Andrea Northup, Faith, Community, and the 27 Collab Vision for 27th AveAndrea Northup, Faith, Community, and the 27 Collab Vision for 27th Ave
Recovery On-Air
Kristen Day talks with community leader Andrea Northup about 27 Collab’s efforts to transform Phoenix’s 27th Avenue corridor through faith, recovery partnerships and practical action. Their conversation touches on homelessness, addiction, trafficking and the shared hope for a safer, thriving neighbourhood.
52:05•7 Aug 2026
Faith, Grit and 27 Collab: Reimagining Phoenix’s ‘Blade’ Corridor
Episode Overview
- 27 Collab unites schools, churches, recovery programmes, businesses and residents around a shared vision for a safer, walkable 27th Avenue.
- The initiative focuses on safety, restoration and redevelopment, using clean-ups, prayer events and regular meetings to keep efforts aligned.
- Recovery organisations are seen as crucial partners, bringing frontline experience and insight into barriers that keep people from accepting help.
- Faith is a key driver for Andrea, who believes that lasting change on “the Blade” requires spiritual renewal as well as services and infrastructure.
- Early progress includes increased hope among residents, stronger networks between local partners, and support for legislation targeting sex buyers.
“"God is the God of miracles and you're not forgotten."”
What drives someone to seek a life without crime, chaos and despair in their neighbourhood? This conversation centres on Andrea Northup, Assistant Director of State & Community Relations at Grand Canyon University and a key leader with 27 Collab, as she shares how a stretch of Phoenix once called “the Blade” is being reimagined through faith, grit, and practical teamwork.
You’ll hear how 27 Collab brings together churches, recovery programmes, local businesses, residents, schools and city partners around one simple but ambitious idea: turning 27th Avenue into a safe, walkable corridor with thriving shops and strong education. Andrea explains that the group focuses on three themes – safety, restoration and redevelopment – and she describes the regular neighbourhood clean-ups, prayer events and planning meetings that keep everyone moving in the same direction.
One striking moment is Andrea’s description of the area’s desperation and shared desire for change: “What our kids experience on the way to school… this is not normal.” She talks candidly about homelessness, addiction, sex trafficking and how families feel when children are groomed at bus stops or teachers are approached outside schools. Faith is woven through the chat, but never in a heavy-handed way.
Andrea speaks about buying a house in the neighbourhood on purpose, trusting that “God is the God of miracles” and believing that community transformation has to include spiritual change as well as services and funding. Recovery organisations like Crossroads are highlighted as essential “boots on the ground”, bringing lived experience into strategy so that help is realistic rather than theoretical.
If you’re interested in community-focused recovery, faith-informed action, or you simply care about what happens to people society often overlooks, this episode offers a grounded look at how collaboration can start turning a notorious street into a place of hope. How might your skills or story fit into a vision like that?
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