Cheatom Park Neighborhood Association

NEW *Monthly Meetings the 3RD Thursday of each Month except August and December.

CONVENIENT NEAR NORTH DOWNTOWN LIVING

Just a short walk to catch the regular comfortable buses to take you into downtown for work or just walk the scant minutes away. You can hear the fireworks yet be minutes away from other urban business hotspot districts like Drake Business, River Bend 6th Ave, Sherman Hills, and a little further Ingersoll Ave, Roosevelt & 42nd St, Highland Park, East Village and Waveland Park.

The finished I-235 entrances and exits on Keoway are right near by for ease of access, commuting around the metropolitan area will be a snap as it deposits you right into the heart of the neighborhood. The Keoway access is like a boulevard into the vibrant heart of downtown.

VIBRANT AND ACTIVE ASSOCIATION - BECOME A MEMBER & A VOICE

The neighborhood has become proactive in getting the neighbors reaching out to each other to create a connected community. Local churches and businesses work in partnerships with the association to do their best to be good neighbors and integral in maintaining the area's positive energy.

Cheatom Park Information from Newspaper Interview

**** Neighborhood Accomplishments since October 2004 include the following: ****

Established new leadership of the neighborhood association and developed neighborhood logo. Established voice mail for neighborhood telephone calls and currently working on the development of website for the neighborhood.

Changed the name of the neighborhood association and developed new mission and vision.

Developed a neighborhood scan – in collaboration with facilitation provided by Mercy Hospital on activities that neighborhood residents feel are important in order to establish our neighborhood goals and activities.

In collaboration with Des Moines Neighbors over the past two years, honored neighborhood resident, city employee and area business for its’ contribution into Cheatom Park Neighborhood Association

Strengthen partnerships with the community neighborhood residents, local businesses and nonprofits, including faith-based organizations within the neighborhood. Increased partnership with Making Connections of Des Moines to improve the lives of individuals and families within the neighborhood.

Increased number of individuals/families knowledge about community resources and number of individuals/families participating in neighborhood activities.

Established a quarterly neighborhood newsletter.

Neighborhood volunteers worked to clean “graffiti” in our neighborhood.

Summer Youth Employment Program for youth in Cheatom Park in collaboration with United Way of Central Iowa and Iowa Comprehensive Human Services. Youth receive free tutoring, leadership development and work to help improve the neighborhood. Fifteen youth are participating in this project.

Annual Neighborhood Christmas Party – in collaboration with St. Paul A.M.E. and neighborhood residents – we have also adopted a needy family each year and helped them to receive toys for the children – provided by neighborhood church – Jesus Restoration Church and the neighborhood association provided warm clothing items and blankets for the family.

Partnership with St. Paul A.M.E. Missionary Society to provide Thanksgiving baskets to needy families in the neighborhood – this has included both seniors and low-income families

Held a successful neighborhood garage sale, neighborhood scrub day, and hosted a skating party for youth and families.

Received two small grants for neighborhood activities – Joeanna Cheatom Summerfest and also renaming celebration for the neighborhood

****7. What are some goals of your association?

The purpose for which the neighborhood association is organized is to improve the lives of individuals and families within the neighborhood through community improvement, economic development and social activities.

Some goals for our neighborhood are as follows:

-Reduction of crime and vandalism
-Rejuvenation of the physical neighborhood and parks
-Enforcement of traffic ordinances
-Establishing neighborhood watch
-Community revitalization plan working in collaboration with corporate partner
-Increase number of individuals/families participating in neighborhood association
-Expanding activities working with youth and neighborhood residents – through mentoring activities, leadership development, board development activities.
-Provide scholarship funds for leadership development for youth and residents to serve on neighborhood board and also to support youth entering college for books
-Continuing to strengthen partnerships with area residents, businesses and nonprofits in support of bettering the neighborhood for our residents.

