NeighborWorks America Kicks off 26th Annual National NeighborWorks Week

Thousands of volunteers will transform neighborhoods and beautify their communities through NeighborWorks Plants!

Washington, DC – Today NeighborWorks^® America will kick off its 26^th annual National NeighborWorks Week (June 6-13, 2009) – a week-long community service opportunity for thousands of volunteers to help make their communities better places to live, work, and play.

Tens of thousands of volunteers nationwide, including New York City, Kingston, and Rochester, New York and Dover, NJ, are expected to donate their time and labor during the largest national community building effort. Together they will improve their neighborhoods through a variety of hands-on repair, rehabilitation, green, beautification and education activities.

“The community involvement during NeighborWorks Week strengthens neighborhoods and reinforces a sense of pride,” said Deborah Boatright, Northeast District Director, NeighborWorks America. “By donating their time and talent, NeighborWorks Week volunteers are helping to transform their communities into healthy, sustainable places to live, work, and play. This year we are proud to partner with CIT, whose support of NeighborWorks Week will help ensure its success in communities across the nation.”

Of the more than 330 planned events, 100 will be NeighborWorks Plants! events -- a special green NeighborWorks Week activity. During NeighborWorks Plants!, more than 1,000 volunteers will plant thousands of herbs, flowers, shrubs, trees, and vegetables to beautify the 100 participating communities across the nation. NeighborWorks Plants! is part of NeighborWorks America’s ongoing commitment to go green. *For more information about NeighborWorks’ Green Agenda, visit nw.org/green.

From planting community gardens and cleaning vacant lots, to community walks and runs to raise money and awareness, and one-on-one homeowner counseling sessions, the goal of all NeighborWorks Week events and activities is to engage residents and local partners in efforts that transform their communities.

To find a NeighborWorks Week event near you, or to view a complete list of NeighborWorks Week events happening across the nation, visit http://events.nw5.org/.

For more information about NeighborWorks Week, please contact Susan Jouard, 917.842.2601, sjouard@nw.org.

About NeighborWorks^® America

NeighborWorks^® America creates opportunities for people to improve their lives and strengthen their communities by providing access to homeownership and to safe and affordable rental housing. Since 1991, we have assisted nearly 1.2 million low- to moderate-income families with their housing needs. Much of our success is achieved through our support of the NeighborWorks^® network Ã¢â‚¬â€¢ more than 230 community development organizations working in more than 4,400 urban, suburban and rural communities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. In the last five years, NeighborWorks^® organizations have generated more than $15 billion in reinvestment in these communities. NeighborWorks^® America is the nation’s leading trainer of community development and affordable housing professionals. www.nw.org.