Home Ownership
I have written in our journal about the power of home ownership in building and supporting healthy community. Our neighborhood has gone from almost entirely family owned home to entirely rentals. Over the 7 years I have been in the area, I have seen some changes. I have seen some growth in home ownership in our neighborhood. This is wonderful. And yet, it is still few and far between.
Our goal is to help home owners keep and maintain their homes, and to help our neighbors who want to become owners take the steps they need to purchase their home in our neighborhood. What that will look like is yet to be seen, but it is high on our agenda.
Home Ownership helps people take pride in their community.
I have written in our journal about the power of home ownership in building and supporting healthy community. Our neighborhood has gone from almost entirely family owned home to entirely rentals. Over the 7 years I have been in the area, I have seen some changes. I have seen some growth in home ownership in our neighborhood. This is wonderful. And yet, it is still few and far between.
Our goal is to help home owners keep and maintain their homes, and to help our neighbors who want to become owners take the steps they need to purchase their home in our neighborhood. What that will look like is yet to be seen, but it is high on our agenda.
Home Ownership helps people take pride in their community.
from our revised 2025 mission statement:
(read our full Mission Statement Here)FULL
Programs to Build Healthy Community & People
The Community House Network believes that when neighbors come together, get to know and support one another, they will treat each other with love and respect. This relational view of community development is one that has lasting impact and leads to an empowered approach to change. Rather than looking outside of our community for support, we look to each other. We have now created two adult focused programs as core elements of our mission: Neighbor In Need, and Live Your Creative Purpose.
Neighbor In NeedOur new Neighbor In Need program is based on what we have observed in our community over the past 4 years of operation. We have identified several pressing areas of need for our neighborhood and community members.
We are starting the services immediately although they will be formalized over time. A summary statement is provided, and will be further elaborated on as we get these programs full established. Because of the level of need, we have already started providing these services as the opportunities arise. Outreach and volunteerism is in development.
Food Insecurity. For food insecurity we plan to continue our community garden, and to provide gardening support for neighbors who are ready to create their own backyard food supply. This programming overlaps with our youth programs: Gardening, Nature and Cooking Clubs. We also will provide transportation to pantries for those who have no means of accessing these locations. We will also help to cook food and provide meals to those who come to our location at 800 W. Thrush Ave.
Lawn maintenance. Although lawn maintenance does not seem like a basic need, the lack of ability to care for one’s lawn in our neighborhood can result in dire repercussions. The current fine for tall grass and weeds is $100 in Peoria. This fine can result in the inability to pay for food, utilities and rent. By providing lawn services for our community we prevent the hardships which would inevitably erode the basic happiness and ability to work on higher level goals for our community members. We are currently purchasing a riding mower and will provide services to all those who are unable to pay. We will tie in our services with entrepreneurialism for our youth, allowing them to approach and ask community members if they want their lawn cut, performing the service, and ensuring their satisfaction with their service. Those who want to donate, will be encouraged to do so, but for those who cannot pay, we will provide these services for free.
Animal Care. We have had an increasing number of stray cats in our area who are repeatedly becoming pregnant. We will make attempts to neuter and spay these animals, and to find them permanent homes. For those who take kittens, we will help with supplies. Keeping a pet teaches children responsibility and gives them empathy and comfort. But pets can be expensive. They can lead to flea infestations, ringworm and other parasites. We will provide services to help with the control of fleas and other parasites with those who adopt our animals.
Transportation and Communication. We have been able to provide transportation services to those high risk neighbors who are unable to get to the store for phone cards, food and prescriptions. We have also been able to provide phone cards to those who would otherwise be cut off in communication. These services are currently limited to the most dire situations as our funding and time allows. Connecting people with services, like City Link and government phones, who are in need.
Live Your Creative Purpose
To only focus on basic needs would be to miss the point of our primary mission. This program is focused on 3 areas. Helping community members identify their purpose, helping them enact that purpose and collaborating with them in ways that support the success of their goals.
