Accomplishments

1. Systematic Inspections

The City of Allentown has been conducting Neighborhood Revitalization Programs for approximately twenty nine years. The goal of these programs is to achieve a totally rehabilitated neighborhood using housing inspections, no interest or low interest loans, and grants. Every owner occupied home within the Weed and Seed target area is being inspected. State and federal grants allow the City to provide low and moderate income households the necessary funds to rehabilitate their owner-occupied homes.
To date

• 1st Ward: 288 properties were identified as owner occupied and were inspected. 122 have complied. 71 are on a reinspection list.

Additionally we have seen an increased pride in the neighborhood. Thanks in part to the efforts of Allentowns Weed & Seed program, pride of ownership is once again alive and well in the 1st Ward neighborhood. Over the past two years, approximately 90 homeowners have, or will received grants from the City of Allentown to rehabilitate the front faades of their homes. With improvements ranging from large-scale projects, such as the replacement of siding and windows, to smaller fixes, such as a fresh coat of paint and new brass fixtures, the effect of these improvements is evident. The houses look revitalized and cared for again, and the owners are proud of their homes. As an added benefit, this effect has been contagious. After seeing the results of the improvements on the properties that have received the faade grants, neighboring property owners are being motivated to fix up their homes. For example, take a look at the 100 block of Chew Street or the 100 block of N. 3rd Street and you will see examples where the City has fixed up the facades of one or two houses and their neighbors have followed up by doing the same.

As important as pride of ownership is as a psychological benefit of home ownership, it is also important in establishing a sense of community. When people have pride of ownership that is based not only in their financial investment but also in their physical and mental investment, it can produce connections with their neighbors who share that same pride of ownership. As these connections continue to grow, their pride of ownership will extend beyond their own properties, to their neighborhood or community as a whole. I guess that old saying is true; its amazing what a coat of paint can do.

• 9th Ward: 356 properties were identified as owner occupied. 228 have been inspected, 41 complied thus far.

2. Strengthening Families

Strengthening Families is a Weed & Seed Partner. The Program is a video-based intervention designed to reduce adolescent substance use and other problematic behaviors in youth 10 to 14 years of age. The program is delivered within parent, youth, and family sessions using narrated videos that portray typical youth and parent situations. Sessions are highly interactive and include role-playing, discussions, learning games, and family projects designed to-

• Improve parenting skills
• Build life skills in youth
• Strengthen family bonds

Testimonies

Parents:

• "There were many ways in which I felt that the program spoke to me personally, as I saw myself dealing with specific issues concerning my own 13/almost 14-year old."
• "We both learned interesting things about each other every week, from week 1 to week 7 was a Lesson, then there was what I called "Real-Life Simulation. Some weeks I passed-some, I failed.... But I always learned a lesson.
• "There were many lessons learned, that I take with me everyday as I learn to teach my children how to deal with common everyday pressures. But most importantly, Thank You Guys, for assisting me with developing Patience within myself; probably the most difficult part."
• "To listen more to my son's needs/concerns".
• "Try to show and ask respect first".

Youth:

• "I learned that there are different ways to handle peer pressure".
• "Respect, listen to each other. Work out problems. Family meetings. Family goals".

3. SWEEP Program

Solid Waste Education and Enforcement Program (SWEEP)

The Bureau of Recycling and Solid Waste implements a pro-active education and enforcement program in the City of Allentown including within the Weed and Seed area. Officers patrol the area to work with residents and businesses to gain compliance with the ordinances through education and enforcement.

The recently revised anti-litter, solid waste and recycling ordinances are being enforced by SWEEP officers, Allentown Police Officers and Health Bureau Sanitarians.

As of March 9, 2006

• 981 educational contacts
• 630 warnings
• 1297 tickets issued for 1515 violations
• 3,000 information notices mailed to residents

4. Employment Counselor

 5. Law Enforcement

Crime continues to decrease within the Weed and Seed target area. The decrease of 0.74% was slight between 2009 and 2010 but since 2002 crime within the target area has gone from representing 22% of the crime in the City of Allentown down to representing 18% of city's crime. There is still work to do given the Weed and Seed population represents 12% of the City's population.

