HomeMy WebLinkAboutNew Updated ARPA Request 2024 (1)Oshkosh Healthy Neighborhoods
ARPA Funding Request
Oshkosh Healthy Neighborhoods requests ARPA funding support for the following core
organizational activities and programs:
1.Neighborhood Association Development,Training and Support:We have grown
from 11 to 25 Oshkosh Neighborhood Associations since our incorporation in 2016.
These groups encompass over 8600 Oshkosh households.We help build recognized
associations from the “ground up,”relying on the efforts of local residents to express
interest in becoming a recognized association.Our team takes the neighborhood
leaders through an extensive process that entails the development of a simple set of
bylaws,identifying a leadership team,setting association boundaries,choosing a name
and creating an identifiable logo.This helps each group build a strong foundation,which
makes them more likely to succeed.We also provide ongoing training and support for
existing associations,from informal consultation to structured workshops on relevant
topics.Outcome:we will add one new Neighborhood Association and rejuvenate
one “dormant”NA in 2024.We will host our first “Spring Rally,”an opportunity to
train and inspire neighborhood leaders to ensure their success.
2.Good Neighbor Grants:Since the program’s inception in 2020,we have distributed
142 “curb appeal”grants to residents of neighborhood associations.Our investment of
$96,000 has resulted in property improvements valued at $506,000.From new front
doors to porch improvements,tree removal and window replacement,our program,with
its simple one-page application,has greatly increased in popularity.In 2020,we
provided 21 grants.In 2023,we paid out 54 grants,with over 90 applications received.
Outcome:we will provide 60 Good Neighbor Grants at $750 per grant.
3.Community Building and Engagement:In our previous contract with the City of
Oshkosh,individual neighborhood associations were offered up to $1000 per year to
support their activities,events and initiatives.From printing and mailing neighborhood
newsletters,to hosting concerts or block parties,these funds help engage neighborhood
residents and build healthy social bonds.Outcome:a 50%increase in funds
distributed to neighborhoods,from $10,000 to $15,000.
4.Welcome Bags:In the last two years we have provided over 200 Welcome Bags to
associations for distribution to new residents of their neighborhoods.The bags are filled
with information about local resources,organizations and businesses,and give
neighborhood residents an opportunity to welcome new neighbors to their community.
Many associations add their own materials or small gifts to the bags to make them
unique.Outcome:distribute 130 welcome bags to new Oshkosh neighbors.
During the COVID pandemic,Oshkosh neighborhood associations experienced a 78%
decrease in the number of funded neighborhood activities via our Community Building and
Engagement program.This deprived thousands of Oshkosh residents of opportunities to meet,
engage and connect with their neighbors.It has only been during the 2023 year that we
reached and surpassed the level of activity we saw pre-COVID.We now have five additional
neighborhood associations with plans to add more,so we anticipate a greater number of
activities,events and initiatives requiring our support.The opportunities for growth are real and
significant.
The recently released Winnebago County Community Health Assessment emphasized that the
weakening of “local support systems”during COVID led to an increase in “isolation,loneliness
and the stress of the unknown”for residents.The report also highlighted the importance of
“social connectedness,social support,and belongingness”that are provided to people through
the “places they live,learn,work,and play.”According to the most recent Surgeon General’s
Report,titled “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation,”the lack of social connections between
our citizens poses “a significant risk for individual health and longevity.”The research suggests
that the lack of social connection for an individual can increase the risk of premature death by
as much as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.Being isolated and alone is associated with increased
risk for anxiety,depression and dementia.
As we continue to emerge from the negative impact of the pandemic,our organization is
uniquely positioned to provide the leadership and support necessary to positively impact the
social health and well-being of our community.Your support will empower Oshkosh residents to
create neighborhoods that are healthy places for our citizens to live,work and play.