This program helps individuals with every step of their creative goals. For those in our community who are ready to step into a deeper purpose, we help with coaching them to identify their goal, then with clarifying the actionable steps to achieving those goals. For those who are wanting to build a non-profit or create a business we help with website development, mentoring and connecting them to resources. We help them get their businesses listed on Google and create outreach materials, business cards, and other printed information. We hope to create a community of creators, who work together and support accountability to one another to reach goals. We have created a structured goal setting systems and provide workshops and coaching to help our local and extended community members to discover and move towards their higher goals.
We believe that when we are able to help the adults live their purpose and achieve higher level goals, this will positively impact our neighborhood.
The Community House Network believes that when neighbors come together, get to know and support one another, they will treat each other with love and respect. This relational view of community development is one that has lasting impact and leads to an empowered approach to change. Rather than looking outside of our community for support, we look to each other. We have now created two adult focused programs as core elements of our mission: Neighbor In Need, and Live Your Creative Purpose.
Neighbor In NeedOur new Neighbor In Need program is based on what we have observed in our community over the past 4 years of operation. We have identified several pressing areas of need for our neighborhood and community members.
- Food Insecurity
- Lawn Maintenance
- Animal Care
- Transportation and Communication
We are starting the services immediately although they will be formalized over time. A summary statement is provided, and will be further elaborated on as we get these programs full established. Because of the level of need, we have already started providing these services as the opportunities arise. Outreach and volunteerism is in development.
Food Insecurity. For food insecurity we plan to continue our community garden, and to provide gardening support for neighbors who are ready to create their own backyard food supply. This programming overlaps with our youth programs: Gardening, Nature and Cooking Clubs. We also will provide transportation to pantries for those who have no means of accessing these locations. We will also help to cook food and provide meals to those who come to our location at 800 W. Thrush Ave.
Lawn maintenance. Although lawn maintenance does not seem like a basic need, the lack of ability to care for one’s lawn in our neighborhood can result in dire repercussions. The current fine for tall grass and weeds is $100 in Peoria. This fine can result in the inability to pay for food, utilities and rent. By providing lawn services for our community we prevent the hardships which would inevitably erode the basic happiness and ability to work on higher level goals for our community members. We are currently purchasing a riding mower and will provide services to all those who are unable to pay. We will tie in our services with entrepreneurialism for our youth, allowing them to approach and ask community members if they want their lawn cut, performing the service, and ensuring their satisfaction with their service. Those who want to donate, will be encouraged to do so, but for those who cannot pay, we will provide these services for free.
Animal Care. We have had an increasing number of stray cats in our area who are repeatedly becoming pregnant. We will make attempts to neuter and spay these animals, and to find them permanent homes. For those who take kittens, we will help with supplies. Keeping a pet teaches children responsibility and gives them empathy and comfort. But pets can be expensive. They can lead to flea infestations, ringworm and other parasites. We will provide services to help with the control of fleas and other parasites with those who adopt our animals.
Transportation and Communication. We have been able to provide transportation services to those high risk neighbors who are unable to get to the store for phone cards, food and prescriptions. We have also been able to provide phone cards to those who would otherwise be cut off in communication. These services are currently limited to the most dire situations as our funding and time allows. Connecting people with services, like City Link and government phones, who are in need.
Live Your Creative Purpose
To only focus on basic needs would be to miss the point of our primary mission. This program is focused on 3 areas. Helping community members identify their purpose, helping them enact that purpose and collaborating with them in ways that support the success of their goals.
This program helps individuals with every step of their creative goals. For those in our community who are ready to step into a deeper purpose, we help with coaching them to identify their goal, then with clarifying the actionable steps to achieving those goals. For those who are wanting to build a non-profit or create a business we help with website development, mentoring and connecting them to resources. We help them get their businesses listed on Google and create outreach materials, business cards, and other printed information. We hope to create a community of creators, who work together and support accountability to one another to reach goals. We have created a structured goal setting systems and provide workshops and coaching to help our local and extended community members to discover and move towards their higher goals.
We believe that when we are able to help the adults live their purpose and achieve higher level goals, this will positively impact our neighborhood.