6. Youth Involvement

Weed and Seed hired Alex Vasquez as the Youth Coordinator. He can be reached at 610 439-5994, alexvasquez22@yahoo.com

Alex oversee's the implementation of the evidence based violence prevention program called 2nd step. This program aims to teach youth from pre-school up to 8th grade about essential life skills such as empathy, emotion management, problem solving, and cooperation. Currently the program is being implemented by after school programs; St. Luke's Neighborhood Center, Salvation Army, CADA Youth, and Children's First Community Academy. They have successfully reported positive change in their youth participating in the program. For more information on 2nd step here is a link to their website. http://www.cfchildren.org/programs/ssp/overview/

7. Camera Project

In the youth council we have been spending time coming up with ideas and possible solutions on how to improve the City of Allentown. We have been doing this by stating/analyzing problems seen by the youth. The idea of this camera project would be to have the youth take pictures of where they live. To showcase and take pride in the neighborhoods they live in. They would also have the option of taking pictures in a neighborhood where they don't live and compare and contrast what would make theirs improve. This idea goes hand in hand with the Weed & Seed philosophy of Allentown homeowners taking pride in their neighborhoods by recognizing what needs improvement and taking action. Also it would be a positive activity for the youth to be engaged in

8. Resident Involvement

February 27th & 28th, 2004-TALL Team retreat, Working & Bonding Together to Achieve Community Empowerment, Camp Hill, PA: 5 TALL Team members and the TALL Team Coordinator attended this Weed & Seed and I-LEAD Conference.

National Clean Up Day-April 24, 2004
1st Ward residents joined TALL members to clean their neighborhood!

May 2004-TALL Team members walked with members of Housing Sub Committee to survey the 1st Ward. 682 properties were surveyed. For the purpose of eliminating blight, a list has been created for acquisition and demolition and another list created for renovation.

July 19th, 2004-The ALERT Grant Selection Committee met to select grant recipients. ALERT Partnership provided the TALL Team with $5,000 for them to distribute mini-grants of $500 for neighborhood projects. We received fifteen applications from TALL Team members. Ten grants have been distributed to support a wide variety of projects including: Support for the purchase of equipment and uniforms in various Basketball & Football teams, Political Empowerment Training, after school programs, a calendar project, etc.

Calendar Project-Since January, Photography and Communication students from Muhlenberg College have been working with CUNA and St. Lukes Neighborhood Center youth on a photography project documenting points of pride and problems in downtown Allentown. Participating young people have learned basic photography skills, and put those skills to work documenting those things that they love about their neighborhood as well as those things they would like to change. With help from College mentors, students transformed problems into solutions using computer programs at Muhlenbergs digital lab. The top positive pictures will be included in a monthly calendar. These photos, other positive pictures, and students problem photos and digital solutions will be showcased at the Allentown Art Museum in November.

Family Pool Party at Jordan Park-August 14, 2004-TALL Team had a Family Pool Party at Jordan Park free of charge! Over 100 people attended and enjoyed free food, music and information about the community

October 3-5, 2004-5 TALL Team members and the TALL Team Coordinator attended the PSLC (Pennsylvania Statewide Latino Coalition) in Philadelphia.

TALL Team Leadership Training-Graduation, March 31st, 2005

April 2005-Two TALL Team members and the TALL Team Coordinator attended the NeighborWorks Training Institute in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They got training on Leadership, Community Organizing, and attended a symposium about Gentrification.

Saturday, July 9th, 2005, Neighborhood Jam on 2nd St
Music, food and resource information

Saturday, July 23, 2005
Clean up of the 1st Ward Findings:
-Area was much cleaner than previous year!!!

Friday, August 19th, 2005
Bucky Boyle Neighborhood Jam!

August 2006-August 2006 was a busy month for the Allentown TALL team. Two (2) of the 1st graduate class (2005) live in the 1st Ward neighborhood and after several years after not having a neighborhood watch group, they re-created the group (now called: 1st Ward Neighborhood Resource Group) and had their first meeting August 15th at our Weed & Seed office. They have met since. Several TALL members collaborated to do Block Parties and clean ups; August 1st (National Night Out), August 19th (100 Block of Turner St) and August 26th (600 Block of Oak St). We also had our regular TALL team meeting August 22.

September 2006-September 26 was our regular TALL team meeting. We started the conversation about the TALL Project, to be determined by the end of the year.

