NeighborWorks Week is a Week Worth Celebrating

This week, NewVue Communities is celebrating NeighborWorks Week from June 1 through June 8 and is excited to share how NeighborWorks America is helping NewVue empower residents through home ownership, community engagement, small business ownership, financial counseling, and affordable housing.

As the nation’s leading trainer of housing and community development professionals, NeighborWorks offers its network of 250 organizations access to grant funding, peer exchange, technical assistance, evaluation tools, and access to best-in-class training.

Four NewVue staff members attended the San Francisco NeighborWorks Training Institute 2024, where they took part in trainings such as community building and engagement; partnerships with faith-based organizations, and the power of communication. A symposium on Co-creating an Equitable Future at the Intersection of Health, Housing, and Community Development was attended by our deputy director, Dolores Thibault-Munoz

“NeighborWorks has provided the opportunity to come together to learn from others and then go out to create a strong community for our residents,’ said Nasharie Peralta, a community organizer at NewVue. “It was great to go to a national conference, learn from people with experience, and ask trainers how we can address community issues.”

In her role as a community organizer, Nasharie works on projects that help support and engage the community. One of her current projects is the revitalization of Lowe Playground located near the new Fitchburg Arts Community currently under construction. The playground was identified by neighborhood residents as a top priority.  “It’s one of the ways we are supporting and creating opportunities based on what residents want in their community,’ Nasharie said.

To help her better advocate for Fitchburg residents, Nasharie attended the NeighborWorks conference earlier this year, along with Marc Dohan, Executive Director, Dolores Thibault-Munoz, Deputy Executive Director, Brenda Piccard, Senior Housing Counselor. “It pushed me more to realize the importance of the position I have, the organization I’m part of, and the mission of CDCs in general,” Nasharie said. “It energized me to be ready to be a part of and create things in a city that people want to see.’’ The communication training was particularly helpful for Peralta as she seeks ways to reach the city’s younger generation and get them involved.

The training in San Francisco included sample tools, such as plans and outlines, and how they can be implemented locally with a focus on “power shifting’’ to give residents a voice. Nasharie launched a Facebook page specifically for the Fitchburg North of Main neighborhood and is designed to be an unbiased community page where everyone feels welcome and can post without being judged.

Nasharie credited the NeighborWorks conference as an important way for her to learn successful techniques and programs that she can bring to the residents of Fitchburg. “I got to engage with other people and learn from them,’ she said. “The materials were great and easy to understand and showed the effectiveness and importance to our learning.”

Dolores Thibault-Munoz stated, “Professional development is important in any profession. The chance to learn from the best at a NeighborWorks conference should not be missed. NeighborWorks is strengthening community development professionals, who in turn, are empowering communities for success.”