Project Details
Greetings!
My name is Erin Carley, I have accepted a position as an Americorps member placed at Norwood Resource Center. Here, I serve as the Norwood Learning Gardens and Youth Programs Coordinator. The Norwood Resource Center (NRC) is a community-based 501(c)3 organization founded in 2001 as a grassroots initiative with the mission to provide educational activities and services that improve the life conditions in the area. NRC provides information about and referrals to local service agencies, assistance in accessing those services, informative workshops and valuable free programs such as computer classes and income tax preparation. The services of the center are designed to promote a healthy and productive community. NRC serves the residents of Birmingham’s Northside communities as well as residents throughout the Greater Birmingham area, with its impact touching all age ranges. I am reaching out to you in order to assist us with a community project I am confident you will have an interest in.
We are in the planning process of turning a vacant lot into a Pocket Park. For those of you who aren’t familiar, a Pocket Park is a small park accessible to the general public. Pocket parks are frequently created on a single vacant building lot or on small, irregular pieces of land. For our purposes, we are converting a vacant lot located in the Norwood Community at 1404 30th Street North Birmingham, AL 35324 (see attached photos) into a playground area and vegetation site for our Norwood residents. We have students from Carver high school who are designing the lot while being directly supervised by the NRC and NRC board of Directors.
The NRC has currently received a generous grant that provides $5,000.00 however, in order for the grant to be accessible, we are responsible for matching it. Meaning, before we can move ahead with bringing the Norwood community’s dream of this Pocket Park to fruition, we have to be able to provide $5,000 towards its development which we are lacking. We are asking that you donate funds to assist us with development of this project. Any amount you provide will push us closer to turning a deserted lot into an aesthetically pleasing site for our residents to enjoy and play area that would encourage youth fitness.
Furthermore, we will also need help with the constructing of the park itself and we would love for you all to join us. Pending we receive all the funds necessary to develop the park, a weekend in April will be our “Norwood Weekend of Service.” On these days, we will work from sun up (6:00am) to sun down (6:00pm) to construct the park. Should you choose to donate, we are prepared to offer you a plaque to commemorate your generosity to our Pocket Park.
Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Erin Carley
[email protected]
