NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources Announces Events Planned for NeighborWorks® Week 2013

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NeighborWorks® Week is sponsored by NeighborWorks® America and its network of local organizations who mobilize tens of thousands of volunteers, business people, neighbors, friends, and local and national elected and civic leaders in a week of neighborhood change and awareness. They rehab and repair homes, paint and landscape properties, conduct neighborhood tours, recognize successful partnerships, and host events that educate, train and inform.


NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources has organized a two weeks full of community events for NeighborWorks® Week 2013. This year NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources will celebrate their 18th Annual Paint the Town. NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources and volunteers will be painting five homes in the three communities. Homes are located in Rapid City, Box Elder, and Edgemont. NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources has organized volunteers from local organizations throughout Western South Dakota to provide a fresh coat of paint for homes that were in need. Painting will take place throughout the week of June 1st and run through June 16th. Paint the Town is sponsored by South Dakota Housing Development Authority “Paint South Dakota”, NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources, and NeighborWorks® America.

Tuesday, June 4th, NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources will celebrate their 11th Annual Trolley on The Trail Event. The combined effort consists of the use of the trail from the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, use of a Trolley from the City of Deadwood and reservations taken by NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources. The Trolley on the Trail is a combined endeavor to give disabled or handicapped people access to the Mickelson Trail. Additional Trolley on the Trail dates take place on July 2nd, and September 3rd . Thanks to sponsorships with local businesses, this ride is provided free of charge.

Saturday, June 8th, NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources and the Central City Neighborhood Council will host the 5th annual “Community Plant Exchange” at the Pizza Lab in Central City. Attendees will have the opportunity to exchange extra plant items with their neighbors. New and experienced gardeners are welcomed and encouraged to join in on this great community event. Attendees are not required to bring exchange items to participate. The Plant Exchange will also be hosting a Food Drive for the Lord’s Cupboard in Lead.

NeighborWorks® Week activities will continue throughout the month of June. NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources, along with many other local organizations are sponsoring the 3rd Annual Open Summer Market “Lead Live”. Lead Live will take place the 2nd Tuesday’s of the Summer Months from 5:30pm-8:30pm. June 11th will be the kick off of this great community event.
On Saturday, June 15th, the annual Treasures, Trash & Cash tri-city rummage sale will be held the morning. Locations will be published in the Black Hills Pioneer the week prior to the event.

Each NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources event engages residents to be participating in community events and provides residents the chance to volunteer and beautify our community.

About NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources: NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources is a private nonprofit organization that has been assisting in providing decent, safe and affordable housing and revitalizing neighborhoods for twenty years. NeighborWorks® has helped more than 950 families realize their dream of homeownership. NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources provides decent, safe and affordable housing and revitalize neighborhoods throughout the Western South Dakota communities. For more information on NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources or NeighborWorks® Week, contact Stephany at 605-578-1401 or visit us on the web at www.NeighborWorks®dhr.org

NeighborWorks Dakota Home Resources-Taking reservations for Trolley on the Trail.

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Each summer, NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources organizes community events that engage and bring community members together. “Trolley on the Trail” is one of these events. In 2002, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks; City of Deadwood; Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission; Deadwood Chamber of Commerce and NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources organized “Trolley on the Trail”.

Trolley on the Trail provides disabled or handicapped people the opportunity to access the Mickelson Trail. The Mickelson trail is located in the heart of the beautiful Black Hills. The trail is 109 miles long and contains more than 100 converted railroad bridges and 4 rock tunnels. Each year thousands of individuals travel on the trail by foot, horseback, bike, and cross country skiing. Four times a year the trail is opened up to the Deadwood Trolley.
Trolley on the Trail allows many residents to enjoy the beauty of the Mickelson Trail from Englewood to Rochford, SD. Many of the riders would not be able to enjoy the scenic trail without this service. The combined effort consists of the use of the trail from the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, use of a Trolley from the City of Deadwood, reservations taken by NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources and refreshments provided by the Deadwood Chamber of Commerce. NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources begins taking reservations for all four events in May.

This year attendees will have the opportunity to participate on the Trolley on the Trail: June 4th, July 2nd, and September 3rd. Please contact NeighborWorks to reserve your spot.

NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources is a private nonprofit organization that has been assisting in providing decent, safe and affordable housing and revitalizing neighborhoods for twenty years. NeighborWorks® has helped more than 900 families realize their dream of homeownership. If you would like more information about Trolley on the Trail or other programs please contact Stephany at 605-578-1401

Rapid City Supports Park at Willow Park(Monroe/Lemmon)

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NeighborWorks Dakota Home Resources and the College Park Block Club are excited to announce the planning and implementation of a pocket park located on the corner of Monroe and Lemmon Ave. in Rapid City.

On April 11th, NeighborWorks Dakota Home Resources and residents of the College Park Block Club received support from the City of Rapid City to create a pocket park on the corner of Monroe and Lemmon Ave. This open space was once a park many years ago, but over the years the park equipment was removed and the space vacant. With the increase of children in the neighborhood, it became apparent to the residents they needed to create something to entertain and keep the children safe. This park will just be another tool to help grow the community within in the neighborhood.

