Focus on Your Neighborhood

FWLNA celebrates its member organizations which recently won national neighborhood awards in a juried competition at the Neighborhoods USA Conference held in Anchorage, Alaska May 25-28, 2011. 

*  The Fairmount Neighborhood Association won 1st place in the Social Revitalization/Neighborliness Category for its Community Garden Project.

*  The Oakhurst Neighborhood Association won 2nd place in the Social Revitalization/Neighborliness Category for its "Connecting Oakhurst:  Landscape Educational Series; Revival of Community Events; and Landscape Newsletter Column" Project.

*  The North Beverly Hills Neighborhood Association was a finalist in the Social Revitalization/Neighborliness Category for its Senior Awareness and Vitality Project.

In addition, League members Fairmount Neighborhood Association and Eastern Hills Homeowners Association won Gold level awards for their neighborhood newsletters.  See descriptions of Fort Worth's winning neighborhood projects below.

Neighborhoods, USA (NUSA) is a national non-profit organization committed to building and strengthening neighborhood organizations.  Each year the NUSA Board of Directors recognizes the commitment and work of neighborhoods in awarding the "Neighborhood of the Year" recipients.  The "Neighborhood of the Year" award has been presented since 1984 as a collective "thank you" for the hard work by neighborhoods, and is the only national award given on an ongoing basis to neighborhood organizations for their self-help initiatives.   This year's Neighborhood of the Year Grand Prize Winner was Better Balance for Long Beach of Long Beach, California with their The One Day Christmas Store Shopping with Dignity project.

Susan Harper of the Fairmount Neighborhood Association gives the Community Garden presentation before a panel of judges at the NUSA conference, May 26, 2011, in Anchorage, Alaska.

Brenda Howell and Susan Harper of Fairmount celebrate the win.

Jennifer Trevino of NBHNA, Libby Willis of FWLNA and ONA, and Doyle Willis, Jr. after the NUSA awards luncheon.

Fort Worth neighborhood leaders at the NUSA conference in Anchorage.

Fairmount Neighborhood Association placed first in the Social Revitalization/Neighborliness category for establishing a community garden on Fifth Avenue across from Fairmount Park. Gardeners from the neighborhood have enthusiastically planted tomatoes, peppers, green beans and squash, among other vegetables and herbs. Roses are planted along the outside of the fence, and discarded tires have been painted in bright colors to serve as smaller-scale children’s gardens.

Fairmount organizers approached the City three years ago about leasing land for a community garden. There were hurdles involved with leasing City-owned land, but a group of staffers from the Legal, Housing and Economic Development, and Parks and Community Services departments met regularly for about a year to come up with a workable lease. Residents quickly embraced the concept and began to reserve their own garden plots.

The benefits of Fairmount’s community garden have been long-lasting, including new friends and a sense of connection to the seasons and the natural world, organizers said.

Oakhurst Neighborhood Association placed second in the Social Revitalization/Neighborliness category for its Connecting Oakhurst program.

Oakhurst launched a program series that included discussions and hands-on demonstrations on gardening, harvesting rainwater, composting, urban wildlife and native plants. By educating residents on these topics, the association aimed to improve sustainability and the physical environment in the neighborhood. At the same time, bonds among longtime members grew stronger and the association attracted new folks to its activities.

North Beverly Hills Neighborhood Association was a finalist in the Social Revitalization/Neighborliness category. In 2010, the association created its Senior Awareness and Vitality program. Residents made sure seniors felt important by creating a senior liaison position in the association. This volunteer reached out to seniors to help reduce feelings of isolation. In true Fort Worth fashion, the association took its work a step further by purchasing holiday decorations to brighten the homes of neighborhood seniors.

Through the Neighborhood of the Year Awards, NUSA recognizes the outstanding work of neighborhood organizations. Created in 1975, NUSA encourages networking and information sharing as a way to facilitate partnerships between neighborhood organizations, government and the private sector. This year marked the 27th anniversary of the Neighborhood of the Year Awards.

          -- descriptions courtesy NUSA and City of Fort Worth