When Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico in 2017, it decimated roads, power and infrastructure. In the small community of Villalba, government workers weren't able to access the people who needed help. But volunteers and staff from Ponce Neighborhood Housing Services were already there.  

"We were the liaison," says Elizabeth Colón Rivera, Ponce's CEO. "We went to the municipality's emergency centers, offering our services and letting them know we had the resources, tools and water to help them."  

NeighborWorks Week, June 3-10, is a chance for NeighborWorks network organizations to connect and celebrate with residents and to highlight the ways they help empower communities for success. First celebrated in 1983, NeighborWorks Week has, for 40 years, been a time to give back to communities. This year, nearly 200 network organizations are taking part.
 

Rebecca Hatfield's first day as president and CEO of Avesta Housing in Maine also happened to be her daughter's first day of kindergarten. Hatfield woke up extra early so she'd have time to wait at the bus stop with her daughter, whose name and teacher were written on a tag hanging over the dress that her daughter had picked out for her first day. 

"She wanted to be perfect, and I wanted to be perfect," Hatfield recalls. 

Rebecca Hatfield's first day as president and CEO of Avesta Housing in Maine also happened to be her daughter's first day of kindergarten. Hatfield woke up extra early so she'd have time to wait at the bus stop with her daughter, whose name and teacher were written on a tag hanging over the dress that her daughter had picked out for her first day. 

"She wanted to be perfect, and I wanted to be perfect," Hatfield recalls. 

Rebecca Hatfield's first day as president and CEO of Avesta Housing in Maine also happened to be her daughter's first day of kindergarten. Hatfield woke up extra early so she'd have time to wait at the bus stop with her daughter, whose name and teacher were written on a tag hanging over the dress that her daughter had picked out for her first day. 

"She wanted to be perfect, and I wanted to be perfect," Hatfield recalls. 

Rose Garcia grew up living with her grandparents in New Mexico. Her grandfather owned a bar and pool hall, and her grandmother operated a grocery store and meat market. "My grandma had me helping in the store from a very young age – stocking cans, sweeping floors and bathrooms, and waiting on customers," Garcia recalls.
 

Rose Garcia grew up living with her grandparents in New Mexico. Her grandfather owned a bar and pool hall, and her grandmother operated a grocery store and meat market. "My grandma had me helping in the store from a very young age – stocking cans, sweeping floors and bathrooms, and waiting on customers," Garcia recalls.
 

In a way, the gathering of older, monolingual residents in what has become a Chinatown Town Hall started with egg salad. "We had these Sunday lunches," recalls the Rev. Norman Fong, who spent 30 years at the helm of Chinatown Community Development Center. "When we started, we didn't have a lot of money, so I asked my church to make egg salad sandwiches."