Grants give boost to Akron neighborhoods

The City of Akron and Akron Community Foundation have announced $203,840 in grants to help residents improve their community through the Neighborhood Partnership Program.

In all, matching grants were awarded to 51 projects throughout Greater Akron that will help strengthen neighborhoods from Goodyear Heights to North Hill. An art garden in the Highland Square neighborhood will provide a community meeting space adorned with artwork created by local students. In West Akron, funded projects will help students with GED and college preparation, along with providing community gardens and exploratory field trips. Programs funded in North Akron will help create a more cohesive community of senior citizens in addition to serving young people and refugee families.

"The City of Akron is proud to have partnered with Akron Community Foundation for over 20 years in sponsoring the Neighborhood Partnership Program, which provides support and resources to citizens seeking to make a positive difference," said Mayor Dan Horrigan. "This unique program provides residents, who are most aware of the needs and assets of their neighborhood, the opportunity to create local programming and activate resources in a way that benefits their community. The Neighborhood Partnership Program supports an array of different activities, including beautification projects, public programming, and local economic development initiatives, that inspire neighborhood pride, build community, and enhance the quality of life for our residents."

The Neighborhood Partnership Program is a collaboration between the City of Akron and Akron Community Foundation to fund grassroots, citizen-led initiatives that revitalize and reinvent local neighborhoods. Officials from the City of Akron Department of Planning and Urban Development and the community foundation review the applications and make funding recommendations to Akron City Council.

The following groups received grants in 2018:

Beautification

Art Bomb Brigade, to create two community murals in the West Hill neighborhood, $5,000
Centenary United Methodist Church, for vacant lot improvements, including the planting of grass, gardens and trees, $1,150
Emmanuel Christian Academy, for the Five Points Art Garden, a community meeting space that will display art created by students, $2,300
LINKS Community and Family Services, for the Upson Street Beautification Project, $1,000
North Howard Block Watch, to support the beautification of North Hill in the Avon Street and Howard Street block, $700
The Well Community Development Corporation, to beautify an outdoor community deck with public seating, benches, swings, landscaping and signage, $7,500

Community Building

Akron Area YMCA, East Akron Branch, for the Neighborhood Leadership Institute program, which offers workshops and training for grassroots leaders, $7,500
Akron Area YMCA, East Akron Branch, for Neighborhood Leadership Institute pilot projects, $3,000
Blessed Trinity Parish, for semimonthly senior dinners at the parish on Tallmadge Avenue to help create a more cohesive senior community in North Hill, $5,000
Charisma Community Connection, for the annual Fathers Walk event, where fathers attend school with their children, $1,000
City of Akron Peacemakers, for an anti-crime and civic program that teaches youth about local government, community organizations and law enforcement, $7,500
Copley Road Community Center, for GED preparation for students, along with neighborhood beautification and playground construction, $1,000
Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance, for placemaking, beautification and community arts programs, $7,500
West Hill Community Development Corporation, for a community outreach and summer youth recreation program, $2,500; and for the West Hill Community Gardens, $2,000
Williams Challenge, for the Man2Man Fatherhood Initiative, which helps at-risk men become a positive influence in their children's lives, $2,750

Events

Akron Pride, to support the Akron Pride Festival at Hardesty Park, $7,500
Big Love Network, for the Hands On Sustainability conference, which educates the public about environmentally beneficial practices, $7,500
Buchtel Community Learning Center PTA, for the West Akron Parade and Festival, a community parade celebrating West Akron youth organizations, churches and businesses, $3,000
Canal Park Condominium Owners Association, for a community picnic that builds positive relationships among neighbors in this inner-city development, $1,500
Case Elementary School PTA, for an event to celebrate the opening of the new school, $1,000
DeBord's 22nd Community Halloween Festival, for a family-friendly community Halloween festival, $1,500
Firestone Park Citizens Council, for the Firestone Park summer celebration and parade, $7,500
Greater Bethel CDC, for a daylong neighborhood jubilee and a Labor Day parade, $3,000
Greater Holy Trinity C.O.G.I.C. Men Ministries, for a community outreach day to connect residents to neighborhood resources, $2,000
Heart to Heart Family Support Center, for the National Night Out Against Crime event in the Rosemary/Arlington area of East Akron, $2,000
Hereford/Highland Area Block Watch Inc., for a newsletter and community-building events in the Highland Square neighborhood, $6,990
Highland Square Neighborhood Association, for the 2018 Porch Rokr Festival, a one-day music and arts festival that showcases local musicians, vendors and community activities while building relationships among neighbors in Highland Square, $7,500
House of Zoe, for a neighborhood gathering in West Akron, $1,000
Joanna House II, for a Founder's Day celebration in South Akron, $1,000; for a Trunk or Treat event, $500; and for a youth summer program, $1,000
Kenmore Chamber of Commerce, for community events, including a holiday celebration and children's Easter egg hunt, $6,000
North Hill Community House, for the Youth National Night Out Against Crime, $2,700
Partners for Theater Inc., for Summit Stage Fest, which hosts outdoor theater productions on multiple stages in Highland Square, $7,500
Residents Improving Goodyear Heights Together (RIGHT), for a community newsletter and neighborhood activities, $7,500
Second Baptist Church of Akron, for a family-friendly event to promote unity in Ward 3, $2,000
S.T.A.R.T., for Copley Road Clean-Up Day in West Akron, $2,000
Wilderness Inquiry, for the Akron Portage 'n' Paddle Competition and Celebration, $5,000

Youth

Adventure Camp, for a youth engagement program in West Akron that offers educational field trips, $1,500
Akron NAACP, for the Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics program, which encourages academic and cultural achievement among African-American high school students, $3,500
Akron Urban League, for the MY-STARS middle school youth summer enrichment camp, $5,000
City Sprouts, for a children's gardening and healthy living program, $7,500
He Brought Us Out Ministry, for the Building Blocks Enrichment Program, which provides after-school and summer activities focused on education, character and leadership development, $7,500
Kohl Family YMCA at University Park, for the "Make a Splash" water safety program, $5,000
Let's Grow Akron Inc., to support children's food-based programs, including community gardens, Young Urban Farmers, and Healthy Foods Preparation and Preservation, $7,500
Mon Community of Ohio, for literature, language and arts programs for children, $2,500
National Congress of Black Women, to support the College for Kids program, which helps children explore career opportunities and prepare for college, $3,000
Project GRAD Akron, for the College and Career Expo for Success, and for the annual Breakfast and Educational Fun with Santa, $7,500
Shanti Community Farms, for neighborhood youth programs centered around community gardening, $3,750
Urban Vision, for Camp Urban Vision, a summer camp that serves up to 720 children in the North Hill neighborhood, $5,000