Apply Today for Neighbor-To-Neighbor’s Love Your Block Grants

The City’s Neighbor-to-Neighbor (N2N) Initiative is now accepting its fourth round of applications for the Love Your Block grants. The application deadline for this round is Friday, March 7, 2014.

In January 2012, N2N was awarded a $10,000 grant from Cities of Service, in partnership with the Home Depot Foundation, in the form of Home Depot gift cards toward the implementation of a Love Your Block Program. Love Your Block is a tested, high-impact service strategy in which community members are engaged in revitalizing their neighborhoods one block at a time. Love Your Block aligns perfectly with three elements of the City’s Balanced Scorecard: Unique and Inclusive Communities, Community Safety, and Well-Being Sustainability and the Natural Environment.

“Vibrant neighborhoods, with increased community involvement and spirit, lead to improved quality of life. Engaged neighbors are far less likely to let their neighborhoods fall into disrepair and community engagement serves as a powerful force in preventing crime as well,” said Mayor Dwight C. Jones. “With the help of the Love Your Block grant I am confident that together we can ‘Build the Best Richmond’ one block at a time.”

By way of the Love Your Block grant, N2N provides competitive mini-grants, in the form of $500 Home Depot Gift Card, to city neighborhood groups for the purchase of supplies needed for local beautification projects. Love Your Block grants encourage community groups to identify priority projects and develop volunteer-fueled solutions in the following ways:

1.    Improve resident perception of safety, with improved lighting, landscaping etc.

2.    Reduce crime incidents and other gang/drug related vandalism with graffiti removal, and community garden initiatives.

3.    Reduce trash through street cleanups/increase recycling.

For more N2N Love Your Block grant information or to download the grant application please visit www.richmondgov.com/NeighborToNeighbor/LYBGrantProgramAbout.aspx.