Neighborhood
Preservation and
Volunteerism
Catherine M. Hedgeman, Esq.
Stakeholders, Inc.
The Vision
Well-tended public spaces create a better quality of life that attracts tax-paying
businesses and residents to communities. Experts consider such spaces to be
essential to creating sustainable communities. Run-down, litter-strewn spaces,
however, signal lawlessness and lack of community spirit that can lead to crime and
other negative behaviors. Engaged communities are far less likely to let their
neighborhoods fall into poor conditions and can act as a powerful force in preventing
crime.
The Plan
Develop a neighborhood plan with Key Stakeholders
Build the neighborhoods capacity to carry out the plan
Execution of the Plan
Track and Report the Impact Metrics
Develop a neighborhood plan with Key Stakeholders
Engage residents, neighborhood associations, land banks, businesses, faithbased organizations to volunteer to come together and identify neighborhood
challenges and opportunities.
Develop a neighborhood vision statement and a mission statement for the
neighborhood plan committee
Develop an execution plan and plug in the resources needed to execute
Develop a system for tracking and reporting impact
Possible volunteer opportunities include: Committee co-chairs/steering
committee, notes/minute takers, discussion facilitators, skills-based volunteer
opportunities (marketing, community outreach, web/social media services)
Build the neighborhoods capacity to carry out the plan
Develop the capacity of residents as leaders to drive community change and remove
barriers to revitalization efforts through:
Volunteer Management training programs offered by local resources
Development of Volunteer job descriptions and recruitment of volunteers to assist
with execution of the plan
Providing networking opportunities and introductions for resident leaders to
community partners
Developing a resource catalog outlining skills, services and tangible items available
to convert neighborhoods into places for opportunity.
Execution of the Plan
Assign tasks to volunteers/volunteer teams
Establish a timeline for completion of tasks
Schedule regular progress report meetings
Track and Report the Impact Metrics
A Process for tracking and reporting impact must be developed in the
planning stages.
Consider how you will measure progress through a system of outputs
and outcomes
Example Outputs: Square feet of graffiti removed, Pounds of liter
collected, number of trees planted, number of gardens planted.
Example Outcomes: Residents experienced increased health benefits
from increased access to vegetables grown in their neighborhood garden
Case Studies Birmingham, Alabama
Through Love Your Block Birmingham, thousands of
volunteers in the city cleaned over 26,000 square feet of
graffiti, disposed of more than 135,000 pounds of trash
and debris, and planted over 500 trees. This important
work came on the heels of a tornado that devastated
parts of Birmingham. In addition to its own city match,
the mayor’s office leveraged 25 new sources of private
sector funding to help revitalize neighborhoods.
Case Studies- Flint, Michigan
Flint’s long-standing struggle with blight began over 30 years ago when changes in the domestic auto
industry began to have a profound effect on reshaping populations and economies throughout the
Midwest. Though they have long been on the road to recovery, the recent recession undercut a lot of
progress on blight remediation. The inventory of blighted and abandoned houses in the county land
bank jumped to more than 5,000, or approximately 10 percent of the total residential parcels, despite
the land bank clearing more than 1,000 structures per year for the last three years with federal and
state funding.
To address these challenges, Mayor Walling launched Flint’s inaugural Love Your City campaign in 2012,
and engaged community leaders and city workers recruited and managed a volunteer army to cleanup
blocks citywide – and the results were stunning. More than 1.8 million pounds of trash were hauled
away, including over 8,000 discarded tires. Over 2,500 square feet of graffiti was removed—even
though the late fall cleanup was snowed out. Additionally, Flint residents planted new trees and
created over 50 small gardens, adding healthy and vibrant green spaces to enhance the quality of life in
a variety of neighborhoods.
Case Studies-Flint, Michigan
Flint is located in the middle of Michigan’s “Tornado Alley”, but approximately 60,000
of its residents (about 60% of the total population) do not have a disaster
preparedness plan. The Prepared is Protected Blueprint provided the city with a clear
roadmap for engaging with its key partner, the Red Cross. Together, they worked to
improve the city’s preparedness through their three step method: Get a Kit. Make a
Plan. Be Informed.
Case Study- Seattle, WA
Mayor Ed Murray initiated Find It, Fix It Community
Walks – a series of Mayor-led walks that improve
neighborhoods one block at a time. During these walks,
neighbors, police, and city officials walk together to
identify physical disorder, with a focus on trimming
overgrown trees, graffiti removal, street lighting, and
litter clean-up.
Resources
To apply for Community Impact Grants from The Home Depot,visit:
https://corporate.homedepot.com/CorporateResponsibility/HDFoundation/Pages/ComImpactGrant.as
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For more information on Love Your Block in New York City, and links to an informational flyer and the
grant application,visit: http://www.citizensnyc.org/grants/love-your-block
For briefs issued by Action for Community Trees on Green Streets; Healthy Parks, Safer Communities;
Neighborhood Stabilization and Revitalization; and Growing Healthier Greener Business Districts, visit:
http://bit.ly/17XhoI0
For information on strategies to improve quality of life in urban neighborhoods, read: U.S. Department
of Justice, Executive Office for Weed and Seed, “Citizen Action for Neighborhood Safety: Community
Strategies for Improving the Quality of Life”, August 1997, http://bit.ly/15Xeosf
For information on how to recognize volunteers,visit www.PresidentialServiceAwards.gov or
www.PointsofLight.org
Thank You
Questions?
Catherine M. Hedgeman, Esq
Law Office of Catherine M. Hedgeman, Esq.
Stakeholders, Inc.
915 Broadway, Box 15
Albany, NY 12207
cmh@hedgemanlaw.com