Muncie was awarded $2.88 million dollars to spend on the acquisition and demolition of blighted and abandoned properties within Muncie. The qualifying properties were identified based on a matrix system provided by the State of Indiana and are scattered throughout the city’s neighborhoods. Here is a list of the Hardest Hit Fund properties sorted by neighborhood. Hardest Hit Funds (pdf)
Sun Uniting Neighbors Grant Program
If you missed the community workshop held on October 27th, you still have the opportunity to submit a grant application for financial assistance in installing photovoltaic solar panels. The information provided at the workshop includes details of the program as well as requirements for submission. To access the SUN packet of information, please visit the SUN dropbox where you may view and download the entire 131 page document that includes the workshop’s PowerPoint presentation. Follow this link.
October 26, 2014 – Magical Great Pumpkin Carving
Washington St. was closed from Vine to Pershing for games and prizes for the kids along with a free pumpkin carve and take home. This year’s games were the Magical Pumpkin Cupcake Walk, Pumpkin Golf, Pumpkin Penny Pitch, and Pumpkin Bucket Beanbag Toss. The free event was sponsored by the East Central Neighborhood Association.
October 25, 2014 – South Central Neighborhood Garden Party
South Central neighbors enjoyed lunch with friends in the newly furnished neighborhood garden. Residents tested their knowledge of garden trivia for a prize and all were invited to roast their own s’mores!
Neighborhood Leadership Council
The Neighborhood Leadership Council is an initiative of the Muncie Action Plan that brings together neighborhood association leaders from across the city of Muncie to share best practices, take advantage of educational opportunities, and connect with local resources and area non-profits. The group meets on the third Tuesday of each month on the third floor of the E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center (400 W. Minnetrista Pkwy) at 6:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Updated list of neighborhood leaders for 2025
Let’s Celebrate!
Our May Neighborhood Leadership Council meeting is scheduled for
Tuesday, May 20th from 6-7 p.m. at the E.B. Ball Center, 400 W. Minnetrista Blvd.
Shafer Leadership Academy will be presenting on
Effective Communication – Listening with Your Eyes. We hope to see you there!
Thanks to funding provided by CenterPoint Energy Foundation, we have developed a training schedule for our Neighborhood Leadership Council / CenterPoint Scholar meetings that we hope will help build everyone’s leadership capacity. Here’s what you can look forward to over the next 12 months!
| Tuesday, April 15 6-7 PM The Importance of Neighborhoods | Tuesday, October 14 6-7 PM CenterPoint Scholar Project Pitch |
| Tuesday, May 20 6-7 PM Effective Communication – Listening with your Eyes | Tuesday, November 18 6-7 PM Celebrating Lessons Learned |
| Tuesday, June 17 6-7 PM How to Fund your Association’s Work | Tuesday, January 20 6-7 PM Recruitment |
| Tuesday, July 15 7-9 PM Neighborhoods Pool Party @ Tuhey | Tuesday, February 17 6-7 PM Stakeholder Meet and Greet & CenterPoint Scholar Presentations |
| Tuesday, August 19 6-7 PM Conflict Management | IDEA Conference – March 7 9 AM – 3 PM |
| Tuesday, September 16 6-7 PM Resident Listening |
Come hungry! We always provide dinner at the start of the training.
Have time for a quick survey?
Mitch Isaacs, Executive Director of Shafer Leadership Academy is reaching out on behalf of the Muncie Youth Leadership Program. One of their student teams is working on a project about the Unity Bridge—aimed at raising awareness and celebrating it as a symbol of connection.
They’ve created a short survey to gather community input about updating the Unity Bridge and would love your help sharing it through your neighborhood networks.
The project is supported by Muncie Arts, 8–12 / Habitat, and Councilwoman Ro Selvey, who has also spoken to the mayor. The students plan to share results at the May City Council meeting.
Thanks for supporting these young leaders!
&
A group of Ball State students is collecting community input on climate change. Please take a few minutes to fill out their survey and share with your networks. Your help is greatly appreciated!
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.