“We did good work tonight,” called out Rev. Richard Gaines to an estimated 1500 people at the 2024 Nehemiah Action of BUILD (Building a United Interfaith Lexington Through Direct Action). Rev. Gaines is the pastor of Consolidated Baptist Church, one of BUILD’s 26 member congregations, including the Cathedral of Christ the King, Mary Queen of the Holy Rosary, Newman Center/Holy Spirit Parish, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. St. Paul, St. Peter and St. Peter Claver of the Diocese of Lexington.
The Nehemiah Action is the culmination of BUILD’s work for the year. Since 2003, BUILD has been identifying and asking for action on a variety of community problems such as affordable housing, drugs and drug treatment, public transportation and ex-offender re-entry. At its annual community problems assembly, typically held in the fall, congregations identify problems that need attention and vote to research solutions for one or two.
The annual Nehemiah Action is held at the Central Bank Center and city official are presented with the results BUILD’s research. Officials are invited to the assembly and are always apprised of the questions they will be asked and the actions they will be asked to take. The victories that BUILD has won in its 20 years have improved the lives of thousands of people in Lexington and Fayette County.
In 2024, BUILD studied two issues. The first, elder care, identified the fact that by 2030, there will be more people over the age of 60 than under 18 in Lexington. BUILD identified the need for a Village to Village Network, a member organization that connects older adults to the community, programming and the expertise they need to age in place while living lives of purpose and promise. BUILD invited Commission of Social Services, Kacy Allen-Bryant and Mayor Linda Gorton, with the intents of asking the city to take the first steps toward forming a village by doing the initial survey of Lexington neighborhoods and drafting a framework including administrative needs and cost. Neither Commission Allen-Bryant nor Mayor Gorton attended the action. BUILD pledged to continue to bring attention to the need for this resource in Lexington. Everyone who attended was given a postcard giving asking for the implementation of the Village Network and were asked to write a message addressed why the resource is a need for the community.
The second issue was the need for microtransit which will address inefficient and inaccessible public transportation by providing a public transportation service that has the flexibility of on-demand ride-share services.
Mary Queen of the Holy Rosary Justice Ministry Network member Kabby Akers worked on the team that researched microtransit in preparation for the 2024 Nehemiah Action. She said to the assembly, “Stand if you have ever missed work, appointments, church or other opportunities because you didn’t have a reliable way to get there.”
A handful of people stood.
“Stand if you ever had to give someone a ride because they no way to get where they needed.”
Many people stood.
“Finally,” Akers said, “Stand if someone you know has been impacted by poor transportation.”
The majority of the people stood, silently supporting the need for microtransit.
“Look around,” Akers said. “Each person standing has a story, a struggle, a missed opportunity due to this problem.”
At the 2023 Nehemiah Action, Councilmember Chuck Ellinger pledged to host a Community Transit Summit, a pledge that was fulfilled. The 2025 LexTran budget includes $75,000 for a microtransit feasibility study. The LFUCG council must approve the LexTran budget; there were seven members of the council present at the 2024 action and each voiced support for the LexTran budget, as requested by BUILD.
Councilmember Ellinger also pledged to schedule and hold two progress reports concerning microtransit.
In his net summary of results, Rev. Gaines said, “Thanks be to God for giving us the work of justice to do in this community.”