There's a new coffee roaster in the neighborhood! Owners Timm and Kristina Wenger, founders of Taste the World and Kids and Cultures (both businesses on hiatus due to the pandemic), have a mission: To provide quality coffee that helps to support growers and producers in other countries, as well as provide a continuous funding stream for non-profit organizations, while nurturing awareness of world cultures and promoting beneficial conversations and friendships.

ORDER: Neighbors United Roast (wanderlustcoffees.com)

The Comprehensive Plan is Lancaster City's twenty year development plan that will shape policies and strategies that reflect our shared community objectives. The plan will be developed over the next 2 years and it's vital that we ensure the process is inclusive of all. As a key neighborhood group, we support the work we're about to undertake as a community. Here is our letter of support to the Mayor and our City:

September 17, 2020

Mayor Danene Sorace    
City of Lancaster
120 N. Duke St.
Lancaster, PA 17602

Dear Mayor Sorace:
Northeast Neighbors United, Lancaster fully supports the City of Lancaster’s application to the Partners for Places program for the first year of the Comprehensive Planning process in which partnerships are solidified, the plan’s core values and priorities are set, and draft policies are created. The new Comprehensive Plan for the City of Lancaster will set a twenty-year vision to guide Lancaster’s physical development and establish policies and strategies for accomplishing shared objectives over time. It is vital that the planning process is representative of the goals and vision of all residents of the City.

Neighbors United is the current iteration of a group that has worked to improve the neighborhood for about a century. We focus on the NE part of Lancaster City roughly east of N Duke St. and north of New Holland Ave. This year we incorporated as a 501(c)3 charity in order to deepen and widen our work supporting the community. Our vision is to improve the quality of life in our neighborhood by becoming informed citizens who take an active role in our community. This neighborhood is positioned to be enhanced through greater involvement, increased neighborhood communication and advocacy, and opportunities for commercial growth and beautification as the Downtown expands and the demand for authentic urban living is increasing. Our current project is building connections with our offline neighbors by installing 2-3 community bulletin boards and partnering with a handful of local businesses to distribute our email newsletter in analog form. We’re building SMS communication into our workflow to further reach neighbors. Communication fosters collaboration, and we want all our neighbors to have a voice.

We look forward to working with the City of Lancaster, Lancaster City Alliance, High Foundation, and other frontline community organizations to ensure that the Comprehensive Plan is equitable in both process and outcomes.

This letter of support was approved by a vote of the majority of the board during our meeting on September 17, 2020

Sincerely, 
Tim Freud, President

During our last Board meeting, a member asked why we don't have a blog or some other way of reconnecting with our community on a periodic basis. As many of you know, Carl Feldman has faithfully produced a monthly zine distributed to subscribers on a mailing list and our presence on Facebook has grown to nearly 1,000 members. While these formats are an excellent way to reach out, we could do more to engage our faithful members who are looking for a more personal, conversational style.

So we're bringing back the blog!

There's a lot we hope to share with you over the next few months. You'll hear from our Board and members of the community who share in our desire to improve the quality of life in our neighborhood by becoming informed citizens who take an active role in our community. 

Missed an issue? View the archives. 

Many of my good friends have said that 2016 "just needs to be done". The sad reality is that we are a divided nation. The loss of many legendary people and an unspeakable uncertainty shadows over many of us.

Today, I am feeling sentimental. I was reminded of one of our neighborhood meetings that took place nearly two years ago. Noah and I were recently named co-chairs of Neighbors United when the unthinkable happened in our neighborhood: a teacher was murdered in her home. We reached out to the police, elected officials and our neighbors. We came together to make sense of a senseless tragedy. 

Unfortunately, it often takes terrible circumstances to bring a community together. 

While we were not thinking about planting trees or revitalizing businesses that evening, we were looking towards the future with hope that we could make our neighborhood a better place to live. 


Over the next two years, we set into motion an ambitious plan that addressed many of the safety issues concerning our residents and sought to improve the quality of life in our neighborhood. As I look back at what we hoped to accomplish, I truly believe that we have made significant progress:

1) We successfully launched the LCA Bike Ambassadors. Their presence in the community not only is a reassurance of our commitment to public safety, it is a key force in pushing neighborhood revitalization. Seven days a week, they serve as the eyes and ears on the streets. They take notes and communicate about opportunities we have to improve.

This morning, I read an article about community policing and the City's southwest: http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/community-policing-to-be-tested-in-lancaster-s-southwest-neighborhood/article_8511bc48-bcc4-11e6-a607-ff043ac0b76e.html

While I believe that we have a good thing in our neighborhood, there is certainly room for improvement.

Over the past two years, we held meetings that introduced neighbors to our sector officers and others who are invested in making our part of the city a safer place. While I will be the first to admit that I forgot my sector officer's name, I value their presence in our neighborhood no less. I look forward to reconnecting with our sector officers and hope that our ongoing efforts will include them. 

2) We planted street trees. Our efforts received media attention and the rest of the city watched as we transformed our streetscape. We are literally breathing a little easier as new trees are making our part of the city a greener place. 

3) We cleaned up our neighborhood. It started with a handful of neighbors each taking an empty plastic bag with them during their daily walk to pick up litter along the way. Our efforts grew to include formally adopting a block with the purpose of cleaning litter at least four times a year. As more neighbors step forward, we hope that every block in our neighborhood will be adopted by Spring 2017. We are making our part of the city a cleaner place.

4) We hosted two very successful National Night Out block parties. By providing a venue for neighbors to reconnect with each other, the police, first responders, and elected officials, the neighborhood seems a little smaller. Caring people and social services were introduced. People were given an opportunity to celebrate their community.

It is no secret that we are experiencing positive change in our neighborhood thanks to the relationship we have with the City of Lancaster, the Lancaster City Alliance, and our neighborhood business partners.

I look ahead at all that the #BuildingonStrength Master Plan promises. I support the vision for a revitalized gateway to the City through our northeast neighborhood and especially along the New Holland Ave corridor. We have the incredible opportunity to build the kind of place we want for us and future generations. I am glad to be working for the good of our community alongside each of you! 

- Andrew Whalen, Co-Chair Neighbors United

National Night Out 2016 was a huge success! Each year, we rely upon many volunteers for their time and sponsors for their donations. Thanks to our neighbors and Turkey Hill, we had more than enough hot dogs, snacks and ice cold Haymakers for everyone -- no one left hungry! Thanks to Christ House, we had games for all ages.  Thanks to Tim at 30 West Entertainment and Music for Everyone's Ukulele Uprising, we had musical entertainment all evening. Thanks to our Hometown Heroes, the Lancaster Police and Fire, we had a reason to get together in solidarity and celebrate community. 

Our neighbors knocked on doors and were able to bring to the party some amazing donations for door prizes and our raffle. We would like to thank the many local businesses and individuals who donated to our raffle: 

Earlier this week, we shared with our online community some great news about the Safer, Greener, Cleaner fundraiser:

Our announcement generated a lot of buzz and LNP was the first to pick up the story! 
​
To view the LNP article, please visit: http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/bike-patrols-coming-to-lancaster-s-northeast-neighborhood/article_6b803452-4871-11e6-bc41-6fb59ad77d0e.html