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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is Love Your Block?

Love Your Block brings mayors together with citizens to revitalize their neighborhoods, one block at a time. Since 2009, Cities of Service has helped dozens of cities implement Love Your Block. More than 9,000 community members have revitalized more than 2,200 blocks, including removing 6.5 million pounds of trash, creating 900 art displays, cleaning 60,000 square feet of graffiti, repairing over 70,000 square feet of community space, and maintaining over 730,000 square feet of public space.

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For its 2018 City Hall AmeriCorps VISTA Love Your Block program, Cities of Service awarded each winning city $25,000 to be used for mini-grants and resources to support the efforts of citizen groups and local nonprofits to fight property blight through home repairs, lot transformations, and community cleanups. In addition, two AmeriCorps VISTA members serve in each winning city’s city hall to build capacity and raise awareness. 

Visit the Hartford LYB Cities of Service page—and more—here.

How is Year Two different from Year One?

In Year One, Love Your Block Hartford focused on resident-driven improvement projects in the Frog Hollow neighborhood. We funded five projects in Year One that focused on vacant lot beautification and, along the way, brought community members together into safe, accessible, and engaging spaces.

 

In Year Two, we aim to increase the visibility of and support a larger number of projects in a way that allows residents to emphasize the uniqueness of their neighborhood. By funding projects through competitive mini-grants that focus on both anti-litter and neighborhood pride and are located at gateway sites, we can collectively enhance the beauty of Hartford.

What is a LYB mini-grant?

 

A LYB mini-grant is funding of up to $1000 intended to support volunteer-led project for beautification efforts in Hartford's neighborhoods.

 

What if I need assistance filling out the application?

 

If you require assistance, you can choose to attend one of our application workshops or, if you are unable to make one of these sessions, please contact the program administrators using this email address: loveyourblock@hartford.gov. Provide your name, and that of your Co-lead, as well as 3 dates and times that you are available to meet for a consultation. 

 

Do I have to be a resident in order to apply?

 

No. However, 50% of your project volunteers must be residents of the neighborhood in which your project is taking place.

 

Do I have to apply with a Community Group or Non-profit?

 

No, you may apply independent of a community group or nonprofit.  However, project must have a Co-lead as a contact for LYB administrators.

 

What are some examples of gateway locations?

Gateway locations in Hartford are sites that have a high frequency of car, bus, bike, and pedestrian traffic from both residents and visitors to the city. These places can be, for example, the entrance/exit of your neighborhood, or maybe a larger intersection inside your area. Some examples in Hartford can be found here, but we strongly encourage you to suggest your own locations as well. 

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How will Awardees be notified?

 

Using the contact information that is provided, LYB will send email notifications to Project Leads of selected proposals. Selected applicants will be invited to accept the LYB mini-grant offer, and agree to adherence of LYB requirements during project implementation. If LYB does not receive confirmation within 7 days after the initial acceptance email date, a runner-up will be selected.

 

What is the Mandatory Orientation?

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  • Meeting face to face with other Awardees

  • Reviewing the project implementation area

  • Going over how to collect impacts/metrics

  • Reviewing important deadlines throughout project implementation

  • Opportunity to ask for any future assistance

  • Establish check-in dates for project implementation

 

What if I cannot attend the Mandatory Orientation?

 

You or your Project Co-Lead MUST attend the Mandatory Orientation in order to receive funding. If you are both unable to attend, your proposal will be forfeited.

 

What is a Final Project Report?

 

The Final Project Report is an electronic report of metrics and impacts to the community from the project. The specifics of the Final Project Report and what must be included will be determined with each Awardee.

 

The Final Report could include:

  • a detailed account of the use of funds through the mini-grant,

  • dates that volunteer work was carried out,

  • changes in volunteers or project leads,

  • a project perception survey,

  • a volunteer experience survey

 

What are project metrics and impacts? How should they be collected?

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Metrics are the indicators used to measure the success of your project goals. Examples of metrics: Pounds of trash collected during cleanup event, number of volunteer hours completed by volunteers, number of volunteers, etc.

 

Impacts are the qualitative influences of your project goals. For example, if the goal is to clean a certain street, a possible impact could be that residents feel more pride about their block or overtime less trash is found on the street.

 

What if I do not have two points of contact on my application?

 

In order to meet the requirements of the application, you must obtain a Project Co-lead.

 

How do I obtain a letter of permission from a property owner?

 

You may create the letter yourself using the following template. If you need further assistance in contacting a property owner or drafting a letter of permission, contact us at loveyourblock@hartford.gov.

 

Include details about the start and end dates of your project, whether or not you intend to put anything into the ground, remove anything from the premises, names of volunteers that will accompany you, the actual details of your LYB project, and the property owner's signature.

 

What is Hartford 311?

 

Hartford 311 is a way to report non-emergency issues anywhere within the city. It can be used throughout year, not just for LYB projects. Make sure to download the mobile app!

http://www.hartford.gov/hartford-311

 

How do I stay informed about Love Your Block?

 

You can follow our Facebook page @LoveYourBlockHartford and signup for our email newsletter here!

Make sure to check our News page to keep up with LYB Hartford announcements.

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