West Scranton Hyde Park Neighborhood Watch Inc

PRIOR TO OUR NONPROFIT STATUS WE WORKED TOWARD REAL CHANGE TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY. WITHIN WEEKS AFTER OUR INITIAL MEETING AND THROUGHOUT 2011, WE ACCOMPLISHED OUR FIRST MAJOR FEAT, TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR RESIDENTS WHOSE PROPERTIES ADJOIN THE JACKSON STREET SKATE PARK. JOINTLY, THE NEIGHBORS, THE POLICE AND THE CITY WORKED WITH OUR ORGANIZATION TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEMS, GARNER SOLUTIONS, CREATE LEGISLATION AND FOSTER COMMUNITY PRIDE AND OWNERSHIP OF THE PARK. THE PROBLEMS STEMMED FROM A POORLY LIT, UNLOCKED, UNSUPERVISED PARK WITH NO RULES OR LAWS TO ENFORCE. THIS CREATED A MAGNET FOR JUVENILE CRIMES, VANDALISM, GANG ACTIVITY AND DRUG USE. THIS MUTUAL COLLABORATION ENABLED IMMEDIATE AND LONG TERM SOLUTIONS. THE SCRANTON POLICE DEPARTMENT MOVED THE JUVENILE AND K9 DIVISIONS TO THIS LOCATION, FORMING THE WEST SCRANTON PRECINCT. NEIGHBORS IMPOSED HOURS OF OPERATION AND PARK RULES THAT BECAME A CITY ORDINANCE IN JUNE 2011. THE NEIGHBORS CREATED A SCHEDULE TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE PARK. THEY WERE VIGILANT IN REPORTING ANY CRIMES AND TRESPASSING WHEN THE PARK WAS CLOSED. BUSINESS AND NEIGHBORS PROVIDED DONATIONS OF FOOD AND SUPPLIES AND IN-KIND SERVICES TO SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS. OUR AGENCY FOCUSED ON CREATING COMMUNITY EVENTS TO CHANGE THE PARK'S ENVIRONMENT AND PROFILE. WE RE-PURPOSED AN ADJOINING BLIGHTED PLAYGROUND AND CREATED A COMMUNITY GARDEN. WE ESTABLISHED A COMMUNITY DAY THAT PROVIDED RESIDENTS: * A DOCUMENT SHREDDING SERVICE, * USED TIRE DISPOSAL SERVICE, * GARDEN PLANT SALES AND A COMMUNITY YARD SALE. WE INITIATED A TWO DAY BLOCK PARTY THAT FEATURED: *THE PAINTING OF A MURAL DEPICTING THE PATRONS OF THE PARK, * FREE SKATEBOARD COMPETITIONS, * 3 ON 3 BASKETBALL SCRIMMAGES, *LIVE MUSIC, *K9 DEMONSTRATIONS AND CRIME PREVENTION STATIONS WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. WE HAVE HOSTED SEVERAL LOW COST SPAY AND NEUTER DAYS WITH A MOBILE VET CLINIC. IN 2012, WE PARTNERED WITH THE CITY OF SCRANTON AND THE CEO WEINBERG FOOD BANK SUMMER LUNCH PROGRAM SERVING AN AVERAGE OF 35 CHILDREN A DAY. AWARDS AND RECOGNITION AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT INCLUDE: 2011, "PART OF THE SOLUTION AWARD" IN RECOGNITION OF OUR SUCCESS AT THE JACKSON STREET SKATE PARK AND COMMITMENT TO OUR COMMUNITY FROM THE SCRANTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. IN 2012 WE WERE SELECTED AS THE NATIONAL RECIPIENT OF THE "AWARD OF EXCELLENCE" FROM THE NATIONAL SHERIFF'S ASSOCIATION FOR NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH GROUPS. RECEIVED A PROCLAMATION FROM SCRANTON CITY COUNCIL FOR AWARD OF EXCELLENCE ACHIEVEMENT. IN 2014 WE RECEIVED OF FEDERAL 501C3 NONPROFIT STATUS. IN ORDER TO PURCHASE THE LA LEWIS BUILDING, AT 1621 WASHBURN STREET, TO CONVERT IT INTO A COMMUNITY CENTER WITH A GYM, LEARNING CENTER, SATELLITE BEAT OFFICER OFFICE AND THE AGENCY'S MAIN HEADQUARTERS. 2015 SECURED LOCAL SHARE ACCOUNT OF MONROE COUNTY GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $163,000.00. 2015 LACKAWANNA COUNTY COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT FUNDS GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $15,000.00. ONCE WE GAINED OUR NONPROFIT STATUS WE ARE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S LARGER NEEDS, FIND SOLUTIONS, MAKE PROPOSALS AND FOR GRANTS AND THAT WERE SUCCESSFULLY AWARDED: 2014 NEIGHBOR WORKS NEPA SELECTED WEST SCRANTON AS A TARGET NEIGHBORHOOD TO MAKE FREE HOME IMPROVEMENTS TO OVER 500 WEST SCRANTON RESIDENTS THROUGH 2017. 2015, WSHPNW SECURED A $7125.00 COMMUNITY NEEDS GRANT FROM THE SCRANTON AREA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, TO EXPEDITE THE PURCHASE LIGHTING FIXTURES AND FENCING FOR FELLOWS PARK GIFTED TO THE CITY OF SCRANTON TO COMPLETE THE SAFETY PHASE. 2015-2016 AFTER IDENTIFYING THE RESIDENTS' DESIRE FOR A CONCERT SERIES WSHPNW HAS PARTNERED WITH THE SCRANTON MUSIC ASSOCIATION. WE SECURED A $3,000 LACKAWANNA COUNTY ARTS & CULTURE PROJECTS GRANT TO HOST CONCERTS IN ALLEN, FELLOWS AND JACKSON STREET SKATE PARK FROM MEMORIAL TO LABOR DAY. 2015-2016 SECURED A SCHWARTZ MACK FOUNDATION GIFT $2,000.00 TO INTRODUCE CULTURAL AND DIVERSITY PERFORMANCE PROGRAMS IN OUR PARKS. 2015-2016 ADDRESSING THE NEEDS TO HAVE STRUCTURED PROGRAMS THE JACKSON STREET SKATE PARK WSHPNW APPLIED THROUGH A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL PROCESS AND WAS AWARDED LEADERSHIP LACKAWANNA TEAM TO DEVELOP A DAY CAMP SERIES.