Leon County, in partnership with the Council of Neighborhood Associations (CONA), will use the grant to fund a joint initiative called “Bringing Out the BEST in Neighborhoods,” a series of six family-friendly service project initiatives that will help foster and cultivate the concept of neighbors helping neighbors. The BEST program is designed to address needs in Florida counties with poverty levels of 16 percent or higher, and also counties affected by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.
The BEST Neighborhoods grant is based on “neighboring,” model concept of community engagement that uses volunteering as a tool to empower, mobilize and facilitate positive changes within communities. Using the needs-based and asset-based findings of each community, a recruitment strategy will be developed to help identify and uncover resident’s unique gifts and talents, acknowledge neighboring that is already occurring, and recognize how together we can build on social capital through volunteer initiatives.
A Best Neighborhood Council made up neighborhood residents, community leaders and agency partners will review proposals and select a total of 6 neighborhoods to implement their projects. On April 9th, Apalachee Ridge Neighborhood will host the grant’s first “Bringing Out the BEST in Neighborhoods service projects.
For more information on the BEST Neighborhood Project Application or to find out more information on volunteering in your neighborhood, please contact Jeri Bush, Director of VolunteerLEON at 606-1970.