We plan to continue to expand our efforts through community collaboration to strengthen our ability to improve the lives of our neighborhood residents. Other ideas we plan to explore are – youth recognition events, collaboration for senior luncheons – to honor neighborhood residents, would like to become a designated neighborhood, and hope to work with area businesses on revitalization project.

****8. What are neighborhood upcoming projects?

Upcoming projects are as follows:

Working in collaboration with United Way of Central Iowa and Iowa Comprehensive Human Services – with a youth employment program. Youth from the neighborhood are employed at local area non-profits and are paid $6.00 per hour for 20 hours of work each week. They also receive free tutoring and leadership development classes. Each Friday, the youth perform a neighborhood activity that benefits the Cheatom Park Neighborhood. This program will close out with the neighborhood association taking the youth to Worlds of Fun & Oceans of Fun in Kansas City, MO as an effort to say “thanks” for helping to make our neighborhood a better place. This activity will be held on Friday, August 11, 2006. We are also working with youth to help with the neighborhood watch program.

The Joeanna Cheatom Summerfest will be held Saturday, July 29, 2006 at Cheatom Park. This event will be held from 12:00 – 7:00 p.m. and will feature nonprofits delivering information about programs and services in the community, community vendors selling food, clothing, jewelry, and it will also feature area talent. There will be games for the kids and a fun time for neighborhood residents and the community. This event is partially supported by funds from Making Connections – Neighborhood for Growth Grants. It is a way to increase connections among neighborhoods and to help neighbors connect with various community resources.

On August 1, 2006 - national “night out” event will be held at Cheatom Park where neighborhood association members volunteer and distribute information about the neighborhood and provide ice cream to people who come to the park as an effort to provide information regarding the work of the neighborhood association, expand our social mission to provide community resources and to serve as a link for our neighborhood residents of various community resources. Also, during the month of August there will be a neighborhood “Scrub Day”. In collaboration with other neighborhood associations, volunteers will advertise the day and help neighborhood residents with collecting items that need to be discarded that they may not have had the ability to discard on their own.

A family event will be held in September at the John R. Grubb YMCA which is an event to promote activities that aid in helping neighborhoods spend time with one another while enjoying their families. The YMCA will offer discounted memberships and youth and their families will be able to swim, use the gym and weightlifting facilities.

Neighborhood annual meeting will be held in October 2006. We plan to again provide thanksgiving baskets for the needy in the neighborhood and hold the Christmas party and adopt a family for the holidays.


****11. What makes your neighborhood different from the other DM neighborhoods? What do you love about it as a resident and not just the association president?

The location of the neighborhood and enjoy it for being a small community. With the neighborhood being small in size, it makes getting to know one another a lot less challenging. The neighborhood is blessed to have a hospital, community college and (3) area churches within the neighborhood boundaries. In addition, the neighborhood is fortunate to have some very dynamic people who live within the neighborhood boundaries. Some of our residents are community activists, work with DSM Public Schools, City Government, Doctors, entrepreneurs and employees with corporations, thus they bring a wide variety of talent, knowledge and resources to the neighborhood.

The community resources and networks we are aligned with allow us to be at the forefront of hearing about expansion plans of both the hospital and community college in addition to allowing us to partner with area churches who share a similar mission to help people within our neighborhood.

We are able to see the beautiful downtown sky line and the weather beacon. Also, when Principal Park has “fireworks” most of us can see them from our homes. The majority of the homes are unique, it is a diverse income community and people are very friendly.

****12. What makes your association different from some of the other ones? Bigger, smaller, more diverse, no businesses?

Cheatom Park Neighborhood is named after long time human rights activitist – Joeanna Cheatom. She believed in giving back to the community and to help those who are less fortunate than others. Currently, her daughter, Iris Ward – (Cissy Cheatom) is still a resident of the neighborhood and her grandson – Toussaint Cheatom is very active in the work of the neighborhood association – both serving on the board and general membership and working behind the scenes to help residents of the neighborhood. We see Cheatom Park as continuing the legacy by helping people to help themselves – through economic and social activities that aid our ability to improve the overall wellbeing and quality of life for our neighborhood residents. We are a purpose driven neighborhood association with a group of people that are “truly” committed to making a positive impact on the lives of those that live and work in our neighborhood. We are small in size but “large” in our hearts! We take pride in our neighborhood and the majority of our residents – strive to make a positive impact through our work together, not only for themselves and their families, both for all that reside and work within the neighborhood boundaries. We are diverse in racial backgrounds, income, education and age. We value the diversity and want to build upon each person’s unique strengths to make our neighborhood a better place for all!

