| Neighborhood Resource Guide |
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Welcome
The City of Fall River is a community made up of neighborhoods. Mayor William A. Flanagan's Office of Neighborhood Outreach encourages, facilitates and maximizes citizen input and participation in all aspects of government through general city service requests, monthly neighborhood meetings, assisting in the coordination of volunteer efforts, publication of the neighborhood newsletter and outreach to our Neighborhood Associations, crime watches and other civic minded associations and endeavors.
Neighborhood Outreach Coordinator, Perry Long works as a liaison to facilitate the delivery of services in collaboration with city departments and serve as a primary contact for Neighborhood residents to communicate with the Mayor's Office.
This guide assembles information to provide residents with the basics on topics related to strengthening neighborhood participation. It is the first building block for getting started, sparking ideas, and building on a vision, values or common goals for our neighborhoods. When reading this guide, think about what you would like to achieve for your neighborhood. What is your idea of a positive, healthy, and vibrant neighborhood? What is it about your neighborhood that you like? What would you like to change? How can you make your neighborhood more inclusive for all residents?
Although, geographically our city is almost entirely represented by neighborhood associations, this guide will help new associations, neighborhood watch initiatives as well as the many other neighborhood related groups, which advocate for the betterment of our city. While it is a broad-brush approach, this guide simply cannot tap all of the thousands of ways neighborhoods have been successful. For that we look to the existing neighborhood associations and the incredible work they have done.
For more information on Neighborhood Association or how you can get involved contact: Mayor William A. Flanagan's Office of Neighborhood Outreach One Government Center (508)-676-0324 / This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Section 1 - Elected Officials / Neighborhood Association Leaders Section 2 - Do You Know Your Neighbor? Section 3 - Benefits Section 4 - 5 Easy Steps Section 5 - Develop a Strategy / Action Plan Section 6 - How to Organize a Meeting Section 7 - Be Efficient Section 8 - Recruitment / Retention Section 9 - Sample Neighborhood Meeting Checklist Section 10 - Have Fun
Section 1 - Elected Officials/Neighborhood Association Leaders Mayor William A. Flanagan Phone: (508)-324-2600 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
City Council
Joseph D. Camara Phone: 508-674-4361 Patricia A. Casey Phone: 508-676-8004 David Dennis Phone: 508-646-3621 Bradford L. Kilby Phone: 508-676-7014 Mike Miozza Phone: 508-679-1553 Raymond A. Mitchell Phone: 508-679-6070 Linda M. Pereira Phone: 508-678-3506 Eric Poulin Phone: 508-558-8463 Daniel Rego Phone: 508-617-8860 School Committee Mark Costa Phone: 508-676-0256 Paul Hart Phone: 508-617-9530 Joseph Martins Phone: 508-678-3351 Robert Maynard Phone: 508-678-3558 Timothy P. McCoy Phone: 508-933-0838 Richard Pavao Phone: 508-673-4253
State Representatives
Patricia Haddad (5th Bristol) Phone: 508-676-9008 David B. Sullivan (6th Bristol) Phone: 508-676-1008 Kevin Aguiar (7th Bristol) Phone: 508-677-1942 Paul Schmid (8th Bristol ) Phone: 508-567-5675
State Senator Michael J. Rodrigues – 1st Bristol / Plymouth Phone: (508)-646-0650
Bristol County Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson Phone: (508)-995-4600
Bristol County District Attorney C. Samuel Sutter Phone: (508) 997-0711
United States Senator John F. Kerry Phone: (508)-677-0522
United States Senator Scott Brown Phone: (617)-565-3170
Neighborhood Association Leaders (Click the Link Above)
Section 2 - Do You Know Your Neighbor?
The core of a good neighborhood is its people and the positive relationships that develop among its neighbors. The first step in building positive relationships is respecting those next door, down the street and around the corner. While we all have our own ideas about what it means to be a “good neighbor,” there are some basic guidelines to help improve the quality of life for everyone in your neighborhood. Common feedback from residents is that their neighborhood has changed so much. Sometimes this means physically, (i.e., parks are aging, sidewalks need repair, we need more street lights). Other times it can mean my neighbor is from a different cultural background from myself.
