Hand-delivered to the residents immediately surrounding Allen Neighborhood Center, and available for pick-up directly in the office, our quarterly newsletter, The Eastside Neighbor, presents information about events in the community as a calendar every three months. The Eastside Neighbor archive can be found here.
January 2024
Welcome to 2024, ANC’s 25th year serving the Eastside! I’d like to give a warm thank you to the hundreds of community leaders who volunteered with us in 2023 (many of whom will continue to serve in 2024), and the generous donors who contributed to our mission, making our work possible.
We started the year off strong with the Eastside Book Club meeting on January 8th, to discuss “Arsenic and Adobo,” a “killer” start to a new culinary series full of sharp humor and delectable dishes. Don’t worry if you didn’t get a chance to make it – we will meet on the second Monday of each month at 6:00 PM; our next book will be “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer
We will have many other wonderful events this winter: Hunter Park GardenHouse’s 2024 Workshop Series (see page 2), the Farmers Market every Wednesday from 3:00-6:30 PM, the Senior Discovery Group every Wednesday from 10:00-11:30 AM, and Dine & Discovery Workshops (page 3).
We also offer many support services, such as BreadBasket Food Pantry every Monday from 1:00-4:00 PM, free car seat checks, help signing up for food stamps and Medicaid, and much more.
August 2023
What an exciting past few months we’ve had in our community! The Eastside has been blessed with many new art installations that make our community more beautiful and a better place to live. We recently dedicated the new Mother Tree statue in Hunter Park, built new artistic bike racks along Kalamazoo St, and saw a new mural on the Bike Co-Op. Additionally, we are thrilled to be expanding our own mural on the building’s east side!
The celebrations as each project has been unveiled continue to remind us how joyous it is to come together in community, and we are adding to it by hosting a community block party! On Friday, September 15th from 4-7pm, we are hosting our end-of-summer gala, ‘Celebrating the Eastside: A Neighborhood Block Party.’ We will provide food and drinks, and a presentation will start at 5:00 pm. This event is free to attend, though donations are welcome!
We will be providing many other opportunities to build community and connect with our neighbors, from our Fall Veggie Box to our Breadbasket Food Pantry, our Farmers Market starting a new season, and our Hunter Park GardenHouse Community Potlucks.
May 2023
I would like to say that Spring is officially here, but as I look out my office window I see snow falling. Nevertheless, we are in the thick of our Spring programming, excited to bring opportunities to connect and build community with our neighbors. From our Summer Veggie Box, to Market Walk starting up at Hunter Park, Allen Farmers Market moving outdoors and starting it’s 19th year in the neighborhood, and our GardenHouse Workshop Series and Community Potlucks, there are more opportunities than ever for our neighbors to connect, get active, and learn something new. Beyond our normal program updates, we have some exciting news to share about our team here at the Neighborhood Center!
Over the past 9 years, Denise Paquette has been the face of our Outreach Center. Many of you have engaged Denise’s assistance in enrolling in health insurance, accessing food assistance, connecting with resources, participating in our Senior Discovery Group, book clubs, workshops, and on and on. Denise announced her retirement in April and while she will certainly be missed, we are happy for her to have more time to create art and work on her cabin in the UP. Kat Logan, who has been with us in a variety of roles over the last decade, has been named ANC’s new Associate Director. In this role, she will oversee Outreach and Engagement (where she interned in 2013), and take on new duties related to staff development, program efficacy, and vision and strategy to the way we maintain alignment with the needs of our stakeholders.
January 2023
Hello! We hope that your 2023 is off to a good start. We’re busier than ever, planning tons of opportunities for all our neighbors to learn, engage, and build community together. Whether it’s learning how to make Peruvian Pollo Saltado with José from Tantay, buying your eggs from Jane at the Allen Farmers Market, sorting echinacea seeds from the GardenHouse, coloring a picture of arugula with the kids at Take Root Garden Club, picking up your spring Veggie Box, or discussing the contrasting characters in Colson Whitehead’s The Nickel Boys at Hot Topics Book Club, we have something for everyone!
