Seeing neighbors flourish is a vision that is too big for one organization. It takes partnerships and close collaboration.
That’s why the Neighborhood Engagement team has been getting to know the organizations and service providers in South Atlanta and its surrounding neighborhoods, which is known in more official circles at NPU-Y.
Let’s dive into why this matters for removing barriers to opportunity that affect many neighborhoods.
First things first: What is an NPU and an NPU Service Provider?
Neighborhood Planning Units (or NPUs) “are the official avenue for residents to express concerns and provide input in developing plans to address the needs of each neighborhood, as well as to receive updates from City government,” according to the City of Atlanta. What this means is that the NPU is often the official channel for residents to tell the City Government what they want for their neighborhood.
For years, FCS has been grateful to have connections to NPU-Y, mostly via neighbors who have championed its voice like board member Chris McCord. We’ve always worked closely with the NPU and the people who serve its people. Yet over the last year, the Neighborhood Engagement team has worked to connect more deeply with the fellow organizations and partners who are working to see the NPU-Y footprint flourish.
Partners that FCS currently collaborates with via the NPU Service providers meeting include:
•Purpose Built Schools Atlanta
•COR
•Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation
•Blueprint58
•Local business owners
•Local churches
•And more!
This diverse set of partners offers a unique perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing neighbors in the NPU-Y footprint.
Neighborhood Engagement and NPUs Align on Mission
For years, a group of service providers in NPU-Y would meet up every six months. “It looks at everyone who is serving the Thomas Price Elementary Enrollment Zone or the Carver Cluster,” explains Pamela Stringfield, Director of Neighborhood Engagement. Then a couple of years ago, the group moved to a quarterly meeting.
“Typically, we would share what was going on with one another. We’d meet for thirty minutes, swap flyers and information. Over time, we started to notice that sometimes we were offering similar events or resources. Then, in 2023 I got a wild idea,” she says. Pamela saw an opportunity to work smarter together. But it would take a paradigm shift. Pamela proposed to the group: what if they “saw each other not as more than partners, but as extensions of our teams’ capacity?”. She continues, “Instead of saying, ‘Good job over there,’ I asked if we could more proactively coordinate our efforts to amplify each other.”
The group was on board. In 2024, they began meeting each month.
How deeper collaboration drives more effective partnership with neighbors
“We already know that people live integrated lives. To support education, you have to think about housing, food access, mental health, etc. We knew that walking in. Meeting together more regularly in a deeper way is helping us to compare notes of what neighbors are saying and to understand the best order of how to move,” Pamela says.
One clear priority that has come out from their early meetings: supporting neighbors’ mental health. The NPU service providers group worked together to understand what resources were available to neighbors, what neighbors were asking for in addition to those, and whether the resources available were actually accessible.
“It’s not enough to have a resource. You have to make sure people have a viable pathway to get to it,” Pamela explains. She notes that traditional counseling can be hard to get to without transportation or childcare. Financial strain can take a toll on mental health. And of course, the stigma around seeking out counseling can be strong for everyone. “We don’t have all the answers, but now we are asking the question together. We are finding ways to take a bite out of a complex challenge. That makes a difference,” Pamela says. After mental health, the group has identified nine other focus areas they want to “take a bite out of” alongside neighbors.
Along the way, the group is continuously looking for ways to pull neighbors and more partners in closer. “At every meeting, we ask ‘who isn’t here? Who is missing from this table?’” Pamela says. The hope is that the group will continue to grow in rootedness and perspectives.
Future Impact
Together, we can do the long, hard work of reweaving the fabric of these neighborhoods so they are places of opportunity, access, and belonging. This deeper collaboration among the NPU-Y service providers is one way we are doing that. We are grateful for every organization and neighbor who has lent their voice. Together, we can see neighbors flourish. Thank you for being on the journey with us and the Neighborhood Engagement team.
