In 2018, South Bend was named one of ten winners of the Cities of Service City Hall AmeriCorps VISTA Love Your Block competition. Cities of Service awarded each winning city $25,000 to be used for mini-grants and provides ongoing technical assistance and resources to support the efforts of citizen groups and local nonprofits to fight property blight through home repairs, lot transformations, and community cleanups.
227 W Jefferson Boulevard South Bend, Indiana 46601
Director of Community Engagement and Economic Empowerment Alkeyna Aldridge
Alkeyna Aldridge serves as Director of Engagement & Economic Empowerment for the City of South Bend. Her team develops strategies that empower residents by increasing their access to economic opportunity and meaningful civic participation.
"The mission of the City of South Bend is to deliver services that empower everyone to thrive. Our service is directed by the principles of excellence, accountability, innovation, inclusion and empowerment. Guided by these tenets, community leaders and volunteers work with the City to enhance quality of life for our residents."
Mayor Pete Buttigieg
Program
Love Your Block
2018-2020
Love Your Block enables local governments to engage communities in neighborhood revitalization efforts benefiting low-income communities. Our newest Love Your Block program, announced in July 2018, was specifically targeted to legacy cities – older, industrial cities that have faced substantial population loss.
Report
Urban Institute Love Your Block Study Summary
A Qualitative Study of Social Connectedness Outcomes