Fresh off the release of its initial neighborhood findings, Collective Impact Lincoln teams have begun a second round of door-to-door listening sessions in six of the city’s oldest neighborhoods.
They’re continuing to gather perspective on residents’ wants, needs, and concerns with an eventual goal of identifying and addressing issues within the half-dozen neighborhoods. The new field work also coincides with the arrival of CIL’s new program manager, Nancy Petitto.
Civic Nebraska, Nebraska Appleseed and the South of Downtown Community Development Organization launched CIL last year with the support of Woods Charitable Fund.  During initial canvassing last fall, CIL community organizers knocked on 1,500 doors to gain community input, and expect to cover 8,500 more by the end of fall 2018.
This spring, residents in the Belmont, Clinton, Everett, Hartley, Near South and University Place neighborhoods will be greeting CIL organizers.
Amanda Barker, Civic Nebraska’s deputy executive director and head of the organization’s Civic Health Program, recently told Lincoln radio station KFOR that the coalition’s goal is to “connect deeply with residents hear their concerns and joys about what they love about their neighborhood and their community,” then identifying any areas of improvement for policy improvements, projects, or advocacy.
Most importantly, CIL will “help build the leadership capacity among neighborhood residents and in the neighborhood to help them create sustainable action for the future,” Barker said.
Listen to KFOR’s segment on CIL here.
