The Love Your Block Program utilizes a high-impact volunteer strategy and mini-grants that connects community stakeholders and city agencies with local residents to help revitalize their neighborhoods and eliminate blight. The program captures the energy and commitment of residents to lead and make the initiative sustainable. In this process citizens are making their neighborhoods -and the city- a better place to live. Love your block 2021 offers 1. Small Home Repairs 2. Mini-Grants for Small Volunteer-led Projects (applications closed) 3. Tend The Bend Trailer/Clean-up Assistance (through Code Services). The grants of up to $350 are available to residents or nonprofit organizations to develop new programs, help neighbors, and generally do good in the community.
City of South Bend – Love Your Block – Acts of Kindness Grant
Love Your Block is designed to engage local volunteers by providing mini-grants to perform intensive neighborhood improvement projects in the city’s most challenged neighborhoods. While we can no longer gather in the neighborly ways we are used to due to COVID-19, the Office of the Mayor and South Bend’s E3 team (Engagement and Economic Empowerment) invite neighbors and neighborhood groups to apply for an “Acts of Kindness” grant.
In 2020 the Engagement & Economic Empowerment team awarded 15 Acts of Kindness Grants and launched the Digital Neighborhood Grant to keep neighbors safely connected and engaged. In the spirit of continuing to build community safely during these times of social distancing, we are excited to launch the Tend the Bend Trailer as well as announce the second round of Acts of Kindness and Digital Neighborhood Grants.
“The summer grant awardees created youth engagement activities, a neighborhood-based small business scavenger hunt, delivered thousands of facemasks and hand sanitizer, and inspired their neighbors in invaluable ways,” says city official Alkeyna Aldridge, “I’m excited to see what additional impact neighborhood leaders can create this round with further resources and the Tend the Bend tool library.”
The Tend the Bend Trailer is outfitted with tools such as lawnmowers, rakes, weed whackers, and various other tools to support neighborhood beautification efforts and blight elimination and it will be available for online bookings with the following links below. Any resident-led organization such as churches, nonprofits and neighborhood organizations can book the trailer to support their blight elimination efforts.
To apply for the 2021 Grant or further information visit:
Acts Of Kindness Grant Application (English and español): APPLICATIONS CLOSED
Service Catalog application: Apply Here For All Services
Tend the Bend Trailer images below!
