Chef Space, a Community Ventures kitchen incubator, wanted to find a simple way to help the community. They started by collecting food for residents when COVID-19 was at its peak. This summer, once they learned students were going back to school in person, they decided to help them with the supplies they needed for the school year. While backpacks may not have been a necessity last year with kids at home, they are now.

The active engagement of community residents is at the core of many NeighborWorks network organizations. But how do you make sure that the resident involvement is effective? How do you make sure you, as a community-serving professional, are approaching the residents in an authentic way?

When Carmella Selifis started kindergarten this August, she was ready. She knew how to recognize her name. She knew how to stand in line. She had listened to The Very Hungry Caterpillar and had seen caterpillars turn to butterflies in real life. "She was fully ready and excited," says her mother, Karly Kumo Selifis. 

Ariel Locke, a school administrative assistant, was ready for a change. That prompted her to pursue certification in engineering technology through MiraCosta College. A $1,000 scholarship from Community HousingWorks (CHW) is helping pay her way.

​The cucumbers are ready, dangling on the vines at Splitlog Farm and Orchard, an urban farm that is a partnership between Community Housing of Wyandotte County (CHWC) and KC Healthy Kids. On raised beds, the property produces the cucumbers, tomatoes, strawberries, cherries and more. An apiary is also on site.

Better Family Life has worked with youth in the St. Louis community in various sports – tennis, basketball and soccer. Last year, in the middle of the pandemic, they added golf. Now, 20 to 25 kids, ages 8 to 17, participate on a junior PGA team, which has seasons in the summer and the fall.

Trees surround the four-story project at 16th and F Streets in Sacramento, California. On that corner, in what's known as the City of Trees, NeighborWorks network organization Mutual Housing is overseeing the construction of its first affordable, LGBTQIA+-welcoming senior housing project. The project is believed to be the first of its kind in the central valley, but leaders hope it won't be the last. 

NeighborWorks network organizations across the country celebrated NeighborWorks Week with paint, plants, trash pickups, cards, signs, hammers, nails, food, and all of the other trappings you’d expect in a community celebration. Held each year the first full week in June, NeighborWorks Week highlights the collective impact of NeighborWorks America’s nearly 250 network nonprofits. The week, celebrated nationally since 1983, also celebrates the resiliency and strength of communities.

The recent expansion of NeighborWorks America's network will allow member organizations to make an even greater collective impact in a number of areas, including education for future homeowners, financial coaching and wrap-around support through partnerships. The network also adds new Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), providing affordable lending opportunities for low- and middle-income individuals and businesses.