This begs the questions: What are the values you share? What are those you disagree with? Is there a path for compromise, realignment or change?
Part of being a responsible neighbor is participating in your neighborhood association and improvement activities throughout our city. Enlisting others in the improvement process requires a common theme or concern, and the ability to communicate, compromise, and see things through. Getting started is usually what intimidates people the most. Take it one step at a time. It’s okay to make mistakes and learn along the way. (Click on the above link to find your neighborhood association leader) Our neighborhood associations are an incredible resource for those looking to organize. They began just as you are, and can provide valuable insight into where to begin.
Section 3- Benefits
A Neighborhood group consists of residents from all walks of life that meet regularly to accomplish common goals in their neighborhood. The group may include homeowners and renters, apartment residents, business owners, school and church officials and members of nonprofit organizations. Depending on the goals of the group, meetings may be held twice a year, each quarter or every month.
Knowing your neighbors can help everyone with ideas to improve the quality of life and help troubleshoot either existing or potential threats to your neighborhood. Organizing into a neighborhood group helps to support change and improvement efforts; resolves conflicts; provides volunteers for community projects; and can become a method to find and access resources (such as utilizing your neighborhood outreach coordinator to navigate city services, grant opportunities, etc.,) to make the neighborhood a better place to live. Frequently, the results of these group meetings are shared with elected officials and other city employees equipped to provide assistance.
It’s important to identify key objectives before asking others to help form a neighborhood group. Goals for improving your neighborhood may include: (Please see information pertaining to Building Blocks Neighborhood Revitalization Program).
• Helping neighbors get to know each other by holding social events such as ice cream socials, block parties, annual picnics & food drives. • Making physical improvements, such as helping neighbors clean up their yards, paint their homes, or mend a fence - the possibilities are endless! • Holding regular neighborhood clean ups, keep everyone engaged and a part of the solution • Developing leadership among neighbors • Host a Good Neighbor Program to learn about services and get to know your neighbor at the same time • Forming a Neighborhood Watch to reduce crime. • Tired of Graffiti - The City of Fall River needs your held in identifying locations, and removing illegal graffiti. • Organizing meetings to share opinions with representatives of government. (A representative from the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Outreach as well as Fall River Police Department - Special Operations Division is on hand to discuss issues, and provide resources and services in an efficient and effective manner.
Section 4- Five Easy Steps to Forming a Neighborhood Group
▪Step One: Start with a Core Group
Start your neighborhood group by contacting Mayor William A. Flanagan’s Office of Neighborhood Outreach to find a core group of people that agree to meet regularly. Ask some neighbors you already know and knock on doors of some you don’t know and explain why you want to form a neighborhood group or Crime Watch. When you find 3 to 10 people that are interested, schedule a meeting at someone’s home, a school, a church or another central location. It’s a good idea to set up the meeting quickly before people lose interest. Your Office of Neighborhood Outreach can help with media announcements, allowing the public to know of upcoming meeting dates, etc.
Ask yourself (at a minimum) the following questions: • Is there a need for your ideas to be put into practice? • Is another local group already undertaking this type of work (If there is a neighborhood association, already in existence, it may be helpful to join there effort and incorporate your initiative.) • Have you made contact with others with a similar concern or interest? (It is recomended that you contact the Office of Neighborhood Outreach in advance)
ORGANIZE A GENERAL INTEREST MEETING • Select a place for your meeting, such as a home, church, etc. • Invite your neighbors to attend the first meeting. • Ask attendees to bring a list of ideas and expectations for the group’s first meeting • Identify a meeting facilitator from your core group, and someone to take minutes
SET A SPECIAL MEETING TO ADDRESS • Excessive speed • Planning and Zoning activities such as parking, special permits etc • How to reduce crime • Make improvements such as lighting, sidewalks or enhancements to your park • Report blight in your neighborhood • New development in your neighborhood or are there too many liquor licenses creeping into your area?
