Springdale Couple Uses Social Media to Connect Community

STAFF PHOTO ANTHONY REYES Amber and Jonathan Perrodin of Perrodin Supply Company in Springdale started Team Springdale, which uses social media to showcase Springdale news, events, and people.
STAFF PHOTO ANTHONY REYES Amber and Jonathan Perrodin of Perrodin Supply Company in Springdale started Team Springdale, which uses social media to showcase Springdale news, events, and people.

SPRINGDALE -- Amber and Jonathan Perrodin accidentally started a revolution.

They started an anonymous Instagram account in March featuring user photos of Springdale findings, and it exploded into a multiplatform movement to rebrand the city.

At A Glance

Online

Hook up with Team Springdale at:

Facebook: TeamSpringdale

Instagram: TeamSpringdale

Twitter: Team_Springdale

Hashtag: #TeamSpringdale

Website: www.teamspringdale.…

The Internet-based community of a few hundred Springdale residents made its way into the public realm. Now, residents linked by #TeamSpringdale attend gatherings to discuss what they can do for the city, and the Perrodins use the movement to showcase local businesses, events and people.

The movement gained local recognition from news outlets and public officials, and their social media pages have hundreds of followers, with Facebook in the lead at about 2,600 "likes."

Team Springdale gained local recognition in March for repainting a playground mural at Lee Elementary School. The team gained additional support on social media in April when it advocated for the preservation of the historic Apollo Theater, which was purchased for $50,000 by two Springdale businessmen in late June.

Amber Perrodin, 30, grew up a "fourth-generation Springdale girl" while Jonathan Perrodin, 31, grew up in Fayetteville.

"Whenever I was younger and someone would say something bad about Springdale, I would be like, 'No, actually, there's something magical here'," she said. "At that time, I couldn't quite put my finger on what that meant, except for maybe nostalgic reasons."

"But the older I get, the more potential I see in these things being greater than what we've all known," she said.

Now, the Perrodins balance their time between public meetings, community gatherings and side projects.

Mayor Doug Sprouse is in the loop; his wife has followed Team Springdale social media pages almost since their inception. Sprouse recently attended "Growing Springdale," a Team Springdale networking event, where he referred to them as "a breath of fresh air."

"They've really helped connect and engage many of our residents who were looking for ways to find information and be more plugged in, and I think they're doing a great job," Sprouse said.

Improving What's Good

The Perrodins said the goal isn't to wipe the slate clean and start anew. They just want to polish what they believe is already golden: Springdale, Ark. -- the fourth largest city in the state, industrial in heritage and nearly synonymous with "Tyson."

"The identity that Springdale has is an identity that others have given it," Jonathan Perrodin said. "Like, people in Fayetteville or Bentonville would talk bad about Springdale -- saying 'Oh, it's just chickens;' 'Oh, it's dirty and stinky;' 'Nothing good comes out of Springdale'."

The Perrodins agreed part of the problem was Springdale natives were alone in defending their city to the rest of the world.

"I don't know if we're a voice just for our generation," Amber Perrodin said. "I feel like maybe we're a voice for many generations who have been waiting for something to happen in Springdale."

The couple started the Springdale Art Initiative in May. The program gives local artists an opportunity to apply for public exhibits like walls for murals or lawn space for sculptures.

The Perrodins announced Tuesday their first winner, Emily Chase, who will paint a mural onto two walls at the Springdale Aquatic Center.

Arvest Bank will give a $1,000 stipend to Chase for her time, skills and supplies, and Springdale Parks and Recreation will cover paint costs.

Chase's completed work and a link to her portfolio will be featured on the Team Springdale website.

Follow-Through

The Perrodins made it clear their goal isn't to spearhead every project that comes up. They aim to be the bridge that connects people with the expertise to do so, and empower people to follow through with their ideas for enhancing the city.

Amber Perrodin said following through is one of the underlying themes of their movement.

"If you love something, then simply do it," she said.

The foundation of Team Springdale is exactly what keeps it going: the network of residents who want to give back to their city. The movement doesn't just involve working from behind a computer screen. The Perrodins maintain a physical presence, too: for example, they regularly attend and live-tweet Springdale City Council meetings.

Team Springdale also hosts its own networking events. One hundred and twenty residents attended Growing Springdale to discuss ways to grow the city in healthful and sustainable ways. About 20 represented businesses and organizations. Earlier in June, they held the event Downtown Springdale Enthusiasts, where about 300 people turned out.

The Perrodins have plans for larger events in the fall.

Daniel Hintz, owner of The Velocity Group, a Northwest Arkansas consulting firm, likened social media users to storytellers who form an aggregate, changing narrative of a setting. He commended the use of social media as a narrative-building tool for cities.

"The great thing about social media is it's very organic," he said. "It's an authentic voice. It's outside the traditional realms of institutions."

Team Springdale was a prime example, Hintz said.

"They're not only the storytellers, but they're also characters in the overall narrative of the Springdale experience," he said.

Bridging Barriers

Part of unifying Springdale includes making sure Hispanic residents -- who make up 35 percent of the city's population -- have the opportunity to be a part of the movement. The language barrier posed a problem at first, but the Perrodins have been able to reach out to that community.

Steven and Mariana Jones met the Perrodins after finding the Team Springdale Facebook page. They've attended Team Springdale events, and are working with the Perrodins to plan a taco tour for the fall. Steven Jones was born and raised in Springdale; Mariana Jones is originally from Guadalajara, Mexico.

Steven Jones said he and the Perrodins are using their skills to try to give back to the city. Jones owns an architecture firm and hopes to help revitalize the downtown area.

He said his and his wife's ability to speak Spanish will help the Perrodins to connect with that community.

"If I can help them or if they can help me, it's going to help the community as a whole," Jones said.

The taco tour will feature select locations in the city's taqueria scene.

"We're in the early stages of trying to organize that," Jonathan Perrodin said. "We've been eating a lot of tacos lately."

Planning the event will require more than just a hankering for tacos, as the Perrodins are working with the Joneses to learn how to help others navigate taqueria menus that haven't been translated into English. Tour participants will get a "taco dictionary" that will translate key ingredients, styles and seasonings.

"One of the best ways for people to come together is over a meal," Jonathan Perrodin said. "So what better way to bring all of Springdale together than to share some tacos together?"

The Perrodins also will help market the second annual Arkansalsa Fest in downtown Springdale in October.

Bloom Where Planted

The couple lives in Amber Perrodin's childhood home in Springdale. They walk, talk and play along the same streets she grew up on. They have two daughters, Raine, 11, and Ezmah, 5.

They met while on a church youth group trip in high school and reconnected while attending the University of Arkansas.

They married in 2007, and after they graduated they considered career paths.

The Perrodins weighed their options: Moving out of state so Jonathan could go to graduate school at an East or West Coast university, hustling to find a job and paying off student loans versus staying in Springdale. They decided to stay.

"We saw that staying here -- being rooted in the community here -- where we have a lot of friends and a lot of family was more important than those career aspirations," Jonathan Perrodin said.

Their decisions were worthwhile, he said. They're doing what they love. Amber Perrodin works almost year-round on the Little Craft Show, a task that warrants a chuckle upon mention of its name. The Fayetteville show attracts about 4,000 shoppers each year.

Jonathan Perrodin does freelance web developing, and they both run an Etsy store that sells woodwork.

The Perrodins work out of a 1950s-era warehouse on Success Avenue, which they purchased last August to ensure it wouldn't be destroyed.

"It's like that cliche poster," Amber Perridin said. "What is it? 'Bloom where you were planted?' This is where we're going to grow. Right here."

NW News on 07/14/2014

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