North Jonesboro Neighborhood Initiative

April 5, 2013

Volume 2, Issue 9

Special points of interest:  Mayor Perrin to recognize AmeriCorps members  NJNI forming new classes  Meet the NJNI AmeriCorps members  Highlights from monthly meetings

Mayors Day of Recognition On Tuesday, April 9th, you are invited to join Mayor Harold Perrin as he recognizes 23 Jonesboro AmeriCorps members for their service to the community.

The ceremony will be held on the lawn of City Hall, 519 W. Washington, at 10:00 a.m.

Since 1990, AmeriCorps

has engaged more than 75,000 members each year at 15,000 locations across the country. These 75,000 members mobilize over 4 million volunteers and

leverage over $480 million in outside funding and donations annually.

Last year, the City of Jonesboro received a $106,400 grant from the Corporation for National Community Service to place 16 part-time AmeriCorps service members to serve 900 hours each.

These members are providing direct services to the community via The North Jonesboro Neighborhood Initiative. AmeriCorps members do not receive a salary for their service, however, a modest living allowance is provided.

In addition to the 13 members working through the North Jonesboro Initiative,

there are 13 other AmeriCorps members serving in various positions throughout the region: Valley View Schools, the Hispanic Community Services Center, Legal Aid of Arkansas, Garden Core members in Jonesboro and Harrisburg, and the Tuckerman Arkansas Literacy Council, The mayor will also recognize four Foster Grandparents who are members of Senior Corps.

Dr. Clint Relyea, Associate Professor of Management and Coordinator of the ASU Internal Business Program is Chairman of the Arkansas Service Commission, and will assist Mayor Perrin in recognition of the members.

Financial Literacy and Health & Wellness Classes Forming Would you like to get fit — physically and financially? NJNI is accepting registrations for Financial Literacy classes and Health & Wellness Classes.

Financial Literacy classes will begin on Wednesday, April 10th from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the Marshall Place computer lab. The class is taught by Caryl Steele of BancorpSouth, and AmeriCorps member Valencia Cash is the class facilitator.

AmeriCorps Member Tawauna Hooper will conduct a health and wellness program at the E. Boone Watson Community Center from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. the program will include peer group discussions, group exercise, and personal training, if desired. If you are interested in either of these classes, please call Emma Agnew at 870-336-7210, or send an email to eagnew@jonesboro.org.

 First Cooking Matters class draws to a close

Inside this issue: NJNI AmeriCorps

2

Meeting Highlights

2

2013 Community Fair

3

Cooking Matters

3

Board of Directors

4

Community Calendar

4

North Jonesboro Neighborhood Initiative

Page 2

NJNI AmeriCorps Members

Cooking Ma tters

Members are not paid a salary but receive a modest living allowance.

NJNI is blessed to have a wonderful, dedicated group of AmeriCorps members serving in various capacities throughout the City of Jonesboro. Members provide a variety of human services at ASU CARE; tutoring services at Magnet Schools, life skills for Habitat for Humanity and other locations, exercise and wellness classes, food service at City Youth Minis-

tries and land and facility rehabilitation with Code Enforcement.

Members are not paid a salary, but receive a modest living allowance.

Upon completion of their service, members may be eligible to receive an educational award to be used toward tuition and or student loans at approved schools.

Above Left-to-right: Front row: Siera Vail, Tawauna Hooper, Teri Spillman, Allison Hudgins. Back row: John Bolding, Logan Sheets, Angela Simmons, Jane Toledo, Lori Watson, Sarah Worley, Valencia Cash and Emit Grimes.

Meeting Highlights COMMUNITY MEETING-Thursday, March 28th at the E. Boone Watson Center: Featured presenters were Gina Gomez, Executive Director of the Hispanic Services Center, and Pastor Matt Smith of MFBNJ.

Caption describing picture or graphic.

There was a lively discussion on ways to increase the engagement of North Jonesboro residents in the community meetings. A suggestion was made to host some of

the meetings in the community room at neighborhood housing complexes.

MFBNJ—Thursday, March 21tst at the E. Boone Watson Center: Ministers planned their United Fifth Sunday service, which was held at Jonesboro First Assembly and Rev. Keith Grandberry was the speaker. Ministers also continued work on their mentoring program.

