2018 NOTY Winners

Neighborhoods, USA (NUSA) named the Whitely Community Food Pantry in Indianapolis the 2018 Grand Prize winner of the Neighborhood of the Year (NOTY) Award at its luncheon held Friday, May 25 at the 43rd annual NUSA conference in Birmingham, Ala.

Finishing in first place in the Physical Revitalization category of the annual NOTY competition is the Five Oaks-Triple Creeks Neighborhood Park Restoration & Habitat Improvement Beaverton, Ore. Association Committee, whose program, Park Restoration & Habitat Improvement, is a collaboration with local officials to eliminate invasive species, make their parkland more accessible, sustainable, and beautiful all while bringing neighbors together.

Not only were they awarded the Grand Prize, but NUSA also awarded the first place prize in the Social Revitalization category of the NOTY competition to the Whitely Community Council in Muncie, Ind. The Council’s Whitely Community Food Pantry is an inspirational story of a community coming together after the loss of local grocery stores creating a neighborhood food desert. Whitely not only created a new food pantry, they created new partnerships, new food gardens, new food growing educational programs and new nutrition programs.

Also awarded during Friday’s luncheon was the first place prize in Multi-Neighborhood Partnerships, which went to Pogue’s Run Art & Nature Park in Indianapolis. Pogue’s Run is a beautiful restoration of land as a catchment basin into parkland, pathways, art displays and community volunteerism.

2018 NOTY award winners were announced in the following categories:

Physical Revitalization – Single Neighborhood

First Place

Park Restoration & Habitat Improvement

Five Oaks-Triple Creek Neighborhood Association Committee
Beaverton, Oregon

Second Place

Sunset Heights Neighborhood Mural

Sunset Heights Neighborhood Association
Fort Worth, Texas

Third Place

Armstrong Park Enhancements

New World Neighborhood Crime Watch
Garland, Texas

Social Revitalization – Single Neighborhood

First Place

Whitely Community Food Pantry

Whitely Community Council
Muncie, Indiana

Second Place

Highland Neighborhood Walk Series

Highland Neighborhood Association Committee
Beaverton, Oregon

Third Place

Santa Comes to Town

Goleta Old Town Community Association
Goleta, California

Multi-Neighborhood Partnerships

First Place

Pogue’s Run Art & Nature Park

Pogue’s Run Art & Nature Park Revitalization Task Force
Indianapolis, Indiana