Release date: 6/4/2021

Contact: 
NeighborWorks America Media
202-760-4097
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Annual week of service showcases nonprofits' abilities to create resilient communities

Washington, D.C. — On June 5-12, NeighborWorks America kicks off its 38th annual NeighborWorks Week, when the nearly 250 nonprofits in its network engage in various community beautification, engagement and education projects. NeighborWorks network organizations use this time to showcase their work and celebrate the staff, volunteers, partners, residents and others who help them deliver on their mission. 

Celebrated during the first week of June, NeighborWorks Week activities have something for everyone to enjoy. Organizations plan events for the entire week, including beautification and revitalization projects, financial literacy workshops and interactive events. NeighborWorks Week aims to bring everyone together. This year, the NeighborWorks Week theme is "Building Strong Communities Together Every Day." 

"NeighborWorks Week celebrates the impact our NeighborWorks network organizations have in the community," said NeighborWorks America President & CEO Marietta Rodriguez. "They work tirelessly to ensure that their communities are centers for equity and stability and foster a safe and secure environment for the people they serve. We set aside this week to highlight that work and showcase the great strides they've accomplished in communities across the country." 

As part of this year's NeighborWorks Week national celebration, NeighborWorks will officially welcome eight new network organizations. These new affiliates are diverse in geographic scope and clientele and share the organization's commitment to strengthening communities and creating affordable housing options that keep people housed: 

• Lakota Funds (Kyle, South Dakota) 
• Renew Indianapolis (Indianapolis, Indiana) 
• HACE (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) 
• Gulf Coast Housing Partnership, Inc. (New Orleans, Louisiana) 
• Piedmont Housing Alliance (Charlottesville, Virginia) 
• Quest Community Development Organization (Atlanta, Georgia) 
• Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) (San Francisco, California) 
• Oweesta (Denver, Colorado) 

Beyond the shared values, these organizations bring specialized expertise in addressing the housing and financial disparities gaps for Latinx, Native, veterans and the homeless. Additionally, three of them operate Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). Lakota Funds is the first Native American CDFI in the country; Renew Indianapolis operates two CDFIs. Piedmont Housing is the only U.S. Treasury-certified CDFI in central Virginia. With the new affiliates, NeighborWorks America now has 83 CDFIs in its network. 

The NeighborWorks impact is clear during NeighborWorks Week and throughout the year. In fiscal year 2020, NeighborWorks America and the NeighborWorks network provided 438,600 housing and counseling services; created 23,400 new homeowners; preserved 9,100 homes through rehabilitation, counseling, and refinancing; and counseled 149,200 families and individuals on financial capability, pre-purchase, post-purchase, or foreclosure issues.

About NeighborWorks America
For more than 40 years, Neighborhood Reinvestment Corp., a national, nonpartisan nonprofit known as NeighborWorks America, has strived to make every community a place of opportunity. Our network of excellence includes nearly 250 members in every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. NeighborWorks America offers grant funding, peer-exchange, technical assistance, evaluation tools and access to training, as the nation's leading trainer of housing and community development professionals. NeighborWorks network organizations provide residents in their communities with affordable homes, owned and rented; financial counseling and coaching; community building through resident engagement; and collaboration in the areas of health, employment and education.