Resources to Address Neighborhood Issues

Center for Community Change empowers low-income people to bring about positive change in the community.

A nonprofit, Christian housing ministry dedicated to eliminating substandard housing and homelessness. Builds and rehabilitates houses with the help of the homeowner (partner) families and volunteer labor. Habitat houses are sold to partner families at no profit, and financed with no-interest loans that are recycled into a revolving loan fund.

Matches children in need with caring adult mentors. Research shows that children with Big Brothers and Big Sisters are less likely to use drugs and alcohol, skip school, and exhibit violent behavior. Provides positive mentoring relationships for young people in hundreds of communities in all 50 states. There are currently 140,000 active adult participants nationwide.

A program at the Center for Science, Mathematics & Technology Education at the Colorado State University that facilitates electronic mentoring relationships between professional adults and students worldwide. By spending about 30-45 minutes per week communicating via e-mail, adult mentors can share their experience and expertise, helping students achieve academic excellence in math and science, improve communication skills, and explore career and educational futures. Telementoring is a process that combines the proven practice of mentoring with the speed and ease of electronic communication, enabling busy professionals to make significant contributions to the academic lives of students.

Dedicated to mobilizing individuals, groups and organizations from every part of American life, to build and strengthen the character and competence of youth. Information on mentoring and other volunteer activities that individuals and groups can do to support youth.

Advocate for the expansion of mentoring, and a resource for mentors and mentoring initiatives nationwide.

National Night Out - America's Night Out Against Crime

Provides resources with information relating to a host of community-revitalization efforts from across the country. Web site is a function of the neighborhood revitalization and educational services offered by Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, Neighborhood Housing Services of America, and a national network of public and private partnerships.

National, nonprofit, nonpartisan, community-based movement dedicated to helping African-Americans attain social and economic equality

Comprising 1,300 local affiliates that provide fundraising for community organizations and programs. Each United Way is supported by private funds and volunteer efforts. The funds are directed to a variety of programs and services that meet the specific needs of each community and focus on issues such as health care, drug abuse and prevention, literacy, poverty, and homelessness.

An independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian organizations whose mission is to advance the well-being of adolescents and children by generating knowledge and promoting its application.

KIDS COUNT, a project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, is a national and state-by-state effort to track the status of children in the United States. All 1999 KIDS COUNT data is now available from an easy-to-use, powerful online database that allows you to generate custom graphs, maps, ranked lists, and state-by-state profiles.

This nonprofit, nonpartisan organization informs leaders and the public about the needs of American children. The site includes a newsletter and lists of publications that may be downloaded.

Operates the publication clearinghouse and technical assistance resource network of the National Center for Service Integration. Provides technical assistance and support to construct more comprehensive, community-based systems of support to families and children.

This national nonprofit organization helps communities set up the partnerships needed to create a community-built playground. By the end of the year 2000, KaBOOM! will build, renovate or provide technical assistance to develop 1,000 community-built playgrounds. This campaign focuses on 10 “child-rich and playground-poor” cities: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington, DC. However, for other areas, the KaBOOM! Playground Pool offers opportunities for organizations to receive matching funds to initiate and support community playgrounds.

This site is a community and career resource for parents looking to balance work and family on their own terms. It addresses the needs of entrepreneurial parents on both the business and parenting front – from colleague camaraderie to professional career counseling, from quick-tip articles to inspirational profiles.

Through informal educational opportunities in clubs, child care settings, classrooms and camps, supports the development of motivated, self-confident boys and girls.

Provides girls opportunities to develop their potential and have fun with their peers in a supportive, all-girl setting. A movement that gives girls from all segments of American life a chance to develop their potential, to make friends, and to become a vital part of their community. Based on ethical values, it opens up a world of opportunity for girls, working in partnership with adult volunteers. Its sole focus is to meet the special needs of girls.

Works to stop the loss of productive farmland and to promote environmentally sound farming practices. Programs include public education, technical assistance in policy development, and direct farmland protection projects. Publications include research findings on agricultural land threatened by urban sprawl and information on various approaches to, and benefits of, protecting farmland.

Promotes answers to Oregon’s public policy questions from a limited-government, free-market perspective. While focused primarily on local issues, CPI offers a broader perspective on government intervention in mass transit, public education, and land use.

Supports the development of community land trusts and community supported agriculture. Provides technical assistance and operates loan programs in the U.S. and around the world.

Aims to strengthen the quality of local government through professional management. Its “Smart Growth Network” provides information on trends and tools for improving the quality of development in communities.

Encourages discussion on a number of program interests, including fostering sustainable community development and building the civil and civic community. Provides research information, conference reports, and conference facilities. Publishes the Wingspread Journal
quarterly.

Collaborative project of the National Association of Counties and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Helps communities become more self-sufficient and sustainable. Works primarily by providing local elected officials with advice, information, and financial support.