Neighborhood Council

"I'm glad I live here because I live so close to everyone, and I am safe."

"What a neighborhood means to me is help and trust in our neighbors."

"I like where I live because it is safe and friendly."

Three St. Joseph
County Children

Goal: To review, coordinate and implement actions to improve neighborhoods and youth development in St. Joseph County.

Communities are ripe for investment when they function well, and have the potential to offer everything families need in order to thrive. All people and organizations must pull together—including households, local businesses, municipal services, schools, places of worship and libraries—to offer a positive contribution to a community's values.

Search Institute* has identified 40 factors in young people's lives that increase the likelihood a child will grow up healthy, caring, and responsible. The neighborhood's supportive involvement is considered an important contributor to a child's successful development.

The Healthy Neighborhood Council assists in strengthening the neighborhoods which, in turn, will strengthen the community. The council holds monthly meetings in different locations to share goals, commitments and challenges facing neightborhoods.

An event such as Pizza On The Porch lends itselfs to informal and entertaining opportunities for residents to meet new neighbors and re-acquaint themselves with old ones. Hosts lead discussions centered on a simple questionnaire. HCI Day is another opportunity for neighborhoods to show off their assets and resources.

*Search Institute: Healthy Communities • Healthy Youth is a national initiative to bring Search Institute's new paradigm for positive youth development to communities across the country. The initiative, rooted in the institute's framework of developmental assets, provides communities, schools, organizations and families with resources, technical assistance and training to launch and sustain long-term efforts to promote the positive development of youth.

"Keep in mind that each of you has your own vineyard. But every one is joined to your neighbor's vineyards without any dividing lines. They are so joined together, in fact, that you cannot do good or evil for yourself without doing the same for your neighbors. "

Catherine of Sienna