NearEast Safe Passages "NESP

When you don't know the people in your neighborhood, you feel unsafe, but the more you engage with those around you, the more we all become a community. Near East Safe Passageways was created to give communities opportunities to learn, engage, and discover resources close to home though interactive neighborhood games. It's lead by NLA graduates with the help of community volunteers and organizations. The goal is to help the redeveloping Near East, King Lincoln, Mt Vernon, and North & South Linden neighborhoods feel more inclined to participate in all the benefits of their walking-friendly neighborhood, feel safe doing so, and make finding these places easier, both online and off. NESP’s programming consist of interactive game days, and monthly community hours that teach intentional resourcing, resourcing to fill equity gaps, and neighborly communicating.

NESP community hours are hosted at student locations within the PACT and Linden area. They are designed to connect residents to resources, and community news, while bringing a variety of direct service providers in the community out to table for 2.5 hrs. NESP volunteers host team build activities and travel safety workshops, and outdoor beautification opportunities. We’ve helped residents get a much-needed crosswalk and better partnerships with the home elementary schools, helped train teens become crossing guards, and was the hub for opening lines of communication between residents and change-makers in the community