The City of Jackson is now accepting applications for 2021 Love Your Block Fellow and VISTA members
JACKSON, Tenn. – Earlier this month, the City of Jackson, TN was selected as one of eight U.S. cities that will participate in Love Your Block, a grant program that brings city leaders and residents together to build stronger neighborhoods, one block at a time. Through the program, the City of Jackson, TN will award mini-grants to residents and community partners to reduce blight and spur neighborhood-driven change.
“As a Jackson native, I am extremely excited about this profound community effort in which offers potential to advance the city of Jackson,” said City of Jackson Community Development Director Justin Searcy. “Through innovative thinking and community advocacy we desire to bring beautification projects like this, to all areas of the city.”
"We are so grateful to Cities of Service for providing this opportunity for us to work collaboratively with our residents to improve our community,” said City of Jackson Director of Performance Management Lauren Kirk. “We believe empowerment is at the heart of sustainable change in Jackson, as we ask ourselves ‘What is the next small thing we can do to make a difference?’”
The Love Your Block Fellow is a two-year commitment that begins on November 8, 2021. The Fellow will work collaboratively with the two new AmeriCorps VISTA members. The Fellow is expected to provide guidance and support to the AmeriCorps VISTA member(s) in addition to receiving guidance from the Love Your Block Program Supervisor. Working closely with the Love Your Block team, the Fellow is responsible for coordinating a robust community engagement strategy and facilitating ongoing programmatic activities. The Love Your Block AmeriCorps VISTA members’ term of service begins on November 8, 2021.
For more information on duties, qualifications for each position, and more visit http://loveyourblock.jacksontn.gov.
About Love Your Block
Love Your Block is a Cities of Service grant program that brings city leaders and residents together to build stronger neighborhoods, one block at a time. Through the program, the City of Jackson, TN will award mini-grants to residents and community partners to reduce blight and spur neighborhood-driven change.
Since 2009, Cities of Service has helped nearly 50 cities implement Love Your Block. More than 26,000 community members have revitalized over 3,500 community spaces, creating nearly 750 art displays, cleaning 98,000 square feet of graffiti, removing 6 million pounds of trash, and much more.
A study by the Urban Institute found that Love Your Block helped cities fight blight by supporting resident-led projects and also formed reciprocal relationships between residents and city hall that helped spur citizen-centered innovations in policy and practice. The report built on an earlier Urban Institute report finding that the connections forged between city leaders and residents at the neighborhood level can be one of the most important catalysts for collective action by neighborhood residents. This connection between city officials and residents both boost the social capital exercised by residents who plan and implement Love Your Block projects and strengthen social cohesion.
About Cities of Service
Cities of Service helps mayors build stronger cities by changing the way local government and residents work together. We help our coalition cities tap into resident insights, skills, and service to identify and solve critical public problems. Founded in 2009 by New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Cities of Service supports a coalition of more than 280 cities, representing more than 84 million people across the Americas and Europe. Cities of Service is now part of Johns Hopkins University’s efforts to support governments through innovation and evidence-based research. Learn more about Cities of Service at citiesofservice.jhu.edu and by following us on Twitter @citiesofservice.