Edition 2 of 6 (July 3 – July 9, 2018)

Report compiled by Will Taft, NHS Community

Building Summer Fellow

NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES

Community Building and Organizing Weekly Project Report

Women’s Empowerment Mural

Kwadwo is modeling one of the women on the wall after Diane Brown
(left), the Stetson Library Branch Manager. In 2017, Diane received
the Connecticut Library Association Special Achievement Award, in
recognition for her work to build programming that engages residents
at the Stetson Library. She forged partnerships with other community
organizations to offer “Teach Them While They Are Young,” a series
of youth programming.

The Women’s Empowerment Mural features other accomplished

women like Diane to call attention to the invaluable and often
unacknowledged work of women in the New Haven and the world.

On July 11th, NHS, in partnership with REI, is offering volunteers at

the mural free ice cream and pizza. Stop by between 2:00 pm and
8:00 pm to make your mark on the mural and enjoy free food!

One of our summer Americorps Vista Members, Haley Brown is

coordinating volunteer activities at the mural. Contact her at
hbrown@nhsofnewhaven.org to get involved in the project.

Donate to support the project here: https://tinyurl.com/y9krucju

Community Gardens and Greenspaces

At the Learning Corridor, Doreen and Haley coordinated with
Bradley at the Land Trust to bring soil to the Hazel St Garden for
a pumpkin patch. Also at the Learning Corridor, Doreen
coordinated with Katie, a nutritionist from the American Food
Corp, to teach a group of Newhallville Ambassadors how to make
fresh mint lemonade and incorporate home-grown ingredients
into meals. The Newhallville Ambassadors are employed through
the Newhallville Safe Neighborhood Initiative. Ambassadors
strengthen their commitment to the Newhallville and build skills to
be agents of change through local community service. On
Monday (July 9th), the ambassadors shared what they learned
with a group of children from the Harris and Tucker School. The
exchange will serve as a model for future Learning Corridor
programming that will teach residents community stewardship
and enable them to share their knowledge with their neighbors.

The city continued to install additional lighting and park

infrastructure at the Learning Corridor.

Will and Stephen visited Mr. Brown at the Dixwell Community

Garden to cut back overgrowth and prepare the garden for
cultivation this summer.

Haley sent out her initial questionnaire to gauge community

interest in gardening and
identify key assets in the
community gardening
landscape. She is considering
building a skill share between
experienced gardeners and
residents who have a budding
interest in gardening. She
wants to make gardening
accessible to everyone and
capitalize on the wisdom of
New Haven’s great gardeners.
Email her at
hbrown@nhsofnewhaven.org to participate in a survey to
develop the program.

(From top) Mr. Brown clears a raised garden bed that had
become overgrown at the Dixwell Community Garden.
Doreen works with her Learning Corridor assistant Jonathan
De Los Santos to lay mulch in flower beds at the Learning
Corridor. Learning Corridor maintenance worker Lamar
waters the urban oasis at the Learning Corridor. American
Food Corporation Nutritionist Katie teaches a group of
Newhallville students how to make mint lemonade with mint
grown in the Hazel St Community Garden. The students she
taught presented what they learned in a hands-on lesson to a group of children from the Harris and Tucker school on
Monday (July 9).

Rosa DeLauro Press Conference

Rosa DeLauro, the representative for Connecticut’s 3rd
congressional district, visited a Neighborhood Housing Services
home for a press conference on the impact of Trump’s tax bill on
Connecticut home owners. Bridgette Russell, the Managing
Director of the Home Ownership Center, introduce DeLauro.
Bridgette also described NHS’ mission to build communities by
cultivating home owners and the negative impact of Trump’s tax
bill on the homeowners NHS seeks to empower.

DeLauro presented the results of a staff report prepared at her

request. According to the report, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
(Trump’s tax bill) will significantly increase the tax burden on
Connecticut homeowners while handing a windfall to wealthy
developers. The bill prevents homeowners from deducting more
than $10,000 of their property tax from their income tax.
Additionally, homeowners will not be able to deduct interest payments on home equity loans from their taxes unless the
loan is being used for home improvement. The bill ends a tax deduction for mortgage insurance premiums from those
with incomes below $100,000. The wealthiest will not bear an equal burden. In just the next year, real estate developers
will benefit from a $3.7 billion cheaper tax bill. DeLauro said the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act undercuts the financial security a
home provides, damaging a core component of the American dream.

One City Initiative: West River Watershed Festival

We are so excited to partner with Doreen to host the West River Watershed Festival on July 14th. In its 8th year, the
Watershed Festival will also fall under the One City Initiative umbrella. Volunteers and community leaders will help set
up and manage festival activities which include free canoe rides, hands-on educational activities, and a cook-out.

On Monday, July 9th, Adam, Haley, Will, and Doreen walked around the Edgewood and Beaver Hills neighborhoods
inviting residents to the festival. See you there!

What we read this week...

Read the report Rosa DeLauro commissioned on the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs on Connecticut Homeowners.
motivation behind the mural and the people the project has impacted already.

The New Haven Register covered the press conference here

To read about the vision behind the Learning Corridor and upcoming events, check out our blog

Want to get involved in any of these projects? Sign up to volunteer here:

https://tinyurl.com/y7dt3lzo