Promote the meeting through flyers in local shops, community halls, churches and other notice boards. Work with your Office of Neighborhood Outreach for media releases, email blasts & other outreach measures which may increase attendance.
Contact Mayor William A. Flanagan’s Office of Neighborhood Outreach at (508)-676-0324, visit the Neighborhood Outreach section of the City Website or visit us on facebook and get started. The Office of Neighborhood Outreach can help you to identify groups already established in your neighborhood, provide you information on the neighborhood revitalization efforts already underway, volunteer initiatives, Graffiti initiatives, and many other resources and services available to you.
▪Step Two: Set the Neighborhood Boundaries
Boundaries help define and focus your efforts to create a positive community. Contact the Office of Neighborhood Outreach to research current boundaries or visit the Map on our city website to see if your boundaries include any existing neighborhood groups (you may want to merge groups or work as partners on common problems). Once you have set your boundaries, establish a list of residents and property owners within the defined area. This list will help you get other neighbors involved in your group and its activities.
▪Step Three: Identify Challenges & Develop a Building Blocks Plan
A neighborhood revitalization plan will help your group make decisions and take action on key issues and challenges in your neighborhood.
AGREE TO GOALS AND OBJECTIVES• Build a consensus within your group regarding goals and objectives, to ensure that everyone has a clear idea of what you hope to achieve.
Provide attendees an action plan outlining the proposed goals and objectives of your group. Discuss the plan with the group and determine if any changes are needed. For more on action plans, contact your Office of Neighborhood Outreach.
▪Step Four: Establish Committees
Neighborhood groups work best when the goals and objectives are divided among members who sit on committees. The core group should define the goals and objectives of each committee and decide how the committee will operate. The goals of the group will help determine what kind and how many committees to create.
FORM COMMITTEES • Identify members willing to form a Steering Committee to lead the group’s development • Are there enough people to form other committees as needed? • Does everyone know where and when the committee meetings will be held? • Have you asked everyone to bring a list of their ideas and expectations for the committees? • Before the meeting starts - has someone been asked to guide the meeting and another to take minutes of the meeting?
Ensure that all committee members know what is required of them in terms of time commitment and responsibilities. Consider using Roberts Rules of Order (brief description) to help run your meeting more effectively. Keep all interested parties informed and up-to-date with developments in the group - once you have gained people’s interest, keep them engaged.
▪Step Five: List Your Group with the City /State
The Office of Neighborhood Outreach maintains a list of neighborhood groups within the city. When you list your group, the individual listed as the key contact for the association receives notices of capital improvement projects and editions of the Neighborhood Newsletter. Current and back issues of the newsletter are available online on the city website.
Many neighborhood Associations are formed as nonprofit entities with the Secretary of State’s Office. For more information on how to form as a nonprofit corporation, contact William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website by clicking here.
Section 5- Develop a Strategy & Action Plan
Keep moving forward on your group’s goals and ideas. It is important to have a strategy.
Consider these ideas to help build consensus:
• Identify and prioritize the steps in your project - be as specific as possible • Identify any gaps or unknowns in your knowledge and experiences • Explore what you can do about these • Identify a range of possible routes to your goals • Investigate “Building Blocks” for each route
YOUR ACTION PLAN
Whatever your goals, you are most likely to make progress if you break down the tasks into small steps, and then identify the actions you need to take for each step. Many action plans fail because the tasks appear too difficult. Set reasonable timelines for each action
1 Identify clear and specific goals - these could vary from “reducing neighborhood blight” to “form a neighborhood crime watch group.”
2 For each goal, determine the following:
• What actions you will take • How you will take action • Who or what will help you • Why you might not take action • When you will take action
3 Once you have drawn up your action plan make sure you use it. Post the plan in a prominent place so that you have a constant reminder of what you need to do. From time to time, review your strategies and action plan and revise them when new information and feedback is available.
