Tag: Neighborhoods

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Grant Funding Opportunities

Two upcoming opportunities for grant funding for tax-exempt neighborhood organizations include:

  • Indiana Humanities All-IN Block Party funding. This unique program is a creative and fun way to bring together a wide swath of Hoosiers to inspire new ideas, get involved and make Indiana even better. Indiana Humanities is excited to offer program support, available by application, to organizations who want to make a Block Party happen in their community. More information can be found at the Indiana Humanitieswebsite.
  • 2015 CDBG & HOME funding through the City of Muncie’s Community Development Department.
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Importance of Neighborhoods

– Collier’s Article – Why Neighborhoods Still Matter (February 2012)

– Here is an infographic (pdf) of why neighborhoods are important

– AARP created an online index of livability that rates communities across the nation for the services and amenities that impact our lives. Take a look to see how Muncie was rated.

– Place matters, especially for children. The New York Times published an interactive map that compares the potential for a child’s future success depending on where they live. This information is part of a larger studyundertaken by the Equality of Opportunity Project on how we can improve economic opportunities for low-income children. The most recent phase of this project looks at how neighborhoods affect upward mobility.

– The American Planning Association published an Urban Naturalist Guide based on “Genius of Common Sense,” by Glenna Lang and Marjorie Wunsch, which describes Jane Jacobs’s life and her insightful ideas about communities. The guide provides instructions on how to observe the community characteristics that make neighborhoods “vibrant, safe, and interesting places to live and visit.”

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Neighborhood Gardens

Gardens can be a great way to beautify your neighborhood, mitigate small scale flooding and drainage issues, and even produce fresh food for the community.

Gardens in Muncie

The Muncie Urban Garden Initiative (UGI) networks resources and community engagement to encourage more local urban food production. Gardens in the UGI network cover 1.75 acres across Muncie; these do not include hundreds of backyard gardens that are in production as well.

View maps of current UGI garden locations and potential urban garden properties.

UGI has many resources for potential gardeners, including a Facebook page, books, tools, rototiller, straw, compost, seeds, plants, and experienced gardeners to educate. If your neighborhood, church, school, or business.

Muncie also has an Urban Garden Committee.  They have compiled a map of urban garden resources that you can view here.

Local Farmer’s Markets

Flavor Fresh Mobile Market Tree Hill Farms
Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays
(Locations, start times, & options vary)		 Landess Farm Market Daleville
Sunday-Friday | 10am-6pm
(WIC/SFMNP)
Minnetrista Farmers Market
Saturdays | 8am-212pm
(WIC/SFMN_ & IU Health Bucks)		 Muncie Makers Market
Saturdays | 4pm-7pm
(SNAP)
Northern Tropics Greenhouse
Monday-Saturday | 12pm-6pm		 Open Door Farmers Market
Tuesday-Thursdays | 11am-2pm
(Open July 18th | WIC/SFMNP)
Yorktown Farmers Market
Wednesdays | 4:30pm-7pm
(SNAP & WIC/SFMNP)

Rain Gardens

Rain gardens are shallow landscaped area that collects rain water from roofs, driveways, sidewalks and lawns and filters it through soil and plants before it enters storm drains or streams.

Stormwater Educator Jason Donati from the Muncie Sanitary District created a presentation on creating your own rain garden: “Going Green with Rain Barrels and Rain Gardens.”

Learn more with this Rain Garden brochure from the Hoosier Heartland Resource Conservation and Development Council and the Clear Choices, Clean Water website.

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Western Woods Neighborhood

Neighborhood Association Meetings

The Western Woods Neighborhood Association meets on the fourth Thursday of each month at 6:00-7:00PM at The Café at the Crossing: 3506 W Jackson St Suite 2 & 3, Muncie, IN 47304. All are welcome.

Neighborhood Action Plan

MAP Westernwood Neighborhood Plan

On the Web

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100081464053049

Email: westernwoodna@gmail.com

Neighborhood Map

Western-Woods-map (pdf)

Join the private social network for your neighborhood at Nextdoor.

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Westminster Village Neighborhood

Westminster Village header

History:

Westminster Village is a not-for-profit community serving senior adults.  It was established on the outskirts of Muncie in 1974 on land donated by Dr. Robert Cooper, former member of the Science Department at Ball State University.  The original vision was put forth by Dr. O.B. Christy who began to research the community needs of senior citizens, and Muncie veterinarian, Dr. Norman Miller who met with local community leaders and bank executives. They created a committee and developed a feasibility study for what would later become Westminster Village with the support of the Presbyterian Housing Program of Indianapolis (PHP).

It became self-sufficient and independent in 1980 due to changes within their funding organization and has since established itself as what its website describes as, “[…]an independent, full-service retirement community, governed by a local Board and staffed by local people, who are dedicated to meeting the needs of the residents who live here.”  Visit their website to read more about their history.

Neighborhood Association:

This is a special, demographic based neighborhood, and as such, does not have a traditional neighborhood association, but you can find out more about their leadership, boards, and management teams here.

On the Web:

Westminster Village website

Email: info@wvmuncie.com

Do you have information about this area that you’d like to share?  Contact Building Better Neighborhoods.  We’d love to hear about it!

Join the private social network for your neighborhood at Nextdoor.