August 2022
After a months-long search, we are delighted to announce that Joe Enerson has been selected as the second Executive Director of Allen Neighborhood Center!
Back in February, the board began engaging with staff and neighbors to learn what qualities would be important to them as the search for Joan’s successor began. The position was posted broadly and 41 people applied. Most were within the region, while some were from other parts of Michigan, and one was
from west of the Rockies!
Through a series of interviews, the field was narrowed to two final candidates whose interviews were videotaped and shared with the entire board and staff who then provided input to the selection committee. In late July, Joe was enthusiastically appointed as ANC’s Executive Director!
Our Communications and Volunteer Coordinator Zack Whaley sat down for a quick interview
with Joe to talk about his plans to continue and build upon ANC’s work. Go to bit.ly/ancvids to watch the full interview.
May 2022
The plants are blooming, the birds are chirping, and ANC is busier than ever.
This summer is shaping up to be one of the best yet here at Allen Neighborhood
Center. With the Allen Marketplace’s brand-new roof, we can finally close the book on the construction era at ANC. With the major renovations to the 1600 block of Kalamazoo St. finally finished, we’re looking forward to the return of the outdoor Allen Farmers Market to where it belongs, close to Allen St.
With the added space that being outdoors grants us, we’re able to offer an expanded line up of vendors. That means more locally made bread, sweet treats, mushrooms, herbs, pickles, cheese, coffee, kombucha, fruits, and veggies, not to mention freshly prepared Mexican, Korean, Nigerian, Eritrean/Ethiopian, and Peruvian meals! Add to that live performers, Market Festivals, and the occasional yard game and you’ve got yourself a block party.
We’ve been working hard all winter and spring to make sure that the Market is as accessible to every single neighbor who wants to attend so this year, we’ll be offering multiple ways to get to and from the Summer Market.
We will have dedicated parking lots (locatons on pg. 2) for Market patrons with your very own pedicab chauffeurs Hayley and David. You can even book your rides in advance at bit.ly/afmrides. We’ll be selling handy and stylish grocery totes for $5 to help our walking neighbors get their market goodies home safe
and sound. Plus, anyone walking to the Market can track their distance in the Pacer app and earn Market Tokens – check out bit.ly/marketwalk to learn how! We’ve even partnered with Lime to get electric scooters
September 2021
After years of planning and nearly two years of construction, Allen Place is about to open! Sometime this fall, ELFCO Food Co-op and an Ingham County Health Department Clinic will open their doors to customers and patients, respectively. ELFCO will serve as a small grocery, featuring the produce and food products of local farmers and producers, including many from our farmers market. The Clinic will offer medical care, behavioral health counseling, laboratory services and a pharmacy. Look for residents of our 21 apartments to move in during November. By the way, if you would like to receive an application to live here, contact Kim Fehrenbach of Michigan Asset Group at 517-897-5556 or KimR@miasset.com. Know that this is a mixed-income development, which means that some apartments are ‘income restricted’ and others are ‘market rate’, reflecting the mix of folks living on the Eastside. Kim can advise you on which you qualify for and how to complete the application.
People that live here will have easy access to all of ANC’s programs, e.g., the weekly, year-round Allen Farmers Market, educational gardening workshops at the Hunter Park GardenHouse, the weekly Senior Discovery Group (offering “pretty good coffee and great conversation” in gatherings led by speakers on a wide range of topics), our Youth Service Corps for teens, our community computer station in the Outreach Office where, by the way, our outreach staff can connect you to health, food, and other resources, cooking workshops in our Lake Trust Kitchen, the frequent pop-ups and movie nights offered in our Great Room, outdoor gathering spaces, and more.
