Richmond neighborhoods getting $16,000 grants

If you suddenly found out that your neighborhood was getting $16,000, how would you spend it?

That’s a question that Richmond neighborhood leaders and city officials are trying to answer.

Richmond is one of 10 government entities that received money as part of a statewide Neighbor-to-Neighbor project run by the California Volunteers organization under the governor’s office. 

The state program is doling out $10 million in grants to build more connected and more resilient neighborhoods. Richmond received $750,000.

“The purpose of Neighbor-to-Neighbor is to rebuild the social fabric and focus on all we have in common instead of what divides us,” said California Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday, who oversees the California Volunteers program. “When neighbors are connected, communities thrive. When connected, we are better prepared, less lonely and happier.”

The program encourages local governments to bring neighborhoods together for discussions on what they need to build stronger communities.

“The Neighbor-to-Neighbor network strengthens communities and builds social connections so communities can better address the loneliness epidemic, disaster preparedness, climate action and local needs,” Fryday told Richmondside.

Some of the money Richmond received has already been spent on projects such as the local National Night Out (NNO) gatherings held in early August to help build bridges between neighborhoods and local law enforcement.

The city plans to hire a coordinator for the neighborhood grant program and fund other citywide projects. The funds also go toward staff that currently works on the project, covering costs for events so neighborhood councils don’t have to shoulder the bill and program marketing outreach efforts. The city is also investing $40,000 to cover any costs that are ineligible for the state grant, Ny said.

Also, $320,000 is being distributed directly to 20 designated Richmond neighborhoods, with each receiving $16,000.

Richmond city officials are trying to gauge how neighborhoods would like to spend that money.

They have posted a Neighbor-to-Neighbor survey to get neighborhood feedback. The deadline for filling out the survey is this Friday, Sept. 6.

City officials also organized six community meetings encompassing all 20 neighborhoods to receive in-person input from residents.

Four of those meetings have already been held. The next gathering is Wednesday evening at the May Valley Community Center for the Fairmede-Hilltop, Greenbriar and May Valley neighborhoods, and the final meeting is Thursday at the Nevin Community Center for the Belding Woods and Iron Triangle neighborhoods. 

One area considers hosting parade, potluck or even dog fashion show

At a meeting last week at Booker T. Anderson Community Center, about 30 residents from the Laurel Park, Marina Bay, Panhandle Annex and Richmond Annex neighborhoods gathered.

The focus group was led by Stephanie Ny, an associate administrative analyst in the city’s Community Services Department, Alexis Grace, an administrative student intern, and Guadalupe Morales, an associate management analyst.

Ny told Richmondside the meetings are a way to “do a deeper dive” on the information they are collecting from the online survey.

The purpose is to find out what neighborhoods need and want to strengthen their local community.

She said that the feedback will be summarized in a report by early October and shared with neighborhood councils. Council leaders will then make funding requests to the city.

Ny said the money can go to an event such as a neighborhood picnic or concert. It can also be used for something more permanent such as tree planting or a park bench. All requests must meet the guidelines of the grant program and receive any necessary city approvals.

Grace told Richmondside that meeting attendance has been greater than expected. She said the ideas for local projects have been varied with many centering on community gatherings.

At the Booker T. Anderson meeting, residents discussed some general ideas as a group before breaking into neighborhood subgroups.

The proposals that came forth ranged from a parade to a neighborhood potluck to cooking demonstrations to art displays to mental wellness events to even a dog fashion show.

One resident from Richmond Annex told the group that his neighborhood has been overbuilt and now has only a handful of parks. He said this shortage of green, open space has had an effect on the quality of life there.

“Be sure to save your parks,” he said. 

Richmond City Council member Cesar Zepeda was there, listening in on the small group discussions. He said it was important to hear everyone’s concerns.

He noted that these meetings can also help residents of adjacent neighborhoods get to know each other.

“This is helping bring together different corners of Richmond,” Zepeda said.