On Tuesday, April 1, the City of Richmond will join in celebrating the second annual Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service. The event to be held at 9:30 a.m. at the Carillon in Byrd Park, 1300 Blanton Avenue, will spotlight the impact of volunteerism and thank those who served within the city of Richmond. More than 1,700 mayors from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico will hold public events and use both traditional and social media to highlight the value and impact of national service to the nation’s cities. This initiative is being led by the federal agency for service and volunteerism, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), along with Cities of Service, the National League of Cities, and Mesa, AZ, Mayor Scott Smith – President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Mayor Jones also participated in the inaugural Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service last year. After the 9:30 a.m. event, Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ Neighbor-to-...

The City’s Public Art Commission invites residents to attend a public meeting to provide input on commemorative public art in Jackson Ward that will honor the life and accomplishments of Maggie L. Walker. The meeting dates will be held as follows with identical material presented at both meetings: Tuesday, April 1                                                     Saturday, April 5 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.                                                        10 a.m. ...

On Saturday, April 12, the City’s Office of Emergency Management will begin the next session of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training classes. In the aftermath of a disaster when people feel compelled to help their community and neighbors, the skills that the CERT program teaches become invaluable. The City’s Office of Emergency Management maintains a robust CERT program, which has many active members that assist during non-emergency events. The CERT training program is designed to educate people about disaster preparedness and hazards that may impact their area. The program trains participants in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. Class Dates: April 12, 19 and ...

The City of Richmond and partner CultureWorks are pleased to announce the second cycle of grant awards, for the January 2014 cycle, made through the Richmond Arts and Cultural District Micro Grant Program. For Capital Improvements ART 180, $2,500 New signage to help increase ART180’s visibility at 114 W. Marshall Street. RVA First Fridays with Downtown Neighborhood Association, $2,010  Upgrades to a new office for the organizations at 417 W. Broad Street. Studio/Gallery 6, $2,500 Upgrades to exhibition and gallery space at 6 E. Broad Street.   For Project Support CenterStage Foundation, $1,000 Support of the free Genworth Lights Up! Youth Open House on March 22, 2014. The People’s Library, $1,000 Support of The People’s Library Project located at the Richmond Public Library, 101 East Franklin Street. RVA Dance Collective, $1,000 Support of free community workshops in July and August at Gallery 5, 200 W. Marshall Street. The Micro Grant Program is one of several recent City ini...

The City of Richmond and Sports Backers invite residents and media to attend a press conference to announce new details for the second annual RVA Streets Alive! scheduled for Saturday, June 21. RVA Streets Alive! is an open streets festival, which closes roads to automobile traffic to allow residents and visitors to use these streets to be active through running, walking, biking and many other physical activities. The Mayor’s Healthy Richmond Campaign, the Richmond City Health District, and the Sports Backers are partnering to host this event. WHO:                   Dwight C. Jones, Mayor                                 Charles Samuels, Richmond City Council President, 2nd District           ...

The Mayor’s Youth Academy (MYA) is now accepting applications for the 2014 MYA Summer Employment programs. Launched by Mayor Jones in 2010, MYA is designed to develop Richmond’s future leaders and workforce. Youth ages 13 through 19 years old are encouraged to apply. “I am strongly encouraging the city’s youth to apply for this tremendous opportunity for summer employment,” said Mayor Jones. “The collaboration between MYA and our community business partners will permit youth to develop relationships with international youth, gain valuable work experience while earning income to save or spend in our local economy, and offer the potential for full-time careers.” New for the summer of 2014, the academy is offering a MYA Junior program. Recognizing the need for earlier career development intervention, the MYA Junior offering will target middle school youth and provide them Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) related experiential learning opportunities and age appropriate intro...

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...