HCF's Growing Roots...Strengthening Neighbourhoods program evaluation showed an improved quality of life in pilot neighbourhoods. 

Initiatives

Growing Roots…Strengthening Neighbourhoods

Hamilton Community Foundation believes that strengthening the bond between neighbours is important. In 2002, the Foundation made a five-year commitment to work with the residents of four Hamilton neighbourhoods through its innovative program, "Growing Roots…Strengthening Neighbourhoods".

The objective of "GRSN" was to work in partnership with others to help build a healthy and vital community by supporing neighbourhood-based activities that create opportunities for residents to strengthen their neighbourhoods and improve the quality of their lives.

As a small grants program, Growing Roots...Strengthening Neighbourhoods differed from most other grantmaking programs in that it supported citizens' organizations - resident-led, democratically controlled and volunteer-powered neighbourhood groups, rather than professional service delivery organizations (or established health, education or cultural institutions) as a primary resource for improving community conditions and solving local problems.

This program was subsequently extended to a sixth year ending in March 2008. Much of the learning from this program helped to shape HCF's TPT II: Building Strong Communities program, with its focus on neighbourhood hubs.

The program was focused on four Hamilton neighbourhoods selected as a result of in depth research of other neighbourhood programs, interviews and community consultation.

1. Landsdale Neighbourhood - an area bounded by the CN tracks to the North, Main Street to the South; Wellington Street to the West; and Wentworth Street to the East.
2. Beasley Neighbourhood - an area bounded by the CN tracks to the North; Main Street to the South; James Street to the West; and Wellington Street to the East.
3. McQuesten West - an area bounded by the CN tracks to the North; Queenston Road to the South; Parkdale Avenue to the West; and Woodward Avenue to the East.
4. McQuesten East - an area bounded by the CN tracks to the North, Queenston Road to the South; Woodward Avenue to the West; and the Red Hill Valley to the East.

These neighbourhoods offered assets and potential for success, but also present concentrated risks, issues and special challenges. A special Neighbourhood Advisory Committee assisted with "GRSN" and lent to its "tailor-made for Hamilton" nature.

Components of the Program

Four key aspects defined Growing Roots..Strengthening Neighbourhoods:

1. Neighbourhood Outreach and Development

A neighbourhood development coordinator engaged and mobilized neighbourhood leaders, groups and networks to foster networking among groups and residents; facilitating connections between groups and community organizations; building a base of knowledge and trusted relationships; monitoring neighbourhood trends and issues. All of these activities had been demonstrated to be fundamental to the successful achievement of the longer term goal of building and strengthening neighbourhoods.

2. Leadership Development: Helping Neighbourhood Groups and Leaders Grow Stronger

The program systematically helped neighbourhood leaders and groups grow stronger by providing the following three kinds of capacity building assistance:

1. Coaching/mentoring assistance for individual groups.
2. Multi-group assistance: Events and workshops intended for people from different neighbourhoods and organizations.
3. Specialized Technical Assistance

3. Small Grants for Neighbourhood Projects:

Small grants ranging from $100-$5000 were made available to support neighbourhood projects led by community-based residents' groups. These supported a variety of projects including: beautification and community gardens; the development of new after-school and recreational programs; social events to foster neighbourhood relations; literacy and parental support initiatives; and the development of neighbourhood associations.

4. Program Planning, Development and Evaluation

Ongoing evaluation and planning was an important component of Growing Roots...Strengthening Neighbourhoods. At the outset, three outcomes that could define success within neighbourhoods were identified:

• Improved quality of neighbourhood life - neighbourhoods which are becoming cleaner, safer, friendlier, with more and better youth and children's programs, housing, greater education, improving job opportunities, etc.
• Leadership development - more neighbourhood residents involved in public life, identifying and analyzing issues, mobilizing others to take action and speak out, designing and operating campaigns and projects to deal with community issues, and practicing public speaking, group decisionmaking, community accountability, etc.
• Strengthened community infrastructure- Cooperation and coordination are improving among:
  • neighbourhood residents,
  • residents and institutions, and
  • institutions and organizations that are active in the neighborhood (e.g. police, schools, government agencies and services, churches, local business, human service agencies, etc.)

Anticipated outcomes for Hamilton as a whole were also defined including

• Development of a range of resources and establishment of a program of ongoing support dedicated to grassroots leadership development.
• Renewed emphasis on building the capacities and identities of all neighbourhoods throughout Hamilton
• Comprehensive community building initiatives engaging multiple sectors in our most challenged neighbourhoods, working with local residents and focused on generating lasting solutions
• Creation of linkages and networking among neighbourhood group and associations across the City of Hamilton
• Development of tools which will provide a more comprehensive and deeper understanding of the unique identities, assets, capacities and issues of Hamilton's neighbourhoods.

Program Results

Based on an independent evaluation conducted mid-way through the program, evidence showed that significant progress was being made toward all three objectives. The evaluation found that:

• Participants were reporting significant changes in the quality of life in their neighbourhoods
• Residents are enthusiastically taking part in the leadership opportunities
• People are staying involved and transferring their skills from one project to the next and from one neighbourhood to another.
• Community relationships are gradually strengthening and community institutions are becoming more involved in neighbourhood life.

In particular:

• Youth involvement in the projects was identified as extremely positive for both individual young people and the community at large, through activities like park cleanup. Youth were developing leadership skills and ownership of the neighbourhoods, resulting in reduced vandalism, increased school and civic participation, etc.
• The program has enriched the exchange between school and community, and has increased parent involvement in the schools
• It has increased participation in existing programs (recreation, parenting etc.) and increased volunteering
• Small grants have made a difference by increasing participants' self-esteem and confidence creating pride, and demonstrating self reliance. This creates a sense of optimism in the community

Other effects identified: breaking down barriers, strengthening ethno-cultural groups, increasing neighbourhood involvement.

Summary

Neighbourhoods are important and will always be a critical strategy in Hamilton Community Foundation's work to improve the quality of life in this city and make Hamilton the best place to raise a child. The experience, relationships and learning being gathered from Growing Roots…Strengthening Neighbourhoods will continue to inform the Foundation's future initiatives in neighbourhoods through small grantmaking, capacity building and other support, as it is currently doing through TPT II: Building Strong Communities.