Summer LISC AmeriCorps Position: Saturday in the Park Organizer

Allen Neighborhood Center and Lansing Parks and Recreation will be hosting Saturday in the Park, a fun and festive community health and fitness extravaganza on July 26 in Hunter Park. The Center is seeking a part-time organizer to work with our Outreach and Engagement Team to help plan the event and do follow up. The event will feature a wide range of activities including: a 3K Family Fun Walk on the beautiful Hunter Park path, a 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, a Bike Jam with gear give-away, a Mini-Farmers Market, Tours and Workshops in the newly constructed Hunter Park GardenHouse (the Eastside’s first state-of-the-art, computer operated greenhouse), exercise samplers where folks can learn salsa, belly dancing, yoga and more, non-stop live music, a mini health and housing fair, giant inflatable climbing wall and obstacle course, and the First Annual Neighborhood Kickball Tournament.

Job Description for the Saturday in the Park Organizer

Engaging Neighbors as Volunteers, Planners, Participants in Saturday in the Park
Our LISC-Americorps will be involved in all aspects of organizing a major neighborhood event: recruiting and training volunteers, planning events, promotions (designing posters, flyers, radio ads, PSAs), helping to organize kickball teams among Eastside neighborhood watches and other associations, recruiting sponsors, and more. On the day of the event, they will be supervising activities. Following the event, our LISC-AmeriCorps will link as many participants as possible to ongoing activities, such as walking groups, gardening clubs, the Allen Street Farmers Market, the Hunter Park GardenHouse, and organized neighborhood groups.

Creating Connections/Place-Making: The neighbor-to-neighbor connections fostered in preparation for, during, and following Saturday in the Park help build a sense of place, belonging, and pride. This is a wonderful opportunity for someone interested in community development, neighborhood organizing, volunteer recruitment, events planning, and building health while building community.

Requirements
Commitment: The position will start in May 2008 and last until August 31, 2008. There are a total of 300 hours to be completed during this time. Weekly hours are somewhat flexible.

Benefits
LISC Americorps: Americorps and Local Initiatives Support Corporation are nationally renowned organizations, leading the campaign to create healthy communities for everyone. LISC Americorps will provide a $1000 educational stipend that can be applied to educational loans or costs.

Credit: The Allen Neighborhood Center will work with MSU and LCC to provide college credit for this position. A small stipend of no less than $1000 will also be provided to the internship.

Interested applicants please send a letter of intent and resume to Sarah Steele sarahs@allenneighborhoodcenter.org by May 1st.

Hunter Park GardenHouse Grand Opening: Saturday, May 10, 12:00-4:00

Please join us to celebrate the grand opening of our neighborhood greenhouse. Mark your calendars for the Saturday before Mother’s Day from 12 noon to 4 PM for our very special celebration of the Grand Opening of the GardenHouse. A ribbon cutting will occur at 12:30PM with the Mayor and others.

The event will also include:

• Food Station: tasty veggies grown this spring in the GardenHouse;
  
• Children’s activities: Come paint a pot and plant a flower (gift idea?); Play some garden games and win prizes.
  
• Perennial plant exchange (bring what you’ve got too much of and take home some new plants for your yard!)
  
• Mini-workshops all afternoon on Home Gardening basics
  
• Free starter plants (veggies and flowers) for home gardeners
  
• Tours of our wonderful GardenHouse and parkland youth gardens
  
• Live local music, door prizes, and Neighbors galore!

Please come out and support this history-making project!

Free Gardening Workshops
EVERYONE WELCOME!
Presented by Allen Neighborhood Center & The Garden Project
ANC @ 999.391
Garden Project @ 887.4660

Seed Starting:

Saturday, March 29th, at 2:00PM, in the Hunter Park Community GardenHouse.

Join Linda Anderson, of Allen Neighborhood Center, to start out the “spring fever” season for hands-on learning techniques of starting and planting your own seedlings. Look for more workshops around the Eastside and in the GardenHouse in April & May (Intro to Gardening) and June (All about Composting).

The GardenHouse will be open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 PM to 7 PM and Saturdays from 11 AM to 3 PM. All Eastside neighbors welcome to stop in and see how you might get involved.

The city has set aside $250,000 from their Community Development Block Grant rehab funds from November 2007 to June 2008 to offer up to $5,000 in grant funds to 50 homeowners. The grants are available to single-family, owner-occupying homeowners located within the Lansing city limits. Homeowners that have already received previous weatherization grant funds from the city are not eligible for additional grant funds at this time. The CDBG grant funds can be used in conjunction with Lead Safe Lansing (LSL) funds, and will be considered as match.

Individuals wanting more information or to participate in the city’s rehabilitation program should contact the main number at 483-4040. Money could be used for code related roof, siding, window, insulation, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, furnace, or HVAC improvements.

This information was submitted to us by a neighbor, Gretchen Gregory.

Although they are equipped with fur coats, dogs and other animals can still suffer from frostbite, exposure, and dehydration when water sources freeze. Cold weather spells extra hardship for “backyard” dogs, who often go without adequate food, water, shelter, or medical care.

