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Deborah White, Executive Director, Mid Central Community Action
Challenge: In Bloomington, Illinois, West Bloomington lags economically. After years of disinvestment, the area suffers from complications related to housing, education, unemployment, crime and overall neighborhood quality.
Mid Central Community Action (MCCA) serves as the lead and fiscal agent for the West Bloomington Housing Collaborative (WBHC). The formation of the WBHC in January 2012 brought residents, non-profits, academic institutions, city government, small businesses and a large corporation together to pursue coordinated strategies and advance revitalization in West Bloomington.
WBHC is guided by the following core values and philosophies:
WBHC’s overall goal is for every family to live in safe and affordable housing, be financially stable and be engaged in the community. With help from a NeighborWorks Community Impact Grant, WBHC launched a Community Innovation Fair to promote resident engagement in planning West Bloomington’s future.
The Community Innovation Fair provided a unique opportunity for residents and non-profit organizations to present ideas for West Bloomington in the format of a booth at a street fair. Residents and community members submitted applications to reserve a booth to highlight entrepreneurship ideas and visions for neighborhood vitality. Applicants were paired with mentors to assist in creation of both their booth and the story of their innovative idea. Ideas focused around neighborhood improvement, community engagement, youth activities, social innovation and small entrepreneurship. The fair booths represented ideas in all stages of development: brainstorming, early development or early implementation.
In our first year, 11 residents and 10 nonprofits hosted booths to showcase their ideas for the neighborhood. Individuals highlighted a catering business; an adopt-a-pot plan to care for street side planters; a laundry detergent business that donates one bag of detergent to low-income individuals for every purchase and a “Humans of the Westside’ photo project.” Fair attendees browsed resident booths, shared feedback and suggestions and voted for the top idea. The first-place resident received $2,500 to jump start their idea and the second-place resident received $1,500. The top non-profit idea also received $2,500.
The first afternoon at the innovation fair was full of excitement and a continuous flow of people. Local food trucks served customers on site. State Farm Bank led a financial fitness game on the main stage. Live musicians performed for fair-goers’ entertainment.
The first Community Innovation Fair’s legacy was successful in turning good ideas into reality.
First place winner, Sisters By Experience, provides guidance and teaches young ladies the importance of self-love, dedication and determination. The group will utilize its winning funds to obtain 501(c)(3) status and create marketing materials to highlight their work. Currently, the group hosts monthly meetings, focusing on the strengths of young women in the neighborhood and addressing goals and barriers. Many participating young women will be first generation college students; the group’s goal is to young women in West Bloomington with the skills they need to succeed in college and beyond.
The Community Innovation Fair’s nonprofit winner, the Tool Library, is a free tool lending program designed to empower residents through repair and maintenance. The library provides the opportunity for residents to make modifications to their property or complete their projects, allowing them to maintain a feeling of independence and dignity. The nonprofit utilized their winning funds from the fair to offer workshops with for children in local schools and for residents of all ages at the Tool Library.
MCCA set out to host a one-time event to help foster innovative ideas for neighborhood revitalization and to provide a voice for local residents. But we quickly learned we created much more.
As fair organizers watched conversations shared over ideas, the laughter as neighbors enjoyed a meal and the happy shouts of the competition winners, we saw that resident engagement and neighborhood identity was coming together. West Bloomington is a neighborhood where residents value creative ideas, learn from each other and are committed to neighborhood change.
Planning is underway for this year’s Community Innovation Fair, now an annual event. We look forward to celebrating another group of neighborhood innovators who are making a positive difference in West Bloomington.
Challenge: In Bloomington, Illinois, West Bloomington lags economically. After years of disinvestment, the area suffers from complications related to housing, education, unemployment, crime and overall neighborhood quality.
Mid Central Community Action (MCCA) serves as the lead and fiscal agent for the West Bloomington Housing Collaborative (WBHC). The formation of the WBHC in January 2012 brought residents, non-profits, academic institutions, city government, small businesses and a large corporation together to pursue coordinated strategies and advance revitalization in West Bloomington.
WBHC is guided by the following core values and philosophies:
- Communities are based on strengths that can be leveraged
- Residents must be empowered to take ownership of change and revitalization at the individual and systemic levels
- Neighborhoods are lifted up by a safety net woven together by people and organizations working together
- Effective stewardship of shared resources and community trust is vital to our success
- Social change takes steady leadership, passion, and time
WBHC’s overall goal is for every family to live in safe and affordable housing, be financially stable and be engaged in the community. With help from a NeighborWorks Community Impact Grant, WBHC launched a Community Innovation Fair to promote resident engagement in planning West Bloomington’s future.The Community Innovation Fair provided a unique opportunity for residents and non-profit organizations to present ideas for West Bloomington in the format of a booth at a street fair. Residents and community members submitted applications to reserve a booth to highlight entrepreneurship ideas and visions for neighborhood vitality. Applicants were paired with mentors to assist in creation of both their booth and the story of their innovative idea. Ideas focused around neighborhood improvement, community engagement, youth activities, social innovation and small entrepreneurship. The fair booths represented ideas in all stages of development: brainstorming, early development or early implementation.
In our first year, 11 residents and 10 nonprofits hosted booths to showcase their ideas for the neighborhood. Individuals highlighted a catering business; an adopt-a-pot plan to care for street side planters; a laundry detergent business that donates one bag of detergent to low-income individuals for every purchase and a “Humans of the Westside’ photo project.” Fair attendees browsed resident booths, shared feedback and suggestions and voted for the top idea. The first-place resident received $2,500 to jump start their idea and the second-place resident received $1,500. The top non-profit idea also received $2,500.
The first afternoon at the innovation fair was full of excitement and a continuous flow of people. Local food trucks served customers on site. State Farm Bank led a financial fitness game on the main stage. Live musicians performed for fair-goers’ entertainment.
The first Community Innovation Fair’s legacy was successful in turning good ideas into reality.
First place winner, Sisters By Experience, provides guidance and teaches young ladies the importance of self-love, dedication and determination. The group will utilize its winning funds to obtain 501(c)(3) status and create marketing materials to highlight their work. Currently, the group hosts monthly meetings, focusing on the strengths of young women in the neighborhood and addressing goals and barriers. Many participating young women will be first generation college students; the group’s goal is to young women in West Bloomington with the skills they need to succeed in college and beyond.
The Community Innovation Fair’s nonprofit winner, the Tool Library, is a free tool lending program designed to empower residents through repair and maintenance. The library provides the opportunity for residents to make modifications to their property or complete their projects, allowing them to maintain a feeling of independence and dignity. The nonprofit utilized their winning funds from the fair to offer workshops with for children in local schools and for residents of all ages at the Tool Library.
MCCA set out to host a one-time event to help foster innovative ideas for neighborhood revitalization and to provide a voice for local residents. But we quickly learned we created much more.
As fair organizers watched conversations shared over ideas, the laughter as neighbors enjoyed a meal and the happy shouts of the competition winners, we saw that resident engagement and neighborhood identity was coming together. West Bloomington is a neighborhood where residents value creative ideas, learn from each other and are committed to neighborhood change.
Planning is underway for this year’s Community Innovation Fair, now an annual event. We look forward to celebrating another group of neighborhood innovators who are making a positive difference in West Bloomington.