****13. Are there any issues your association is having to deal with or anything
you want others to know about?

The residents of Cheatom Park Neighborhood are interesting in uplifting the lives of our residents. We are interested in revitalization efforts that serve to improve the overall economic condition for all that live and work in the area. We seek resources in collaboration with other stakeholders to engage in activities that aid in beautifying the neighborhood, assisting families with sustaining and maintenance of their properties in addition to incorporating leadership and economic development activities for the underserved and/or underrepresented residents of our neighborhood, which includes our youth. It is essential that Cheatom Park residents are included in conversations and/or decision making activities that impact the overall quality of life for our neighborhood residents. Currently, the appearance of various community conversations and decisions that are made that are not inclusive could potentially negatively impact the quality of life for our neighborhood residents. With that said, we want our voices to be heard and we want to be a part of solutions “that impact an improved quality of life” for all that particularly live in the neighborhood; but for also those that work in our neighborhood. In the past, we have not been at the table and we are taking an assertive effort to be included in all decisions that impact the quality of life for all of our neighborhood residents and stakeholders.

In addition, with the renewed efforts of the neighborhood association to increase its’ visibility and activities within the neighborhood, change in leadership has been met with some resistance – (from past leadership), thus resulting in unnecessary tension, conflict and confusion. In spite of these obstacles however, the neighborhood association intent is to focus on positive outcomes for all residents and we are committed to perform the work necessary to strive to achieve the “greater good” for all.

Neighborhood Accomplishments

Established new leadership of the neighborhood association and developed neighborhood logo. Established voice mail for neighborhood telephone calls and currently working on the development of website for the neighborhood.

Changed the name of the neighborhood association and developed new mission and vision.

Developed a neighborhood scan – in collaboration with facilitation provided by Mercy Hospital on activities that neighborhood residents feel are important in order to establish our neighborhood goals and activities.

In collaboration with Des Moines Neighbors over the past two years, honored neighborhood resident, city employee and area business for its’ contribution into Cheatom Park Neighborhood Association

Strengthen partnerships with the community neighborhood residents, local businesses and nonprofits, including faith-based organizations within the neighborhood. Increased partnership with Making Connections of Des Moines to improve the lives of individuals and families within the neighborhood.

Increased number of individuals/families knowledge about community resources and number of individuals/families participating in neighborhood activities.

Established a quarterly neighborhood newsletter.

Neighborhood volunteers worked to clean “graffiti” in our neighborhood.

Summer Youth Employment Program for youth in Cheatom Park in collaboration with United Way of Central Iowa and Iowa Comprehensive Human Services. Youth receive free tutoring, leadership development and work to help improve the neighborhood. Fifteen youth are participating in this project.

Annual Neighborhood Christmas Party – in collaboration with St. Paul A.M.E. and neighborhood residents – we have also adopted a needy family each year and helped them to receive toys for the children – provided by neighborhood church – Jesus Restoration Church and the neighborhood association provided warm clothing items and blankets for the family.

Partnership with St. Paul A.M.E. Missionary Society to provide Thanksgiving baskets to needy families in the neighborhood – this has included both seniors and low-income families

Held a successful neighborhood garage sale, neighborhood scrub day, and hosted a skating party for youth and families.

Received two small grants for neighborhood activities – Joeanna Cheatom Summerfest and also renaming celebration for the neighborhood

DSM Plans and Development

DSM 2020 Comprehensive Development Map