Our vision is to make the Post-Franklin area a neighborhood of choice. We will improve the quality of life in our neighborhood by lighting the sidewalks, improving the properties, promoting positive youth development, assessing and responding to community issues, increasing educational opportunities that lead to economic self-sufficiency, taking back our streets, and developing a sense of pride, trust, respect, and honor among our neighbors, local businesses, local organizations, and city government.

Description:
Creating Change has completed several projects in order to achieve our goal of safe, clean, and healthy neighborhoods. We have organized neighborhood wide street clean-up. We have collaborated with other city organizations to further achieve our vision. We have created our "Building Hope" program, in which we work with low income home owners to make improvements on the exteriors of their homes in order to beautify the neighborhood, engage citizens in the area, and continue our vision. We are also in the process of organizing a Block Party, which we think will help add to our current successes in resident cohesion.

History:
Creating Change was initiated by a Yes We Can! grant from the Kellogg Foundation in 2005. Since that time, the organization has employed a full-time organizer who has worked mainly with residents in the Post-Franklin Neighborhood to improve the quality of life for all neighbors. Creating Change has also partnered with various resident groups across the city of Battle Creek, such as Crimewatch, and has worked closely with Neighborhood Services in different capacities to affect change. Most recently, Creating Change has developed a home improvement program (Building Hope) and youth program, leading to the hiring of both a part-time home repair specialist and part-time neighborhood youth worker.

Contact people:

Jeremy Andrews, Project Director, (phone), (email) Jaime Nelson, Program Director, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (269) 963-5356

Address:

2055 E. Columbia Avenue Battle Creek, MI 49014 (See a map)

Web Site: None specified

Directions:

Take 194 (M-66) to the Columbia Avenue. Head East on Columbia Avenue for approximately 2 miles to Trinity Lutheran, which is on the left acroos the street from Riverview Recreation.