portraiture & photojournalism, using the medium of black & white film and color digital photography, I created a collection of images that tell the fullness of Andrea’s story as it relates to the soul of the neighborhood.
The images created explores the following themes. The importance of your presence in your neighborhood, the significance of community, knowing your neighbors and Andrea’s hopes & dreams for the Boston Square Neighborhood.
Andrea Owens
As a self proclaimed rambler, Andrea Owens, has lived in the Boston Square Neighborhood since she & her husband Anthony bought their home 27 years ago. Outside of being an entrepreneur, medical billing & adjunct professor and multi-org board member Andrea would describe herself as a passionate, loving and optimistic person. And I would agree.
I got to spend time with Andrea at her home on Evergreen, at a Cohort meeting of 49507 Leaders and at her place of business HourGlass Testing Solutions, where they do drug screen collections, breath alcohol collections, fingerprinting, and employer education and training. They also just celebrated 10 years in business and as a business owner myself that is no easy feat. Through our conversations and her actions I’ve seen her three self-descriptors come to life.
Passionate
When you talk with Andrea you can see the passion she has for her business but especially for her neighborhood. It's not hard to miss her illuminating smile and diverse facial expressions when she talks about 49507, especially the Boston Square area. Her wealth of knowledge is evident. She is also passionate about learning more, from not only growing her business, but increasing her rolodex of connections & contacts to assist those who she can’t help directly.
“If somebody calls and I’m unable to help, I don’t just tell them I don’t know, I tell them oh let me refer you to call another company.”
Even though Andrea is passionate about the work she does at HourGlass Testing Solutions it's very evident from listening to her how much that passion is also for the betterment of her neighborhood. From wanting local businesses to have the resources they need to make things as equitable and as safe as possible.
Loving
“I’m more of a spiritual gal”
If you’ve talked with Andrea, you know not only how much her faith means to her, but also how much it drives all of what she does. She loves God. She loves people. And she loves her neighborhood. When I asked her “What does being a neighbor mean to you?” She mentioned, “sharing resources and looking out for each other” and how she is “more of a spiritual gal” so “praying for one another, being unified and not living in bubbles” are keys to that for her. When asking her “What has been some of the most challenging things” in her almost three decades of living in the Boston Square Neighborhood her answer had nothing to do with herself.
“We want to have a thriving community”
What she mentioned focused on helping neighbors, local businesses and schools to “thrive and not just survive” from the local daycare around the corner to the cleanliness & upkeep of the neighborhood.
“And I don’t know, maybe people are okay with the environment that they’re in, but I know it can be better”
It’s evident that her loving nature comes from her Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, which percolates into the people around her, ones she comes across, and the Boston Square Neighborhood.
“There were times that none of my colleagues wanted to come to my home, because of where I lived”
Optimistic
As an optimist myself, it takes a good amount of knowledge of past and present to have hope for what you desire to see and what can be. Andrea has that. She has raised her daughters in this neighborhood to know that the world “isn’t just black and white”. A neighborhood that “has always been diverse’’. It has “had people that lived across the street that were from Costa Rica.” and “some folks from different parts of the world.”
Being an optimist and having vision & hope for what you want to see change or be better is one thing. But being part of that change is another. Andrea “puts her money where her mouth is'' or in this case her time, attention and expertise. She is part of numerous board, committees and councils including AmplifyGR’s board & Neighborhood Advisory Council (NAC), the Better Business Bureau (BBB) West Michigan board and the South Kent Chamber, where she serves as the Secretary for the Diversity Business Council Steering Committee. The boards listed are very near and dear to her heart. “It is an honor to serve.”
Andrea Owens, though after each of the first two decades of living in the Boston Square neighborhood has had thoughts about leaving, she is still here. Why? Because she doesn't just feel welcomed and a sense of belonging but that she can be her full authentic self. She hopes the legacy she leaves in the neighborhood is that Boston Square and 49507 as a whole, is much better than it was when she and her husband first moved in almost three decades ago. A place where my grandchildren can live, work and actively be involved. It’s not only evident that she is making it happen but with passion, love and optimism.
