 Weed and Seed is a U. S. Department of Justice program designed to assist neighborhoods that have seen more than a little wear and tear caused by crime.
Focused on “weeding out the bad” and “seeding in the good,” Weed and Seed helps neighborhoods like ours come back from the edge of blight.
United North's Weed and Seed program is a coalition of 27 groups, agencies, organizations and institutions working diligently on implementing Weed and Seed strategies.Our strategy uses a two-pronged approach: 1) law enforcement agencies cooperate in “weeding out” violent criminals and drug abusers, and 2) public agencies and community-based organizations collaborate to “seed” much-needed human services and programs. A community oriented policing component bridges the weeding and seeding elements.
The Weed and Seed steering committee meets quarterly with monthly meetings held for these Weed and Seed subcommittees where the real work occurs:
• Law Enforcement & Community Policing
• Prevention Intervention and Treatment
• Neighborhood Restoration
LAW ENFORCEMENT & COMMUNITY POLICING
Two designated law enforcement officers work continually to decrease incidents of prostitution and address illegal drug activity and other criminal activities that affect quality of life in our neighborhood. Community policing strategies also include fostering various community groups, such as block watch, and assisting neighborhood residents returning home after incarceration. Current projects include:
Ex-Offender Re-Entry – Through partnerships with Salem Citizens Circle and FBI (Fathers Being Involved), Weed and Seed is reducing recidivism and ensuring a smooth re-entry for those exiting incarceration.
Greenhouse Project – In 2008 Weed and Seed established a greenhouse that provides area youth with healthy alternatives to juvenile crime. Partners include United North, the Community Integration and Training for Employment (CITE) Program from the Lucas County Juvenile Court, ToledoGROWS, and the Toledo Botanical Gardens.
PREVENTION / INTERVENTION / TREATMENT:
This strategy strives to ensure that families within the Weed and Seed target area have access to all the services and support they need to make their lives and our neighborhood safe and healthy. Programs address the needs of youth, adults and the ex-offender population. This strategy enables residents to increase their social capital and become more productive community members. Current projects include:
North Toledo Network – Weed and Seed collaborates with this community group on several community events including the First Neighborhood Festival, Halloween Safe Night, and a Multicultural Festival.
Youth Programming – Working with the Friendly Center, Salem Lutheran Church, Summit YMCA, the Greenbelt Place Apartments, Weed and Seed provides youth with positive activities including leadership development and summer youth programming.
Young Men’s Conference – Weed and Seed assisted the Friendly Center with a series of events aimed at encouraging accountability, responsibility and understanding among male youth, including a public presentation by world-renowned race relations expert Dr. Raymond Winbush.
Safe Havens – Also as a result of the work of this subcommittee, two Safe Havens have been established in the target area: 1) the Family Safe Haven at 2014 Cherry Street houses an outreach worker who provides case management services, and 2) the Salem Lutheran Church Safe Haven at 1125 N. Huron Street that provides after-school activities as well as crime prevention programming.
NEIGHBORHOOD RESTORATION:
This strategy addresses the historic integrity of the neighborhood by developing new housing and home ownership opportunities for residents and implementing beautification projects that make a positive difference in our community. Current projects include:
Neighborhood Clean-Ups – Neighborhood volunteers, including residents and public agency representatives, routinely participate in neighborhood clean-ups to rid our streets of trash and debris.
Vacant Property Registry – Weed and Seed maintains a vacant property registry, established with the assistance of Toledo City Council, to hold absentee landowners responsible for vacant and abandoned houses. Weed and Seed has also held seminars to educate renters about their rights and obligations as tenants.
Vistula Historic Foundation – Weed and Seed assists the foundation as necessary to preserve “Toledo’s First Neighborhood.” Past accomplishments include successfully lobbying city officials to upgrade the lighting on Huron and Erie Streets and securing donations for ornamental trash receptacles to deter littering.
For more information, contact United North via e-mail at: vmoffitt@unitednorth.org or by telephone at (419) 243-3204, Ext. 20. |
