Rationale
The profession has lost touch with the original role of history as a catalyst for social change – as a medium through which to divine collective memory and meaning. As American socialist and feminist Rose Schneiderman once proclaimed, "The worker must have bread, but she must have roses, too." It is important that we use our funding to dually support community members' everyday needs, while also fostering interest and investment in past and present legacies. By engaging civically-minded organizations in a collaborative public history project, we would not only draw connections between the academy and the public at large, but between disenfranchised populations themselves.
I do not personally know of an example/model. But it's inevitable that someone has to spearhead a new initiative. It would be invaluable to draw on the community-building, collaborative practices and frameworks of these social service organizations. That's the precedent for grassroots history work.
RE: Let's Dispense with the Formalities...