October 2006-At the beginning of the month, the Allentown Human Relations Commission announced the TALL Team was a recipient of the Human Relation Award and that was presented at the 29th Award Dinner, October 24.

November 2006-Per request of TALL Team members, we had a presentation about the Reality Tour at our November TALL Tea meeting (November 8th). The TALL Team was considering the Reality Tour for their Project.

December 2006-We had our TALL Team meeting December 11, at this meeting we planned the Community meeting and voted for the Reality Tour as the project for the team to be presented at our next AID Team meeting. December 13 TALL Team members (Tatiana Tooley, Altagracia Echevarria and Barbara Hoax) presented the project to the AID Team for approval. After a discussion, the AID Team approved the TALL Team to use the $5,000 dollars for the purchase and presentation (incentives and other expenses for the presentation) of the Reality Tour. On December 18th we had our Community meeting where TALL Team members presented the accomplishments of the Weed & Seed Initiative. At the end of the month, we lost a TALL member in a tragedy, in a fire of 4 row homes, 5 people died, including our TALL Team member Barbara Hoax and her family.

January 2007-On January 16th we hosted the PA W & S Steering Committee meeting where we had the opportunity to show in a Bus Tour, our Target Area and the accomplishments of our initiative as well as the collaborations created in our Target Area. Our TALL Team meeting was on January 30th.

February 2007-February 9th, I met with marketing personnel (sales person) from local TV station (WFMZ-channel 69) after being recommended for a partnership with a local business (Little Apple Market) to support the Clean Block Program. Little Apple Market (already a costumer of WFMZ) wants to "give back" to the community and will sponsor the Clean Block program. They will provide up to 25 $50.00 gift cards for Block Captains after organizing clean ups in their blocks. WFMZ created a commercial (one in Spanish and one in English) that will be on the "air" to recruit Block Captains. Block Captains will organize their blocks thru the summer and fall and at the end of the fall we will have a press conference where Block Captains will receive the gift cards. I participated in several phone conference calls for the planning of the PA W & S Conference. TALL Team meeting cancelled due to fire in office.

March 2007-At our AID Team meeting, March 14th, We presented the names of the residents that were nominated for the Pa W & S conference and requested members of the AID & TALL member to be part of the selection committee. On March 15, I attended a local Spanish Radio Station for their morning show and talked about voting registration. I participated in several phone conference calls for the planning of the PA W & S Conference. Ordered Promotional materials for the Clean Block program. The TALL Team meeting was on March 27th.

April 2007-The selection committee met (2 TALL & 1 AID) and reviewed the nominations, an award recipient was selected. Police Resident Relationship Building Workshop on April 21st; 16 residents participated. April 24th was our regular TALL team meeting. I participated in several phone conference calls for the planning of the PA W & S Conference.

May 2007-After a request from WFMZ reporter, a youth panel of residents was created. WFMZ reporter "interviewed" the youth with questions in relations to elections and the voting process. Our TALL team meeting was May 15th. We had the Reality Tour presentation and 27 youth and their parents attended the presentation. The TALL team members coordinated the event and the youth from Xcape and The Caring place (both are Youth Coalition members) were the "actors" of the tour. The adults included 3 residents, 2 City of Allentown Police officers and 3 City of Allentown paramedics.

June 2007-Our TALL team meeting was June 5th. The PA W & S Conference was May 7 & 8 and Allentown had 13 members of the W & S initiative including 8 residents and 2 youths.

TALL Team Personal accomplishments due to leadership empowerment!
From 2004 to 2008:

• 25 Received Allentown Human Relations Award October 2006 as a Team!
• 6 TALL assisted NUSA Conference @ Sacramento, CA
• 1 Ran for City Council on primary 05
• 1 Ran and became a School District Board of Directors
• 2 Got involved with YMCA committee
• 1 Became the Youth Project Coordinator
• 2 Became the co-chair for W & S Steering Committee
• 1 Created a Boys Scout Troop
• 2 Became Board member for Community Action Development Corporation
• 1 6Graduated from Leadership class on March 31st, 2005.
• 9Graduated from Leadership class on June, 2007.
• 2 Recreated & co-chair 1st Ward Neighborhood Group (Crime Watch)
• 1 Works for Local State Rep.