Half a dozen Tulsa neighborhood associations were awarded $1,000 revitalization grants Monday through the Love Your Block program.
In all, 12 neighborhood associations applied for the grants, which are funded by the Cities of Service initiative.
Jesus Villarreal said Kendall-Whittier Neighborhood Association's grant will go toward cleaning up and putting flowers in planters throughout the neighborhood on both sides of I-244, enhancing the sense of community there.
"A neighborhood is only as strong as the people that live in it, so if we get more people involved, you know, these type of neighborhood relationship-building projects, I think it's wonderful," Villarreal said.
River West Mural District's grant will help a local artist paint their second mural. Patsy Nash said the area’s ongoing transformation from Eugene Field to the mural district is to give neighborhood kids a sense of pride.
"We just want to make them — show them that they're important and that they deserve the very best, like everybody else, and try to keep our neighborhood up, keep it clean and get them involved," Nash said.
Patty Foster with Thousand Oaks Home Owners Association said the grant will help them turn a neglected greenbelt into a neighborhood park.
"We've tried for several years to try to maintain it and just haven't been able to do a very good job, because it's on a strictly volunteer basis," Foster said. "So, now that we have some assistance financially, we'll be able to kind of jump start the program and get it cleaned up."
The other neighborhood associations receiving grants were Longview Lake Estates, Northgate Action Group and Tracy Park Neighborhood.
The volunteer-led projects should all be done by June.
