Neighborhood-Based Projects
Vital Neighborhoods, Metro United Way
Metro United Way has a commitment to "Strengthening Neighborhoods" as one of 4 community visions. A team of volunteer community leaders makes investment decisions in neighborhoods around a specific philosophy and theory of change. The team believes that programs supporting neighborhoods should be resident-driven, developed specifically for a particular neighborhood’s conditions, and focused on assets, or what is good about the neighborhood.
The Vital Neighborhoods team has identified the following community outcome as the focus of its work: Residents of challenged neighborhoods are actively involved in defining community assets and needs, and work to improve the quality of life in the community.
Since 1999, the Vital Neighborhoods Community Investment Team has invested over $850,000 in 22 programs serving residents in over 45 neighborhoods. Any neighborhood or resident group in Jefferson County is invited to apply for a one-time grant to support programs that strengthen their neighborhood.
Contact: Suzanne Sexton, Associate Director of Community Building, Metro United Way, 334 East Broadway, Louisville, KY 40202, Tel: (502) 583-2821, e-mail: suzannes@mertounitedway.org
Community Data Canter, Community Resource Network
Community Data Center Mission: To provide a centralized location for the sharing of accurate, timely and relevant information and to build the capacity of residents and neighborhood leaders to use data to help improve conditions in their community.
Community Data Center components:
Contact: Jonathan Lowe, Director of Planning, Community Resource Network, 334 East Broadway, Louisville, KY 40202, Tel: (502) 589-6211, e-mail: jonathanl@crnky.org
Neighborhood Institute, Louisville Community Design Center
The Neighborhood Institute is a neighborhood leadership education program founded for the purpose of increasing the effectiveness of neighborhood leaders and the civic associations that they serve. The 12-week, 30-hour survey course introduces participants to effective methods for team-building, problem-solving, and organizational development, as well as to the variety of resources available within the community to assist their effort.
The Institute was created by the Louisville Community Design Center in 1987 to improve the skills of neighborhood residents and provide encouragement to both veteran as well as emerging grassroots leaders. The Institute’s vision for neighborhoods is for governance by highly self-reliant and resourceful neighborhood associations, broadly-based in their neighborhoods through active and diverse memberships, with constant percolation of new leadership. training leiderschap
Contact: Jack Trawick, Executive Director, Louisville Community Design Center, 333 Guthrie Green, Suite 412, Louisville, KY 40202, Tel: (502) 589-0343
Louisville Coalition of Neighborhoods
LouCON is a broad-based county-wide association of neighborhoods created in February 2002. The purpose of the coalition is to share information and resources across neighborhoods, advocate for neighborhood quality of life issues, and speak with a common voice to the leaders of local government and its agencies.
Contact: Jack Trawick (502) 589-0343 or Suzanne Sexton (502) 583-2821
Making Connections, The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Making Connections is the centerpiece of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s multi-faceted effort to improve the life chances of vulnerable children by helping to strengthen their families and neighborhoods. The primary aim of the effort is to stimulate and support a local movement that engages residents, civic groups, political leaders, grassroots groups, public and private sector leadership, and faith-based organizations in an effort to help transform tough neighborhoods into family-supportive environments. Cheap Cigarettes online
The Annie E. Casey Foundation was established in 1948 by Jim Casey, one of the founders of United Parcel Service. Headquartered in Baltimore, MD, the Casey Foundation has focused on the issues of children since its inception. The Foundation’s mission is to help build better futures for millions of disadvantaged children who are at risk of poor educational, economic, social, and health outcomes.
Contact: Sammy Moon, Senior Consultant and Louisville Site Team Leader, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, 701 St. Paul St., Baltimore, MD 21202 Tel: (410) 223-2913
Consensus Organizing Institute (COI)
The Consensus Organizing Institute is working in four neighborhoods to assist residents to achieve their family/community strengthening goals by working together as a group. The neighborhoods are Smoketown, Shelby Park, Phoenix Hill, and California. Residents will identify which issues are most important to them and their families and what people, groups or institutions have been most helpful to them. Residents will discuss their thoughts on the new merged government and how they think the public sector can play a role in building stronger families and communities in Louisville.
COI will help to bridge the gap between families, individuals and neighbors, youth and adults, community centers, churches and other institutions and develop neighborhood based initiatives to address the identified issues.
COI is a national non-profit organization dedicated to reversing civic isolation through community organizing. COI believes that people most affected by problems should lead efforts to solve them.
Contact: Kirk Owens, Community Organizer, Consensus Organizing Institute, 334 E. Broadway, Louisville, KY 40202, Tel: (502) 583-2822 x. 402.
Neighborhood Place, Jefferson County Department of Human Services
In 1991, the public school system and major public sector human service providers came together to work towards a "seamless" system of service delivery within Jefferson County. Their efforts led to the establishment of Neighborhood Place, a network of accessible, family-friendly, and results-oriented "one-stop" service delivery centers that promote self-sufficiency.
Neighborhood Place works with communities to provide blended and accessible health, education, employment and human services that support children and families in their progress toward self-sufficiency. Staff from multiple agencies comes together in one readily accessible location under a single team leader to work respectfully with families in their own neighborhoods.
Contact: Karen Jarboe, Division Director, Jefferson County Dept. of Human Services, 810 Barret Ave., 2nd Floor Room 240, Louisville, KY 40204, Tel: (502) 574-6128
Neighborhood Initiatives, New Directions Housing Corporation
Neighborhood Initiatives works with neighborhood groups in the exploration of techniques that expand grassroots participation. The program provides capacity building consultation and resource support to neighborhood groups by working with these organizations to define and achieve their goals. Staff currently works in eleven neighborhoods: Beechmont, California, Norfolk, Park Duvalle, Park Hill, Parkland, Phoenix Hill, Portland, Russell, Shelby Park and Smoketown.
Contact: Joe Gliessner, Executive Director, New Directions Housing Corporation, 1000 E. Liberty St. Louisville, KY 40204 Tel: (502) 589-2272
Louisville Neighborhood Initiative, U.S. Rep. Anne M. Northup
The Louisville Neighborhood Initiative works with local community leaders in a private-public partnership to address the challenges of affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization in Louisville. In October 2000, Northup secured $2 million in federal dollars for this new funding initiative.
The Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation serves as the initiative’s primary national partner. Other partners include the Enterprise Foundation, Freddie Mac and the Fannie Mae Foundation.
Contact: Rep. Anne Northup, U.S. Congresswoman, 600 Martin Luther King Place
Suite 216, Louisville, KY 40202, Tel: (502) 582-5129
Department of Neighborhoods, City of Louisville
The Department of Neighborhoods works to empower diverse citizens through leadership, advocacy, partnerships, and community engagement to strengthen the city’s unique neighborhoods. Their presence ensures capacity–building for a safer, cleaner and more beautiful city.
Contact: Dwen Chester, Director, Department of Neighborhoods, City of Louisville, 200 S. 7th Street, Suite 200, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, Tel: (502) 574-3380
Neighborhood LINK, City of Louisville
Neighborhood Link is an Internet-based community network that gives neighborhood associations and nonprofit organizations an opportunity to create their own free interactive web sites. Louisville is the first city in Kentucky to offer this technology program designed to build community partnerships by offering ways for neighborhoods and non-profits to share information and to network easily.
Contact: Marsha Moorman, Neighborhood Development Manager, City of Louisville Department of Neighborhoods, 200 S. 7th St., Suite 200, Louisville, KY 40202 Tel: (502) 574-4227