When the mercury plummets, animals need extra protection from the elements. Take the following precautions to ensure animals’ safety:

• Bring animals inside, particularly puppies and kittens, elderly animals, small animals, and dogs with short hair, including Pointers, Beagles, Rottweilers, Pit bulls, and Dobermans. Short-haired animals will also benefit from a cozy sweater or coat.
• Provide dogs with proper shelter. Doghouses should be made of wood or plastic (metal conducts cold) and positioned in a sunny, sheltered location during cold weather. Raise the house off the ground several inches and put a flap (car doormat) over the door to keep out cold drafts. Use straw or cedar shavings for bedding—rugs and blankets hold the moisture and freeze up. Make sure the house is really weatherproof—a slit car floor mat at the entrance helps keep body heat inside, while a lip keeps hay from spilling out.
• Don’t allow your cat or dog to roam freely outdoors. During winter, cats sometimes climb up under the hoods of cars to be near warm engines and are killed or badly injured when the car is started. (To help prevent this, bang loudly on the hood of your car before starting the engine.) Animals can also become disoriented when there is snow or ice on the ground. More animals are lost during the winter than during any other season.
• Increase animals’ food rations during winter (they are burning more calories to keep warm). Also, be sure animals are free of internal parasites, which can rob them of vital nutrients.
• Buy antifreeze made with propylene glycol (brands include Sierra and Prestone Lowtox) instead of ethylene glycol, which is a deadly poison even in small doses. Animals are attracted to antifreeze because of its sweet taste, so be sure to promptly clean up spills.
• Clean off your dog’s or cat’s legs, feet and stomach after coming in from the snow. Salt and other chemicals can make an animal sick if they are ingested while the animal grooms himself or herself.

For more information on helping animals in our community, please visit the Capitol Area Humane Society, or take a look at the national resources for helping companion animals available from the ASPCA and The Humane Society of the United States.

The Lansing Police Department will be holding a series of trainings for members and leaders of local neighborhood watch groups. The training dates below will be held at the South Precinct Community Room and will be from 6 P.M. until 8 P.M.

The training will be held each Wednesday of the month and a new subject will be taught each night. On the second Wednesday of every month, the topic will be “How To Start a Neighborhood Watch”. On the last Wednesday of every month, the training will be exclusively for Coordinators and Block Captains. The meeting will be an opportunity for you to obtain crime data, crime maps and information on specific issues, such as code compliance, gangs, drug houses, speeding, and other necessary information.

LPD hopes to see everyone involved in Neighborhood Watch on these dates and looks forward to working with neighbors to make neighborhoods safe and problem-free.

Scheduled trainings:

11/07/07: Home Safety/ Target Hardening
11/14/07: How to Start a Neighborhood Watch
11/21/07: Identity Theft
11/28/07: Neighborhood Problem Solving (Open to Coordinators and block Captains)

12/05/07: Child Safety
12/12/07: How to Start a Neighborhood Watch

01/02/08: Safe Driving (Road rage, night driving, drowsy driving)
01/09/08: How to Start a Neighborhood Watch
01/16/08: Vehicle Safety (Larcenies from Automobiles and Motor Vehicle Thefts)
01/23/08: Personal Safety
01/30/08: Neighborhood Problem Solving (Open to Coordinators and block Captains)

Saturday, November 3, 2007
10:00 AM to Noon
Includes Beverages & Light Breakfast

Foster Community Center, Room 211

The Greater Lansing Housing Coalition (GLHC), Allen Neighborhood Center (ANC), and Franklin Street Community Housing Corporation (FSCHC) are presenting this workshop for people who are considering a first home purchase.

This Workshop is for you if you:
Rent your home
Think you might want to buy a home sometime soon
Need some down payment help
Have the right house picked out – except that it needs some fixing up

This free workshop includes information about three programs that might help:

· The Home Purchase and Rehabilitation Program (HPR)

HPR is a GLHC program that can help first time homebuyers in Lansing with funds for necessary home repairs, down payment assistance or mortgage buy-down if needed.

HPR is a no-interest loan. The principle is only repaid when the buyer: 1) no longer lives in the home, 2) sells the home, 3) refinances for a reason other than better terms or 4) has lived in the home for 50 years.

GLHC staff will provide information about HPR. Learn how it works and the process for applying—explore whether it might help you. There are income eligibility requirements for the HPR program. GLHC staff at the workshop can help you determine whether you might qualify.

·Homebuyer Counseling

ANC and FSCHC offer free homeowner counseling to people who are getting ready to buy a home. The class will teach you about the process of purchasing a home. Most homeownership assistance programs require participation in this counseling class before any funding can be released.

You will learn to:
work with real estate agents and lenders
figure your monthly payments
create a household budget or repair your credit
understand taxes and insurance
know the types of mortgage products that are available
explore financial assistance that may be available to help you with home purchase and repairs
maintain your home

· Individual Development Account (IDA)

FSCHC can enroll people with limited incomes in the IDA program. This is a special savings account. Money put into the account can only be used for home purchase. For each $1 that you save, FSCHC can provide $3 toward homebuyer down payment and closing costs.

This workshop is free and does not commit you to anything! Registration is requested. For information, or to register, call Amy Rose at GLHC, 372-5980 or Jason at ANC, 999-3913.

Come gather with others and please bring a neighbor or friend to this new activity held on the first Saturday of every month from 10 AM to12 noon.

You are invited to the Allen Neighborhood Center for this series of fun-filled activities and guest speakers addressing a wide variety of topics.

Childcare will be provided for children up through 7 years of age. Please call to reserve a spot for your child.

Moms and children will experiment with new snack ideas as we all roll up our sleeves to prepare different kid-friendly recipes together every month.

Then, all Moms will relax and actually be able to focus on the featured speaker... because the children will be in another room actively involved in activities.

Help spread the news about this new group, and we’ll see you on the first Saturday of every month. Future topics will be announced soon!

Questions? Planning to bring your child? Contact Hollie Hamel @ 517.999.3911 or hollish@allenneighborhoodcenter.org.

Are you having problems making your monthly mortgage payments? Do you need help figuring out what your options are? You are not alone. There is a new website that can help you. It’s called www.holdontoyourhome.org.

If you would like to talk about your situation in more detail, please contact our housing staff at (517) 367-2468. Our services are free and open to anyone.