2023 Central Northeast Neighbors Small Grants Awardees
BIPOC Community Meal Share a community held meal initiative without hierarchy where participants discuss issues of food justice and celebrate each other’s cultural identities. The funds will compensate the facilitators for their time, as well as provide free registration for all participants, all of whom identify as BIPOC. Alder Commons will host on the first Monday of the month for eight months beginning in March. The events will help foster much needed affinity spaces, create connections, provide nutritious and community held meals and the participants’ sense of belonging.
Andondo en Bicicletas y Caminando (ABC) (Riding your Bike and Walking Around) this group is centered in the Cully neighborhood. The funds will support hosting community Bike Rides, facilitation and participation in community conversations around active transportation, teaching people how to ride a bicycle, advocating for structural changes and more. ABC will weigh in on specific transportation projects and on city and regional budgets and policies and continue to work with ABC participants to let them lead and invite them to engage in discussions on how regional transportation funding should be invested.
Schools Uniting Neighborhoods (SUN) at Rigler Elementary The Latino Network operates the SUN after school program at Rigler. They will use the funds to support the engagement of diverse instructors for the extended-day SUN programing and to locate a culturally specific instructor to teach an 8-week soccer or sport workshop (dependent on student interest and registration) Goals include increasing the number and diversity of people involved and engaged in broader communities and neighborhoods; increase inclusion; strengthen community and build leadership; and engage and benefit community members in the CNN area.
Building Community Resilience and Environmental Awareness with the Roseway NA these funds will be used for three events. An Earth Day Event on the Roseway Parkway, Summer Movie in the Park and a neighborhood gathering with an Ice Cream Social. These events will benefit the area by increasing environmental awareness and care for our physical environment, build community, and enhance emergency preparedness. The Earth Day event is at the intersection of two planned PBOT Greenways. The Parkway is considered a PBOT median and receives minimal maintenance. The day includes a volunteer work party, weeding, mulching, installing a ramp to improve accessibility mulching, and providing 5 gal. buckets for ongoing watering. The Ice Cream Social will include the Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) to build and maintain safety. The Movie in the Park will be presented in Spanish with English subtitles, the park is adjacent to Scott Elementary a Spanish Immersion school.
Scott School Basketball Program this program uses basketball as a way to enable children from our community to have a positive after school environment to develop physical, social skills and self-esteem. The program is run by volunteers and the funds from the grant will help with league fees, uniforms and equipment. Scott school is located in the Cully neighborhood, 83% of our students come from low income families and 70% identify as people of color. This year there are 92 players.
Neighborhood Community Outreach Meals Burrito Love and It’s In the Bag Burrito Love is a response to community hunger, served on the last Saturday of each month is a free sack lunch with hot burrito, fresh fruit and home baked cookies along with a bottle of water. It’s in the Bag is a response to comments from our guests for additional meal support is served every Thursday with a homemade sandwich sack lunch with fruit and water. Hot Coffee and Tea are served in the courtyard at St. Michaels and All Angels Episcopal Church. Flyers offering and inviting people for lunch are made and posted publicly including posting at Hollywood East, bottle drops, Hollywood Sr. Center, near bus stops, health clinics. Street Roots provides copies of their free resource book that is handed out at our lunches.