What Would You Fix on Your Block? These Dallas Residents Got the Chance with New Grants

Mr. Rogers was fond of reminding us that when times are tough, it is important to look for the helpers. “You will always find people who are helping,” he would say. Well this past Friday, it was easy to find the helpers. They were in the Flag Room at Dallas City Hall receiving $1,500 Love Your Block mini-grants to improve their respective neighborhoods.

The City of Dallas and Keep Dallas Beautiful, in partnership with the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University received $100,000 to support mini-grants for community-led revitalization projects. This is the first year that Dallas has participated in the Love Your Block program.

Mini-grant projects ranged from creating community gardens, installing a lending library at a neighborhood park for children, and repainting street numbers.

“It’s a privilege to stand here today with the 2025 Love Your Block grant recipients,” said Keaira English, the city lead for the Love Your Block program. “You are the heart of this program, the first of this program and the driving force behind real, meaningful change in our communities.”

Simple Question Brings Inspiration

According to the Love Your Block website, “cities participating in Love Your Block were able to strengthen social cohesion among residents, increase civic participation, and build stronger relationships with community members, leading to greater trust in local government.”

“Through this program we asked residents a simple but powerful question,” English said. “What does your community need and every time the answer inspired us.”

Children in the Woods Sugarberry neighborhood will be getting a new lending library thanks to Dr. Anita Waters, Dr. Jessica Lightbourne and the neighborhood association completing the application process and being selected.

“This gives us an opportunity to do a project we wanted to do but didn’t have the money,” Waters said. The goal behind their grant application was to expand literacy. The lending library will be placed in the community park where neighborhood children gather to play.

“This gives us the funding to do that,” Waters said.

The Sunny South Community Garden will be getting some needed improvements.

“We are going to create some signage and a gravel pathway into the garden,” Sharon Steele said. “This will help us beautify the garden and to let everyone know we are here. We are in South Dallas by the historic Fair Park.”

One Love Your Block Grant to Bring Awareness

The Junius Heights Historic District will use their mini-grant funds to create a mural that will feature the 707, a streetcar that served Dallas residents at the turn of the century. The mural will also feature vintage streetcar advertisements, fare tokens, a map of the original trolley line and a conductor, said Brian Jackson, local artist and Junius Heights resident. 

“This mural is not just about honoring our past—it’s a call to action,” Jackson said. 

The largest historic district in Dallas, Junius Heights residents are trying to find a permanent home for the 707 which was rescued from the Old Spaghetti Warehouse in the West End District before the building was demolished.

Though much of the funding for its restoration is already in place, Jackson said, progress has stalled until a suitable indoor facility can be secured to house the street car during and after restoration.

“We need to find a 707 a home. Without a space to restore and protect it, we risk losing a unique piece of Dallas history. The mural is a way to rally the neighborhood and beyond,” he said.

“Today is about you, our residents, artists, volunteers,” said Chris Christian, director of Code Enforcement. “These projects reflect the soul of our city. We look forward to celebrating your successes.”

Mr. Rogers couldn’t have said it any better.