NENA’s Mission: Uniting People to Promote a Supportive, Safe, and Scenic Neighborhood

NENA’s Vision:

• Involvement in the issues that face our area
• Strong communication with schools, businesses, government agencies, fellow neighborhood groups, and residents
• Conservation of our architectural and natural resources
• Maintenance of neighborhood pride

The following are NENA’s short-term goals:

• Phase II Ann-Douglas Park and Butterfly Gardens
• Complete comprehensive neighborhood plan
• Increase membership
• Solicit new board members
• Review/Adopt new fundraising strategies
• Participation in Homes for the Holidays
• Newsletter/Postcards communications
• Amend Bylaws
• Ensure presence of a ROPE officer in our area

The following are NENA’s longterm goals:

• Establish Neighborhood Watch
• Signage identifying the NENA area
• Increase NENA’s presence on neighborhood and community

Some of our accomplishments on the past 15 years include improved safety, due to expanded neighborhood watch, cooperation with the Resident Officer Program, and continued efforts to reduce overcrowding by close contact with Code Enforcement.

We have cooperated with Elgin Proud and Beautiful to help clean up the streets and riverbank during the spring campaigns. We volunteer at water stations for the runners in the Elgin Fox Trot, a popular Memorial Day 10 mile race that brings thousands of people through our neighborhood.

NENA has sponsored Mom and Tot Gatherings in St Francis Park in the summer, and NENA was responsible for the encouraging Elgin Parks and Recreation to hire recreation leaders to supervise kids in the park in the summer, offerings games and crafts.

NENA sought and received a grant that equipped St. Francis Park with new benches, picnic tables, and Trash receptacles.

In the spring on 1997 NENA and the leaders of McKinley School applied and received a $100,000 grant to organize a Community-built Playground at McKinley School. The project was a success and now it stands as a place for neighbors to enjoy and testify to the importance we place on our children. The project was named the “Common Ground Project”, the entire Elgin community has reason to proud because it was Awarded the Governor’s Hometown Award.

NENA has been very successful in obtaining other grants to beautify our neighborhood such as: a grant for the planting of trees along the roadway in the municipal tree bank, and a grant to create the beautiful Butterfly Garden that is located on the coroner of Ann and Douglas.

NENA has been a sponsor to neighborhood children to attend a local camp along with our ROPE officers.

These are just a few of the many events our neighbor community has accomplished. All the events came about because ordinary neighbors, like you, came together, voiced concerns, communicated dreams, organized themselves, defined common objectives, asked question, offered ideas, sought resources raised funds and asked neighbors to help. These neighbors are NENA!

If you want to know the future of NENA, you have to get involved! Contact us today if you’d like to volunteer on our board or if you have ideas for ways we can improve our neighborhood and community, or better yet, join us at our NENA meetings held the first Thursday of each month at the Center at 7:00 pm!