Section 6 - How to Organize a Meeting
Here are a few steps for simplifying the process of organizing a meeting: Please contact the Office of Neighborhood Outreach to assist with media releases, email blasts and other helpful tips for a successful meeting)
1. Determine a time and location that allows most residents the opportunity to become involved. (Click here for a calendar of all current neighborhood association meetings)
2. Create an agenda to follow during the meeting, and stay on point.
3. If your neighborhood includes many families with children, arrange meeting times that facilitate the child-care needs of the residents.
4. Explore and take advantage of all types of local media to advertise your meetings and special events.
5. Ask contacts from community organizations to announce the meeting at their regular meetings.
6. Have every member call two neighbors to explain the meeting and encourage them to attend.
7. Provide meeting minutes to all meeting attendees to let people know that their input was valued.
8. Evaluate meetings to discover whether or not you have addressedthe needs of the neighborhood.
Section 7 - Be Efficient
Be Efficient: The Value of Record Keeping
It is important to keep written records of each meeting. These documents will help sustain your neighborhood improvement efforts. Your group may have funding options, such as Block Watch Grants or Community Development Block Grants and/or other funding, which may require accurate documentation. Good record keeping also ensures you have a history of your accomplishments.
MEETING RECORDS SHOULD INCLUDE:
• Written agenda - include topics for discussion, the amount of time allocated for each item and the name of the presenter • Written minutes - discussions and actions taken at previous meeting. Include any motions, who made and seconded the motion, etc. Minutes, including expense reports, should be kept and distributed at each meeting. This document provides vital information to residents unable to attend meetings. (see tips below) • Sign-in Sheets - should be kept for each meeting.
Tips to Keeping Minutes of Meetings
• Keep the minutes in a permanent book • Include the name of the group, the presiding officer, the secretary and those present in all your minutes • Record motions in full and include: • Names of the person making and seconding the motion • The motion itself • The action itself, votes for, against, and abstentions • Summarize comments and write minutes as soon as possible for distribution
Section 8 - Recruitment / Retention
Recruiting Volunteers
Often times neighborhood groups have found it difficult to find enough volunteers to assist with neighborhood activities. Economic pressures and changes in family lifestyles have meant there are fewer volunteers available from traditional sources. At the same time, organizations and nonprofits have experienced staffing and funding cuts, making volunteer assistance essential to continue their programs.
Therefore, it is vital that projects are satisfying and fulfilling so that volunteers will want to continue to support your group’s efforts. In an age of resource and time constraints, it is important to understand why people volunteer.
Below is a list of motivations that encourage people to want to participate and volunteer:
• Achievement • Recognition and feedback • Personal growth • Giving something back or to help others • To set a good example
Recruitment is the first step in securing volunteer participation for your organization. Because volunteers give their time only if they are motivated to do so, recruitment is a process of showing people they can do something they already want to do.
In addition to volunteering with your neighborhood association, Mayor Flanagan and the Office of Neighborhood Outreach has partnered with the University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth to create Project Serve, A volunteer initiative, which focuses on linking available volunteer opportunities with those who wish to volunteer. For a complete list of volunteer activities throughout the region click here.
Participation
Once you have identified a core group of volunteers, it is important to motivate and inspire active participation. Some volunteers will be interested in using skills they already possess and others will want to learn new skills. As a neighborhood leader, it is important that you communicate and balance the needs of volunteers with the needs of the neighborhood. Here are a few tips to assist you. Volunteers need…• To be treated with respect • A sense of ownership • To celebrate • To feel valued • Guidance • Two-way communication • Recognition
Building Up
Your neighborhood is a product of the efforts of the individuals who use their talents and skills to sustain it. The key to improving or sustaining the efforts of your neighborhood is to continually find ways to mobilize skills, capacities and talents of the people living in your community. To build sustainable group consider the following:
• Be forward thinking • Be organized • Be clear • Help individuals to grow • Form multi-functional teams • Renew your resources • Think outside of the box • Delegate
Recruitment
Before you begin to recruit, gain an understanding of your group’s history, culture and cause. Consider the following:
2. Do you have the right tools to get the job done? (Contact the Office of Neighborhood Outreach) 3. Speak to existing associations. Which programs have been successful? Which have not? 4. Can you speak about your group’s ideas and plans? 5. In what ways can a volunteer contribute to the group’s mission and goals?