We are truly grateful to the many people and organizations that have supported us, most especially Cinnaire Solutions (ourdevelopment partner), MI Community Capital, PNC, MEDC, many foundations, Ingham County Commissioners and Health
May 2021
Are you ready to get back to the people and activities you love? Your vaccination brings us one day closer to controlling the pandemic. The COVID-19 vaccine is now available to anyone over 16. Both the Ingham County Health Department(ICHD) and Sparrow have available clinic hours — some don’t even require an appointment.
ICHD can now give the vaccine to any Michigan resident. The expansion in eligibility is made possible due to personnel support from the Department of Defense through a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) program. With additional personnel, ICHD anticipates shifting from vaccinating 1,600 people per day to 3,000-4,000 people per day.
To make an appointment, visit: http://hd.ingham.org/coronavirus/r_1013.aspx or call the ANC Outreach Office forassistance in making an appointment at 517 999-3924.
Sparrow is now accepting walk-ins at their COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the former Sears department store in Frandor. No appointment is necessary. Walk-in openings are available while vaccine supplies last and are on a first-come, first-served basis. If they are unable to provide a vaccine, they’ll schedule an appointment for you to return.
Walk-in Hours are: Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Tuesday, Thursday: Noon to 5 p.m.; and Saturday: 11 a.m.to 3 p.m.
Please bring your state ID or driver’s license and insurance card if you have one. You will be asked if you already have ascheduled appointment. Registration can be completed faster if you pre-register with
your MySparrow account
.
February 2021
At Allen Neighborhood Center, we are starting the New Year sobered by the challenges and difficulties of 2020 but optimistic about what lies ahead. Given our focus on ‘essential services’, ANC remained open almost all of last year. We are grateful to the dedicated staff and volunteers who persevered in providing these services in wildly unpredictable times.
June 2020
January – April 2020
Happy new decade! 2020 promises to be exciting with the development of Allen Place, multi-use, mixed income development. We will be promoting the Census, our Farmers Market is every Wednesday 3 – 6:30 pm, and the Hot Chocolate Stroll is February 22. We hope to see you in the neighborhood!
January – April 2019
As we know, water helps digestion, facilitates removal of toxins and helps flush out bacteria. canterburymewscooperative.com commander viagra In this condition, getting canterburymewscooperative.com buy generic viagra an erection becomes a difficult task. It has the same dynamic solution and formula as the brand name medication and acts as adequately as Pfizer’s viagra for women uk . So set aside your prices for viagra appointment book for a day and go for a check-up.
2019 is off to a great start! This year in addition to our Hunter Park GardenHouse Workshops, we are also offering a variety of cooking classes. Market Moves is holding a Hot Chocolate Stroll, the Allen Farmers Market is every Wednesday from 3 – 6:30 pm and Summer Veggie Box is enrolling now!
January – April 2018
Happy 2018! We are beginning our new workshop series in January. Workshops for gardening and food/farm businesses as well! Market Moves continues until spring – a great way to keep you New Year’s resolutions. The Farmers Market is every Wednesday from 3 – 6:30 pm – a great time to eat fresh local winter produce, enjoy Stone Circle bread, and more!
January – April 2017
Cheers to 2017! We’re beginning the new year with new gardening workshops hosted in the Hunter Park GardenHouse with speakers on topics ranging from bee-keeping to seeding. The Farmers Market is still running from 3-6:30pm inside the Allen Market Place, so keep coming to visit and grab your teas and breads! We are also currently enrolling for the Veggie Box and Summer CSA, so read about enrolling and everything we offer from gardening to Senior Discovery Group presenters!
September – November 2016
Fall comes with our annual Farm to Table dinner taking place on September 30th at 5:30pm in the Allen Neighborhood Center, as well as an informational meeting on September 17th from 10am-12pm in the ANC about how to obtain a home improvement grant from the City of Lansing regarding lead or health and safety in the home. Don’t forget! Starting October 19th, the Farmer’s Market will be moved indoors, and will take place from 3:00-6:30pm.