Fort Wayne, Ind. -- Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry today congratulated residents of the Creighton-Home Neighborhood Association for their work in planning and installing rain gardens in their neighborhood.
As part of Leadership Fort Wayne's Best Practices Neighborhood Initiative, Creighton-Home residents attended workshops about ways to organize and improve their neighborhood. Creighton-Home then applied for and was awarded a $50,000 Community Development Block Grant to build the rain gardens.
"I applaud Creighton-Home residents for collaborating with each other and City government to address issues of standing water and alley flooding," said Mayor Henry. "This is yet another example of the strength of our neighborhoods. We have residents who are willing to roll up their sleeves and really make a difference in our community."
Neighbors worked closely with City staff throughout the process, setting goals and measuring accomplishments. They recruited volunteers, asked businesses for support and met with landscape architects and contractors. The resulting rain gardens will help minimize alley flooding and the debris that the flooding leaves behind. They will also help to remove pollutants from rain water that flows into the City's storm sewers and help prevent sewer backups during heavy rainfalls.
"We've learned a great deal throughout the planning and implementation of this project," said Darrell Kindschy, president, Creighton-Home Neighborhood Association. "We'll be able to use the lessons we've learned to help us build a stronger neighborhood that provides a great quality of life for residents."
For more information about the City's rain garden program, go to www.CatchingRainFW.org.