Ways to Recruit
• A personal invitation to potential volunteers is still the best way! • Post your volunteer opportunity on the web, either through your groups website or the websites of volunteer organizations such as: • City Website • facebook.com • Post flyers on bulletin boards or hand them out at schools (UMD/BCC), fairs, stores, etc.. • Partner with a local business, community center, church or other nonprofit in your community. • Use word of mouth or e-mail marketing • Try evite.com to make it fun!
Retention
Motivating volunteers begins when the volunteer calls you to get involved. As the project coordinator, it is important that you set the stage in getting potential volunteers excited about the opportunity to volunteer.
You can do this by following these simple guidelines:
• Be prompt and return volunteer calls or e-mails within 24 hours • Be thorough in your explanation of the volunteer opportunities and/or duties. Volunteers are more likely to sign-up if they know exactly what they will be doing, and they will know what to expect at the project
• Use their name often • Follow up with the volunteers by calling or e-mailing volunteers 1-2 days prior to the project to remind them to show up
Tips for Engaging Volunteers
• Welcome volunteers when they arrive • Be organized • Does your project merit media interest? (The Office of Neighborhood Outreach can help) • Create Projects Teams by geographic areas • Use name tags at the project site and get to know your volunteers • Introduce volunteers to one another • Have everything (tools, water, etc) set out and ready to go when volunteers arrive!
Keeping Volunteers Involved
It’s likely you will be having more than one project in your neighborhood that will require volunteers. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to call upon a group of volunteers that is already motivated, knowledgeable, and willing?
In order to develop a core group of volunteers, you will need to do some follow up after each of your projects.
• Send thank you e-mails, facebook messages or postcards to all volunteers • Send memos reminding volunteers of upcoming projects, and invite them back
Volunteers that regularly help out at events, or show leadership or desire additional responsibilities, should be given tasks to get them more involved and connected to your project or to allow them to enhance skills. Let them make phone calls, send e-mails or take charge of specific tasks, etc.
Tips for Volunteer Retention
• Be organized • Feed their passion-identify projects or causes volunteers will really want to participate in • Communication is the key - prompt and thorough communication before, during and after the project • Wear name tags and use names often to get to know your volunteers • Ask what the volunteer would like to do, and match with a task accordingly • Show respect by giving them responsibilities: delegate tasks, have them be “in-charge” of something • Don’t ignore problem volunteers - work with them appropriately • Say “thank you” often • Educate them about the work they are doing and the impact they are making • Recognize your volunteers • Think of creative ways of thanking your volunteers, it will go a long way to bringing them back.
Section 9 - Sample Neighborhood Meeting Checklist
Have you set concrete and realistic goals?
Is the site familiar, accessible and adequate?
Is the date and time good for optimal resident participation?
Do you have a chairperson for the meeting?
Are the committees ready to report? Are they listed with adequate time on the agenda?
Has the chairperson been involved in preparing the agenda or been fully briefed?
Have you provided the opportunity for others to take a role in the meeting?
Do you have a printed agenda?
Do the participants need background materials?
Do you have a sign-in sheet?
Do you have background materials (meeting minutes, notes and handouts)?
Do you have a note-taker and time-keeper?
Do the presenters complement the goals of the meeting?
Will you need refreshments?
Is the room arranged appropriately?
Do you have transportation for those who need it?
Section 10 - Have Fun
Although the primary reason for starting your neighborhood association, crime watch and/or other neighborhood endeavor may be to address a particular issue, it is just as important to build relationships with your neighbors and other neighborhood groups. Together we will continue to work to improve the quality of life for all who live, work and visit our great city!
For additional information please contact:
Perry C. Long, Neighborhood Outreach Coordinator Office of Mayor William A. Flanagan (508)-676-0324 / This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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