National Night
Out
The first Tuesday of each August is when local neighborhoods
along with over 10,000 cities across the nation take part in the
Annual
National Night Out. Families are asked to turn
on their porch light, light up the night and to say “Good Bye”
to crime. The local celebration involves a caravan of vehicles
filled with government officials, law enforcement officials, civic
groups representatives, social service organization staff members
and public service officials that travel through the city stopping
at various organized neighborhood celebrations. Caravan participants
meet with those gathered in each neighborhood event. Participants
share with the neighbors in their own neighborhoods and meet and
share information with all participants. This is a “going away
party for crime” to let the criminals know the residents are taking
back their streets. The goal as “McGruff” the Crime Dogs says,
is to “Take a Bite out of Crime.”
Neighborhood Crisis Response Team
Macon
County Safe from the Start in collaboration with
Macon
County Child Advocacy Center, Mental
Health Association of Macon County, Macon
County Health Department, Decatur
Police Department, Macon
County Sheriff’s Department, First
Call for Help, Dove Community Services and neighborhood
volunteers has formed a Neighborhood Crisis Response Team. This
team is comprised of trained volunteers to respond to an event
in a neighborhood/community that affects members of that area
in a traumatic way. Examples of these would be shootings, beatings,
gang activity, mob action, abductions, and fires. Witnesses of
violence or events that cause trauma can affect children and adults
in different ways. The crisis response team is trained to assist
individuals and families regarding information and referrals to
agencies and services available in Macon County to receive ongoing
assistance.
Youth Democracy Day
Decatur Area Project neighborhood youth join an estimated
2,200 youth from other Area Projects throughout Illinois on the
steps of the Illinois Capitol for "Youth
Democracy Day", a youth rally. The youth talked to
their district legislators and elected officials to remind them
of the programs in their perspective cities that benefit youth
and ultimately the future of Illinois. All the youth wore tee-shirts
that said “What about Us?” and they asked their legislators about
funding for their youth programs. Those that spoke talked of their
support of the Illinois Area Projects grassroots programming that
helps our youth make positive choices in their lives.
Razzle-Dazzle Good Times Parade
A fun activity each summer for the neighborhoods
is to participate in the Decatur
Celebration Parade. A float could have children
disguised as flowers popping out of giant flower pots to say “Decatur
Grows Happy Kids!” or children construction workers standing alongside
giant building blocks saying “Great Neighborhoods Are The Building
Blocks Of Great Cities!” This is a chance for the neighborhoods
to shine and be proud of where they live and raise their families.
This is just one more example of neighborhood groups being involved
decision making in their area which is making the city the best
it can be.
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