The City of Texarkana, Texas’ Planning and Community Development Department hosted a neighborhood Blitz as a continuance of the Believe in Beverly campaign launched earlier in 2014 on Friday, November 7th, 2014 from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Members of the Beverly neighborhood, alongside city employees and community volunteers worked to clean-up the area by painting, picking up trash, trimming trees, and landscaping. More than eighty volunteers participated in the neighborhood blitz. The project revitalized a 12 block area of Beverly, from Tucker to Waterman and Virginia to Wheeler.
Community organizer, Karina Hernandez, has been key in recruiting others to volunteer in the neighborhood blitz.
“It’s important to show the community is united and to help keep people busy,” Hernandez said. “It is also important for people to feel good about themselves and the place that they call home. I enjoy seeing other people’s faces as I explain the importance of the cleanup and the joy that brings to them that we are doing something to make a difference.”
Photos of the neighborhood blitz can be viewed here (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.363984590446998.1073741837.220470058131786&type=3), and a video is posted to highlight the day’s event on the city’s YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI9H2STgS_8).
The City of Texarkana, Texas hosted a block party in Beverly Park on National Night Out in October, and over 200 people attended the kick off to the Believe in Beverly campaign.
David Orr, Director of Planning and Community Development, looks forward to continued work in Beverly.
“The Believe in Beverly campaign has received tremendous community support so far,” Orr said. “We’ve had over $5,000 in contributions from local businesses in the form of sponsorships and in-kind donations. It will take everyone’s help to revitalize this community.”
A neighborhood blitz is planned for another area of the city in the Spring. The City’s Planning and Community Development office hopes to highlight various neighborhoods across the city and diversify efforts in the future.