The next step is to generate the funding necessary to move forward with this project. ” We will begin working with the city architects to design a park that will be safe and up to standards,” stated NeighborWorks Marketing Director, Stephany Valkenburg.

People value the time they spend in city parks, whether walking a dog, playing basketball, or having a picnic. Along with these expected leisure amenities, parks can also provide measurable health benefits, from providing direct contact with nature and a cleaner environment, to opportunities for physical activity and social interaction. NeighborWorks Dakota Home Resources and the College Park Block Club would like to thank everyone who is sharing their support for this project. The outcome and benefits of the park will have great affects on the entire College Park neighborhood and surrounding areas.

If you would like more information on the Willow Park project please contact Stephany at 605-923-6007.

South Dakota Housing Opportunity Fund

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New tool for providing needed housing in communities across state

With Governor Dennis Daugaard’s signature making SB 235 law, housing and homeless advocates across the state are celebrating the creation of the South Dakota Housing Opportunity Fund, which will be used to preserve and expand sustainable, affordable and safe housing in communities throughout the state

“We will be able to develop the housing our communities’ need, while also generating jobs and local economic activity. South Dakota neighborhoods thrive when there is a wide variety of affordable housing available” reflects Patty Bacon, Habitat for Humanity – SD.

The SD Housing Opportunity Fund (SDHOF) is part of a five-pronged economic development initiative passed by the legislature that will receive funding through the Building South Dakota Fund. The Housing Opportunity Fund will provide financing for the construction or rehabilitation of rental or homeowner housing, the preservation of existing affordable homes, home repair to increase accessibility and efficiency, homelessness prevention activities, as well as investing in community land trusts. The Housing Opportunity Fund will receive 25% of Building South Dakota Fund resources, and will be administered by the South Dakota Housing Finance Authority.

“We send our heart-felt thanks to Senator Corey Brown, and the leadership in both the Senate and House. This is a real win-win for South Dakotans,” said Lori Moen, Grow South Dakota.

South Dakota becomes the 47th state with at least one statewide trust fund. Nationally Housing Trust funds have provided thousands of affordable homes to more than a million people. Housing Trust fund investments have created jobs which have generated millions of dollars in local economies.

“The Housing Opportunity Fund is going to benefit South Dakotans who most urgently need affordable housing: working families, senior citizens, and people with disabilities,” said Shireen Ranschau, SF Housing & Redevelopment Commission.

“Hardworking people should be able to afford housing and still have enough money for groceries and other basic necessities. Unfortunately, we know many communities do not have housing that is affordable to the local workforce. The Housing Opportunity Fund will target housing for working people,” added Joy McCracken, NeighborWorks.

 

NeighborWorks Dakota Home Resources Board Members Support Group WorkCamps

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NeighborWorks Board Member Larry Griffin presented a check to NeighborWorks Dakota Home Resources Executive Director Joy McCracken on Behalf of Larry and Cindy Griffin in the amount of $370.

The  donation proceeds from Larry will “Sponsor a House” for the upcoming 2013 Group Workcamps. In addition to the check presentation, Larry challenged each member of the board to also donate funds to help sponsor a home.   Board Member Dean Sigman presented his donation immediately.

These donations will support the community outreach program which is coordinated by Group Cares (formerly Group Workcamps.)  Group Cares is a non-profit, interdenominational Christian volunteer home-repair organization headquartered in Loveland, Colorado.  For the seventh time, NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources, along with Sturgis Brown High school, Meade County and the City of Sturgis will sponsor the Workcamps the week of July 7th in the Northern Black Hills.

This year, over 400 youth and adults from around the nation will visit the Black Hills and perform work on over 70 homes. At each Workcamp, teenagers and adults – all members of church youth groups – volunteer a week of their time to repair homes throughout the community.  “This represents about 12,000 hours of volunteer labor, worth over $120,000, to the community,” said Sharon Martinisko, Community Outreach and Education Coordinator for NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources.

NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources would like to thank their board and staff for their generous donations. Currently, NeighborWorks staff and board has donated enough funds to sponsor three homes.

NeighborWorks Dakota Home Resources needs your help to reach their goal of $20,000! We are asking you to “sponsor a house” by donating $370.00 which will be used to purchase building materials locally for use on a home of a family selected to receive Workcamp assistance.

Your name/business will be identified on signage placed at the home. Please send donations to NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources, attention Workcamps. If you have questions, or would like NeighborWorks® to present to your organization, please contact Sharon at 605-578-1401

 

Mile High Community Garden in Lead is Accepting Applications.

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Lead, SD March 14, 2013 – NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources is acceptinapplications for residents to participate in the Lead Mile High Community Garden.

NeighborWorks® Dakota Home Resources and the City of Lead have partnered once again to offer a space for community members to gather and grow their own food.  Residents are encouraged to submit their application as soon as possible due to limited garden boxes.

The fee is $15.00 (per box) to NeighborWorks® DHR.  This cost is  to help cover general operating expenses. For more information on the Mile High Community Garden contact Sharon at 605-578-1401.

MILE HIGH COMMUNITY GARDEN APPLICATION /  Mile High Community Garden Agreement (2)