This year during Giving Tuesday, please join us in completing a very special project at our resident owned community (ROC), Northwood, in Pablo, Montana. Our goal is to raise $6,000 to complete their community center which will include electrical work, insulation, drywall, and flooring.
Why is this project so important? Resident, Mary Sherman explains, “The community center is the heart of our community. It is the place we go to build relationships, hold our community functions, and where all of the ideas for our community are created.”
In 2014, Northwood took the exciting steps to become a ROC, but what does that mean? By working with NeighborWorks Montana through the ROC USA network, the residents of Northwood were able to take control over their community by purchasing the park from the previous owner. This ownership eliminated the fear of rent increases or being evicted without cause. Resident-owned communities preserve an important source of unsubsidized affordable housing for working families, seniors and people with low incomes. In most places in Montana, owning a home in such a community is about half as expensive as renting an apartment.
This is a great group of folks who value their homes and each other. They have already done a lot of work to their park by adding a playground, speed bumps, fencing and a community garden. Now NWMT is working with them to complete this building and take steps to ensure the sustainability of their community. With your partnership, we can complete this project and give the people of Northwood the tools for a strong neighborhood.
To donate: https://www.nwmt.org/donate/ or you can give through our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NeighborWorksMT/. Donations made through Facebook early on Tuesday, November 27 may be matched by Facebook & Paypal this year!