Richmore Village/Metropolitan Square

"If Not Us, Who?"

RVMS Grassroots Initiative for Volunteer Energy (G.I.V.E)

If Not Us, Who?
Grassroots Initiative for Volunteer Energy(GIVE)
Richmore Village/Metropolitan Square Neighbors Take On Blight

It seems that change is sweeping the country. Everywhere, people are becoming inspired to look at and do things differently. Inspired by the idea of “Yes We Can!” and tired of the feeling of helplessness in the face of blight and inflation, neighbors in Richmore Village/Metropolitan Square (RV/MS) Neighborhood have decided to work on what we do have control over: tagging and graffiti can be cleaned up with just a little elbow grease and vigilance; overgrown yards of abandoned homes can be mowed and maintained with minimal effort; and neighborly relationships can be built again through these and additional tasks like picking up trash and developing community gardens.

We have decided to focus on three areas of common concern/effort:

Cosmetic Home Maintenance
As we know, abandoned homes are increasing in number. We also know that banks and mortgage companies are probably not going to spend money hiring someone to take care of these homes. Thus, the grass in the yards grows tall and then dies, the weeds keep growing, and the places are liable to become magnets for crime—from squatting to much worse. It takes very little for a group of neighbors to come together for a weekend morning to mow the grass, dig up the worst weeds, and generally make the front yard look cared for. This also keeps the City from slapping a large “BLIGHT” sign on the front door, which only confirms a house is available for criminal purposes.

Graffiti/Tagging Abatement and Trash Pickup
The City of Richmond has begun a new program that will be built primarily on citywide volunteer labor to eliminate graffiti and tagging as soon as it happens. RV/MS neighbors have already signed up to patrol and clean graffiti within the official neighborhood boundaries. Armed with supplies provided by the City and a trash bag, we are regularly monitoring our assigned areas and keeping them free of tagging and trash. Within three weeks, Richmore Village/Metropolitan Square has gained additional neighborhood volunteers and made significant inroads against tagging and litter. Again, this requires very little effort, time, and energy, and the results are gratifying! Anyone interested in signing up for the city graffiti abatement team need only contact Trina (620-6581) or Rochelle (620-6511) at the City and they will be instructed on getting registered as a volunteer and receive a graffiti abatement kit. After receiving their initial kit, they can contact Public Works at 231-3010 for additional supplies.

Community Victory/Peace Gardens
There are new community gardens popping up throughout the City, and RV/MS neighbors are interested in the possibility of developing a garden somewhere in the neighborhood. It’s a terrific way to establish friendships with neighbors. Currently there is a new garden next to the library, and there are a couple of vacant lots that might serve well as neighborhood gardens. Additionally, the City is willing to help people take on a piece of land along the Richmond Greenway for gardening. Perhaps by winter we will see new Victory Gardens sprouting throughout the City.

We would like to make a presentation to the full Richmond Neighborhood Coordinating Council regarding these old-but-now-new ways to fight blight and build neighborhoods. We would like to share our experiences and provide encouragement to other neighborhoods of Richmond with these ideas or others for making our city safer, more attractive and more livable.