Mark your calendar to celebrate the 33rd anniversary of National Community Development Week, occurring April 22-26, 2019.
The National Community Development Association initiated National Community Development Week (CD Week) in 1986 to remind Congress of the importance of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and the Home Investment Partnerships Fund (HOME). In Nebraska, federal, state and local organizations have formed partnerships to support community development activities in recognition of CD Week.
Communities are encouraged to celebrate CD Week by hosting a variety of activities locally. Suggestions include:
- Host your own proclamation signing:Kick off Community Development Week with a proclamation signing by local officials. Invite representatives from local organizations who are involved with community development projects.
- Highlight the Value of Civic Organizations:Hold an open house at a public facility such as a city hall, library, hospital, fire hall or community center.
- Inspire Future Projects:Hold a town meeting at a completed community development project site, or at an ongoing project. Use the gathering not only to spread awareness and celebrate community accomplishments, but to set new goals and objectives for the community and recruit new volunteers for future endeavors.
- Involve Community Members:Work with business owners and a local chamber of commerce to promote downtown and area businesses with special sales, evening hours or other activities. Recruit businesses to sponsor an event or donate a percentage of the day’s receipts to local improvement groups or projects.
- Engage and Educate Congressional Members:Contact your congressional representatives to share achievements and express opinions about the resources and programs that help make community development projects possible.
Nebraska will be hosting a celebratory proclamation signing and awards ceremony during Community Development Week at the State Capitol in Lincoln. Governor Pete Ricketts will recognize successful projects from Nebraska’s entitlement communities (Bellevue, Grand Island, Lincoln and Omaha) and communities within the non-entitlement area (overseen by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development).
Nebraska communities have demonstrated an exceptional capacity to identify community development goals and strategies; to combine federal, state and local resources to achieve their goals; and to accomplish major projects that have positive impacts on the overall community.
For more information about Community Development Week, visit https://opportunity.nebraska.gov/cdweek, or contact Alison Kumbier at 800-426-6505, 402- 471-3775 or by email at alison.kumbier@nebraska.gov.