Mayor Matt Ryan today commemorated AmeriCorps Week by commending the program’s mission, participants, and achievements – including those that have taken place in Binghamton.

In 2006, the City received a three-year AmeriCorps*VISTA grant that was fundamental in launching the Binghamton Neighborhood Assemblies Project (BNAP).

“Citizen engagement is central to building healthy communities,” said Mayor Matt Ryan. “Through the Neighborhood Assemblies and other activities, our AmeriCorps*VISTA team has demonstrated great commitment and skill in cultivating sustainable community development from the grassroots. We are lucky to have them on board, and I thank them for all their efforts.”

Binghamton’s VISTA team will commemorate this year’s AmeriCorps Week with a research retreat to Burlington, VT, home of the Neighborhood Planning Assemblies (NPA), which BNAP organizers have used as a model. The team hopes to inform its methods for empowering residents, and connecting them to community resources.

“The Neighborhood Assemblies in Binghamton have been successful encouraging resident participation, promoting a sense of civic pride, and fostering an inclusive environment for residents to work toward a more hopeful future,” said Andy Reynolds, VISTA Community Organizer. “Binghamton residents have shown a strong commitment to working on issues related to poverty and social and racial justice through the Neighborhood Assemblies, and Burlington’s NPAs can be a great source to support addressing these issues.”

In Burlington, Binghamton’s VISTAs will consult with the many parties that contribute to the NPAs, which were founded in the early 1980s. The team will inquire about best practices at two Assembly meetings, as well as visit the NPA’s partners at the University of Vermont. The VISTAs also plan to sit down with Mayor Bob Kiss, and discuss the relationship between the Planning Assemblies and Burlington’s municipal government.

“The Neighborhood Planning Assemblies show that successful community development efforts rely on broad-based support,” said Daphne Gathers, Neighborhood Services Representative. “Burlington’s Assemblies have thrived by connecting the tools of local government, community organizations, and university centers to residents organizing around creative solutions. We are working to replicate that synergy in Binghamton by tapping into our own local assets.”

Binghamton’s VISTA program will soon enter the final year of its three-year grant, after which residents will assume full leadership of the Neighborhood Assemblies. Working closely with residents, the team has already contributed to a number of recent local achievements, ranging in scope and focus:

BNAP Infrastructure: One of the VISTAs primary goals has been to ensure the Neighborhood Assemblies are self-sustaining. To this end, the team has assisted each Assembly in creating a Guiding Committee to organize meetings, and by-laws to govern them.

Neighborhood Project Fund: In his 2007 State of the City Address, Mayor Ryan announced that he would allocate CDBG funds for citizens to invest in neighborhood development projects – and that such projects would require approval by the Neighborhood Assemblies. In collaboration with several City departments, the VISTA team introduced the opportunity to residents, helped develop the Assemblies’ project review process, and supported applicants in developing their grant proposals. Last month, Mayor Ryan announced 15 neighborhood development grants for projects focusing on beautification and bricks-and-mortar work.

North Side Farmer’s Market: The VISTAs have also been integral in organizing the North Side Farmer’s Market, which highlights the need for an area grocery store, and provides a temporary solution for residents who otherwise lack access to fresh produce. Last summer and fall, the Market was held monthly in the parking lot in front of Anthony’s restaurant, and enjoyed the sponsorship of the North Side Neighborhood Assembly, the Binghamton Business Association, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and many local farmers.

Fresh Cycles: Binghamton’s VISTA team has also worked closely with municipal and community partners in launching Fresh Cycles, a program for North Side youth to learn bike maintenance, develop leadership skills, and earn a free bike. Collaborating with the City Youth Bureau, Police Department, City Council, and North Side Neighborhood Assembly, the VISTAs helped with recruiting youth participants and adult mentors, collecting bikes, and additional community outreach. The Fresh Cycles program began in April at the Lee Barta Community Center, and is mentoring 15-20 young people per session. The Community Center had been a little used police substation, and will be rededicated before the annual Lee Barta Remembrance Run this July.

Small Business Growth: The Ryan administration’s vision of a healthy community includes thriving neighborhood commercial sectors, and VISTA Small Business Coordinator Barbara Daly has been central to organizing local business associations that connect small businesses to the resources that will help them grow.

Shade Tree Commission: In last year’s State of the City Address, Mayor Ryan also promised to re-instate the Shade Tree Commission and increase the City’s tree population by 10% each year – and the VISTAs were crucial to meeting those goals as well. Ken Holmes, the VISTA Beautification Coordinator, has coordinated the Shade Tree Commission, and transmitted its recommendations to the Mayor’s Office. The Commission’s efforts helped generate more than $2,700 for the City Tree Fund (which covers municipal tree purchases), boosted the City’s yearly tree planting more than 30% last year, and helped Binghamton win national recognition as a Tree City USA.

“The VISTAs have been integral contributors to our core citizen engagement initiatives,” said Mayor Ryan. “AmeriCorps Week is an opportunity to applaud their efforts, and those of AmeriCorps*VISTA members across the country.”

AmeriCorps Week will be celebrated nationwide, and is designed to recruit more participants into volunteer community service, salute AmeriCorps members and alumnae, and thank the communities that make AmeriCorps possible. Throughout the country, VISTAs will be carrying out a variety of activities to celebrate this week of recognition.

For more than 40 years, VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) has created and expanded programs designed to bring low-income individuals and communities out of poverty. In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson introduced the Economic Opportunity Act, which created VISTA as a domestic volunteer program, and a complement to the Peace Corps.
AmeriCorps, which was introduced in 1993 by President Bill Clinton, is the formal network of public agencies, non-profits, and faith-based organizations where VISTA volunteers are placed. Today, there are more than 5,000 American citizens serving as VISTAs on over 1,200 community projects.

Seven VISTA members are based at the City of Binghamton, and each focuses on a range of community-based efforts – including beautification, small business growth, and youth leadership development. Their work has grown and sustained the Binghamton Neighborhood Assemblies, which have allowed residents to have a voice and role in City government to implement positive change. AmeriCorps and the Corporation for National and Community Service both have recognized BNAP as an innovative model for empowering concerned citizens. All expenses for the VISTA’s research retreat to Burlington will be covered by the City of Binghamton’s AmeriCorps*VISTA grant.

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