In response to COVID-19, Love Your Block (LYB) South Bend announced “Acts of Kindness” grants to support local community organizations and leaders. Through Love Your Block, citizen volunteers are encouraged to revitalize city neighborhoods, one block at a time.
Grant amounts range from $250-$350 and were targeted to neighbors and groups who have come up with creative ways to build community during these times of social distancing. The City received a number of applications for activities like distribution of masks, picking up essentials for those who are immunocompromised, and neighborhood beautification projects.
To date there have been fifteen grants awarded to the following recipients; Sew Loved, Transformation Ministries, OurCapSoul, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Incorporated, Free Your Wings Mentorship, Scottsdale Neighborhood Association, Tracy’s Cleaning Service, Sixth District Coalition, Lincoln Bendix Neighborhood Association, River Park Neighborhood Association, Women Entrepreneurship Matters, and Unity Gardens – Chapin Park.
“For me, the best part of this program is watching resident leaders express their agency in the most selfless and inspiring ways,” said Alkeyna Aldridge, the City’s Director of Engagement & Economic Empowerment. “But it also offers us the best opportunity to learn directly from neighborhood leaders what the collective vision is for strengthening their community.”
This year, LYB South Bend is also offering a Digital Communications Grant to neighborhood organizations due to social distancing policies resulting from COVID-19. Through a combination of direct grants, online training, and ongoing technical assistance the City hopes to build neighborhood organizations’ capacity to engage with community safely throughout the pandemic.
To apply to the Digital Communications Grant please visit https://bit.ly/2ZVIfXD or contact eee@southbendin.gov. Love Your Block South Bend is funded through Cities of Service, a nonprofit organization that provides grants to build stronger and more vibrant neighborhoods through volunteer impact.