Initiative Foundation's Healthy Communities Partnership To Work With St. Cloud Neighborhoods

Residents of St. Cloud's Seberger, St. John Cantius, South Side and Tech High School neighborhoods will have a formal opportunity to plan their own future, thanks to a new Initiative Foundation program and support from the City of St. Cloud.

The foundation adapted its popular Healthy Communities Partnership (HCP) program, where volunteer leadership teams help guide their hometowns through a citizen-based planning process, to meet the unique planning needs of St. Cloud area neighborhoods.

Thanks to $85,000 in funding support from the Otto Bremer Foundation, City of St. Cloud, Initiative Foundation and Xcel Energy, the new Healthy Neighborhood Partnership will offer leadership training, staff assistance and grant funding through the program. Up to $40,000 will be reinvested in the four neighborhoods through planning and implementation grants.

"We want to give everyone a voice and an opportunity to help determine the future of their neighborhood," said Karl Samp, Initiative Foundation vice president for community initiatives. "Examples of projects could include increasing home ownership, neighborhood beautification, park improvements, family activities and anything that creates a sense of community, especially in areas where next-door neighbors may not know each other very well."

Leadership teams of 10-20 neighborhood residents will attend four training sessions beginning September 28 about community organizing, team-building, "visioning" and identifying local neighborhood assets and resources. The teams are then expected to host fun, interactive brainstorming (or "visioning") sessions in their neighborhoods and create a list of priorities and action plans. Neighborhood projects are then eligible for follow-up grants. The City of St. Cloud will also incorporate the individual plans into its city-wide neighborhood action plan.

More than 80 central Minnesota cities, including East St. Cloud, St. Joseph, Sartell and Sauk Rapids, have been served by the program.

Related Link

• Neighborhoods want to be strong, healthy
  (St. Cloud Times)

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