Neighborhoods in Bloom: A Fresh Perspective
As part of NDNI’s Neighborhoods In Bloom Project, Northend Christian Community Development was awarded a mini-grant to encourage youth and adult volunteers to get engaged in recycling, gardening and environmentally sustainable projects that serve to beautify the community. Mrs. Jerry Ann Hebron of Northend CDC, along with others, organized neighborhood residents to participate in clean-up activities in the vicinity of Oakland Avenue and Westminster Street. Volunteers, students, residents of neighborhood including homeless and returning citizens planted 800 bulbs that will bloom in spring at the Oakland Avenue Community Garden. The volunteers helped to reclaim nearby vacant lots and established a composting pile that will transform yard waste into nutritious organic matter for community gardens in the area. NDNI is proud to support this tremendous work in the North End. This effort leverages the other vacant lot reclamation investments of the past two years and ensures that community gardens will flourish as they meet the nutritional needs of residents and beautifies our City.
Hard-working volunteers planting 800 bulbs that will bloom annually beginning Spring 2010
What do you do when there is a problem in your neighborhood? The first response for many residents is to complain, but some residents take action. When open and dangerous vacant houses sat next door to Loving Elementary School, parent and North End resident Halima Cassells took action to come up with a solution.
Ms. Cassells describes herself as a take charge kind of individual. When she asked NDNI what could be done about the houses, we outlined the process that the City takes to demolish abandoned structures and were honest about the length of time that it takes. NDNI also recognized that the safety of our children was at risk and agreed with Ms. Cassells that action needed to happen now.
The mission of NDNI is “Linking people to resources for a stronger Detroit.” Our challenge here was to find a way for Halima Cassells’ idea to become reality without undue bureaucracy. By connecting Ms. Halima Cassells with neighborhood organizations like Northend CDC, she was able to secure donated materials to board the structures. NDNI intervened with and advocated to the necessary City departments on the merits of this work.
Ms. Cassells brought her creative energy to this project by directing the painting activities. The children from Loving Elementary and the neighborhood enjoyed taking part in this community building exercise. Ms. Cassells was also instrumental in assembling partners from the business community to help her accomplish this tremendous work on behalf of the children of the North End.
NDNI celebrates Ms. Halima Cassells for her diligence and willingness to meet the challenges in our City with a spirit of caring, cooperation, creativity and community.
Neighborhoods in Bloom 2009 Accomplishments
· Community organizations and volunteers reclaimed more than 150 vacant lots, removing trash, trees and debris.
· Neighborhood City Hall managers arranged for Dumpsters and hundreds of bags of trash to be removed from clean up sites.
· With the assistance of Greening of Detroit, more than 5,000 bulbs were planted in each neighborhood.
· Resident and business morale was boosted enormously by the program.
· Block clubs worked collaboratively for a common goal.
· Youth, adults, homeless individuals and returning citizens were engaged and received stipends for volunteer work.
· Volunteers worked over 750 hours to reclaim vacant lots, homes and blighted commercial strips in their neighborhoods.
· Community meetings received higher turnout/greater community involvement.
· Three new businesses joined an existing business association and committed to clean lots adjacent to their business in the future.
· Hope was restored in returning citizens and unemployed persons looking for work.
NDNI applauds all community organizations that worked to make
Neighborhoods in Bloom a success!!!
NDNI Offices closed for Labor Day
NDNI Neighborhood News- Special Edition
