Project Name: “This is Us”
ABOUT THE APPLICANT
Are you applying as a:
Neighborhood organization or association (such as a non-profit)
What is the organization’s name?
McLaughlin Neighborhood Association
What neighborhood does the organization serve?
McLaughlin Neighborhood, Muskegon
First and last name?
Randy Vander Weit
Twitter Handle
Facebook Handle
McLaughlin Neighborhood Association, Muskegon
Instagram Handle
Is the organization a registered 501 (c)3 non-profit?
No
ABOUT THE PROJECT
What is the name of the neighborhood where the project will take place? (Please include city/village name too. Example: Mexican Town, Detroit)
McLaughlin, Muskegon
Anticipated project launch date
August 7, 2023
Describe your project idea including: a) Is it a project or event? b) What will you do? c) Where will you do it? d) Who, if any, are your project partners?
We will bring in a mural artist to help design the people and images that will be painted onto the new fence that will be installed around the McLaughlin Community Park, a piece of property which is leased from the City of Muskegon and for which the McLaughlin Neighborhood Association has the responsibility of maintaining and developing. The project partners are the Moore’s who own the fence, participants on a summer day camp held at the McLaughlin Community Park, and neighbors.
How will you engage your community in this project?
We will engage the community in this project being having people who are active in the McLaughlin Neighborhood Association and children who frequent the McLaughlin Community Park work with the mural artist in designing what will be painted onto the fence which will represent the people and landmarks of the McLaughlin neighborhood.
How will the project celebrate the neighborhood’s diversity? Diversity can include different ages, races, cultures, socio-economic statuses, abilities, and more.
The project will celebrate the neighborhood’s diversity by including images of neighbors across the age spectrum. The images on the current fence are only of children who were involved in the Community Acting Toward Children’s Health, C.A.T.C.H., Camp program that is held every summer at the McLaughlin Community Park but this time we would also like to include families and adults. According to the 2020 census, the McLaughlin neighborhood is 44.59% black, 38.16% white, 0.71% native, 0.11% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 14.65% Hispanic, and 1.71% other. We would seek have people proportionately represented from these races in the mural.
How do you plan to spend the $1,000 microgrant? Please list and explain the items, services, fees, expertise, etc. that you plan to purchase.
We anticipate spending the $1,000.00 microgrant to pay a mural artist to help us design and oversee the painting of the mural. Funds would also be used for paint supplies.
Will your project require special permits?
No
Are you the owner of the property where the project/event will occur?
No Please provide a letter of support from the owner of that property.
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Rachel’s Notes
Reviewed 4.24.23. Confirmed Member status. Confirmed org exists. Confirmed photos. Have the funds for the fence. Would be paying the artist and for paint.
ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD’S NEEDS
Why does your neighborhood need this project?
The McLaughlin Community Park is the only park within the McLaughlin neighborhood and since the McLaughlin Neighborhood Association began maintaining and developing the property, it has become a gathering place for the neighborhood. And, beauty is need in this location.
What do you hope to achieve through this project? Be as specific as possible!
We hope to achieve a sense of belonging and pride through this project. I heard it said that the poor need beauty as much as they need bread because they live with so much ugliness and the painted fence at the McLaughlin Community Park adds beauty. And, it is something that makes the McLaughlin Community Park stand out from other parks. In addition, with the revitalization that is taking place in the business district of Muskegon focus is needed on neighborhoods.
What resources do you already have to make this project successful? Resources could include things like time, partners, expertise, donated goods/materials/space, matching funds, and more.
We have neighborhood association members who are willing to lend their time in recruiting children, families, and adults to be a part of the team that would design the mural along with a mural artist. We also have neighbors, the Moore’s who have allowed a side of their fence to be painted. We have financial resources to purchase a new fence and some paint supplies. In addition, for the original painting of the fence, we were able to get paint donated from local paint stores – Port City Paints and Sherwin Williams.
IMAGE UPLOADS
Image Caption 1 (if any): View of the full fence at the McLaughlin Community Park
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Image Caption 2 (if any): Full view of the McLaughlin Community Park
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Image Caption 3 (if any): Images of neighborhood youth on the current fence at the McLaughlin Community Park
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Image Caption 4 (if any): Rotten and broken sections of the current fence at the McLaughlin Community Park with paint peeling
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Image Caption 5 (if any): Images from life in the McLaughlin neighborhood
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