Project Neighbors 2021 Letter

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]Dear Friends of Project Neighbors,

It is the mission of Project Neighbors to strengthen and enrich the larger Valparaiso community by addressing issues related to race, class, and poverty, and to build healthy families and neighborhoods where diversity of all kinds is welcomed and cherished.

For over 50 years, our efforts have been to work locally and largely with our own resources to achieve this mission. Today it is more difficult.

As Valpo becomes gentrified – half-million-dollar downtown condos, buildable lots costing over $100,000, median new home prices over $300,000 – living here is becoming a financial challenge for households earning the medium income (about $54,000) and near impossible for those earning less.

Add to that, tenacious remnants of small-town racism, well documented in recent months by Allies Against Racism, a broad community effort initiated by Project Neighbors.

And like most communities in America, Valpo suffers an epidemic of substance abuse and underfunded resources to deal with mental health. And then there is the pandemic.

So, what has Project Neighbors done?

In collaboration with Respite House, Inc., Project Neighbors and its amazing family of volunteers built a 6,500 square foot, 22 bed, halfway house for recovering substance abusers. Working with other community partners, we raised the funds to install solar panels on the building! Respite House II is located at 305 Union Street.

Allies Against Racism has spent the last year in conversation with the Valparaiso Community Schools’ superintendent offering ways to diminish racism in the schools. Specific programs addressing conflict resolution, curriculum reform, and staff diversification have been presented.

Working with Allies Against Racism, WVLP 103.1 FM, a creation of Project Neighbors, has produced a six-part radio and podcast program featuring the voices of VHS students discussing their experiences in the high school confronting racism, sexism, etc. The show, ValPOC+, is available as a podcast on Anchor.fm.

In the late fall of 2021, Project Neighbors purchased a large existing home adjacent to a city park. The 3 to 4 bedroom two-story will soon be occupied by a family with children, providing long-term, stable, and very affordable housing.

Begun in October, construction is now underway on a new duplex. Each 1200 square foot unit will contain three bedrooms, two baths, kitchen, laundry, living room, and – mandated by the city – a two garage for each unit. This is a volunteer-driven project.

In the late fall of 2021, Project Neighbors purchased a large existing home adjacent to a city park. The 3 to 4 bedroom two-story will soon be occupied by a family with children, providing long-term, stable, and very affordable housing.

Led by the African-American staff and board members of Project Neighbors, a new effort has been conceived and was launched on January 1^st, 2022: the Freedom Recovery Fund (FRF) will leverage ongoing contributions from individual and corporate donors to address both long-term and emergency issues related to the vast disparity in Black-White wealth in our community. The FRF will be a model for other communities to respond to systematic racism, without waiting for national solutions. If you are interested in greater detail about this new initiative, let me know.

After two years of struggling with city zoning requirements, we now have a clear path to build a three-unit town house on Monroe Street, near downtown. Each unit will contain 1200 square feet of living space, with three bedrooms, two baths, kitchen, laundry and living room. Available in late 2022, these downtown living spaces will be very affordable. We intend to install solar panels to reduce energy costs.

We are still pursuing the construction of a 16-unit efficiency apartment building for men at risk of homelessness. Project Neighbors has already built 33 units for women (Neighbors Place and Caroline’s Place) and we know that these small, 300 square foot, self-contained apartments (each with full bath and kitchenette) work well as either transitional or permanent housing. The road to this project has been littered with obstacles, legal, and political. And right now, as winter sets in, these men, most of whom are employed, are sleeping on church floors. Resolution is close. Stay tuned.

Finally, we have the opportunity to significantly ramp up our efforts to make affordable housing available in our community, at a time when options are scarce. In addition to the three townhouses and the men’s residence, we have the potential of building on other land that we own. We are currently developing a plan that will allow us to gear up to go from constructing one or two buildings per year to double or triple that volume.

We do not do this work alone. While Project Neighbors is an independent, local, not-for-profit with three part-time employees, we have a large network of volunteers. We work every day trying to make our mission a reality. Our projects and small payroll are funded by bank construction loans, our own pockets, and your contributions.

We need to bring on additional, paid help to meet the building, management, maintenance, volunteer coordination, family selection, subcontractor coordination, city interaction and other tasks associated with increasing the availability of housing for all those in need. And that is just to support our housing efforts. WVLP, Allies Against Racism, the Freedom Recovery Fund and other initiatives rely on volunteers. 

So, we need you to consider digging deep.  Your one-time or monthly contribution make this work possible! We have built a model in Valparaiso that has, for over more than a half century, proven that individuals can change things for the better. We intend to continue this work. Please consider Project Neighbors in your holiday giving.

Give what you can to: Project Neighbors, 454 College Avenue, Valparaiso, IN 46383 or donate online at www.projectneighbors.org

Thank you, Paul Schreiner
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]