This publication summarizes the evolution of the basic ideas and philosophies of a community development organization called Servol in Trinidad and recounts how over nine years these ideas coalesced into a unified approach. The document describes how the earliest projects--a welding institute, a clinic, a nursery school, and recreational facilities--were supplemented by masonry and electrical training, and how skills training for girls was introduced as Servol shifted from a "street dialogue" approach to a greater emphasis on skills training and on-the-job training. The document also describes the emergence of the "life center" idea (so-called because Servol was interested in people's entire lives, not just parts of them), and Servol's family farm project. And finally, the document assesses the value of Servol against the backdrop of the problem of rural-urban drift in the Third World and discusses what kind of people make the best life center workers. Appendices contain details of future plans and a structure and personnel organization chart. (RDN)