BOARD MEETING—Thursday, March 21st at the E. Boone Watson Center: The Board adopted bylaws and approved an updated Strategic Plan for 2013.

PROGRAM COMMITTEE—Met in the CDBG conference room on March 28th. Planning for the 2013 National Night Out/Community Fair is well under way.

Volume 2, Issue 9

Page 3

National Night Out/Community Fair The Program Committee and board volunteers are busy planning for the 2013 National Night Out Community Fair to be held on October 1, 2013 at University Lions (Northside) Park.

Last year’s event was a huge success with over 500 residents and supporters in attendance.

There was music, lots of door prizes and over 30 resource booths. There was also plenty of food, thanks to the Jonesboro Police Department, FSCIA, and Sysco Foods and area grocery

stores.

The Program Committee is aiming for bigger and better this year.

This promises to be a fun event and we encourage your support, input, and attendance. The community fair provides a great opportunity for residents to get to know their neighbors.

If you would like to be a part of the 2013 Community Fair, please contact me, Emma Agnew at 336-7210 or eagnew@jonesboro.org. Or you may contact a member of the program Committee to volunteer,

sponsor, donate a door prize, or setup a resource booth.

Program Committee Members: Jeanette Dotson, Chairman jdotson@eaaaa.org 970-972-5980 Amy Hutson, Event Chairman savedamy1971@yahoo.com Melody Robinson mdrobinson@suddenlink.net 870-972-0859 2012 Community Fair

Cooking Matters As we prepare to wrap up our first a tour of the store, and a lesson in Cooking Matters class, participants purchasing fresh produce. After get ready for the grocery store tour. the tour, participants will shop for

Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance and is funded by the Walmart and Con Agra Foods Foundations.

A special thank you to Debbie

The class has been a great experience for participants. Monday, April 8th will be the fifth week of the six weeks class. Participants have learned how to read labels, portion control, and kitchen safety.

At the end of each class, participants receive a package of groceries to take home for duplicating one of the recipes they learned in class Next week, the class will meet at the grocery store where they will receive

accepting registrations for the second installment of three Cooking Matters Classes.”

After a 45 minute to 1 hour lecture on nutrition, the group adjourns to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Three workstations, already setup by volunteers, contains a recipe, ingredients, and the necessary equipment. For preparation.

Each team prepares the recipe on the table. After all the recipes are complete, everyone joins in sampling what has been prepared.

“We are currently

ingredients to prepare a healthy dish of their choice. The Cooking Matters class has been an exciting and rewarding experience as participants learn teamwork and learn to prepare and sample dishes and foods unfamiliar to them.

Share Our Strengths Cooking Matters is a program of the

DeRossitte, County Extension Agent for serving as instruction for the class; and to her volunteer homemakers for assisting with setup and cleanup.

We are currently accepting registrations for the second installment of three Cooking Matters Classes. Class size is limited to 15 and is first comefirst serve. You may register by calling Emma Agnew at 870-931-8248 or email eagnew@jonesboro.org.

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS WILLIAM

CASH-Entrepreneur, Vice Chairman

CHARLES COLEMAN-Retired, ASU JEANETTE DOTSON-East AR Area Agency on Aging DAISY FREEMAN-Retired, St. Bernards, Secretary JANICE GRIFFIN –Craighead County DHS AMY HUTSON-Frito Lay

City of Jonesboro North Jonesboro Neighborhood Initiative P.O. Box 1845 519 W. Washington Ave. Jonesboro, AR 72401-1845

BLAKE JOHNSON-Liberty Bank JANE MCDANIEL–Retired, St. Bernards M.G. MEYERING-Habitat for Humanity JOHN MIXON–STUCK & ASSOCIATES BEN OWENS, Retired-St. Bernards, Chairman Melody Robinson, Jonesboro Human Development Center

Community Calendar April 8—Health & Wellness Classes April 9—National Mayors Day of Recognition April 10—Financial Literacy Classes April 15—Cooking Matters Graduation April 18—MFBNJ April 18—NJNI Board Meeting

Caption describing picture or graphic.

April 25—Communitty Meeting September 14—NJNI 5K October 1—NJNI National Night Out & Community Fair

Emma Agnew, Editor and NJNI Coordinator 870-336-7210 eagnew@jonesboro.org

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