Knowledge Base

1. What does BONDS stand for? Building Our Neighborhoods for Development and Success

    

2. How long has BONDS existed? BONDS has been in existence since 1996 (21 years).It was originally a program of the Central AL Community Foundation until 2009 when the City assumed the program.

    

3. Where in the city are you housed (physically and departmentally)? We are located at 25 Washington Ave.- 5^th Floor as a program of the City Services Department

    

4. How has the transition from non-profit to city government made a difference in services you provide? It hasn't affected the 'way we do business'.  We have been viewed as an advocate and a resource for neighborhoods and I think associations still view us as a resource and we strive to continually be a relevant resource.  The program has not lost any of its primary functions. The program may have gained more credibility to some of our newcomers with the city of Montgomery's name in the official title, but to those who have always known us; I think we are still the same BONDS with a few tweaks here and there.

    

5. What services do you provide? We offer training- leadership and resource; networking opportunities; a neighborhood resource center with a number of services there; grants; and various community events and workshops throughout the year.

    

6. How many neighborhoods does BONDS serve? we've identified over 200 as actual resident lead groups to include associations, HOAs, neighborhood watch groups, etc.  We touch about 500+ people or so regularly with our resources in some form, and provide over 90 or so associations on a monthly basis our services.

    

7. What is your service area? We serve the entire Montgomery County

    

8. What impact is BONDS making in the community? Because our work is quantitative, it's somewhat difficult to measure impact, but we know we've been instrumental in assisting with establishing new associations and putting the pieces in place to establish the needed infrastructure, we've encouraged and prepared individuals to develop relationships with their elected officials, we've also encouraged and prepared them to attend the public meetings such as City Council and County Commission Meetings, etc. We demonstrated the importance of networking, we've encouraged some “out of the box” thinking, etc.  we have provided real savings for many with the copying service through the resource center.  The list goes on, but to answer the question... It's been a positive impact on the community and in a number of ways from developing the people to providing assistance for programs and projects, to being a sounding board.

    

9. How much money did BONDS allocate in grants for 2017? $35,000

    

10. What type of workshops does BONDS host? They vary, the topics are determined by a few factors; there are some things that are standard need to know when working with neighborhoods, the Housing Codes Process, MPD, planning.  Those are pretty standard; next are topics that are new, but still very necessary in the work of neighborhoods; such as clean energy and sustainability; and lastly, we get ideas from what we're hearing from the communities via email, phone conversation, etc. such as what should I do about the stray dogs that are terrorizing our neighborhood, how can I encourage attendance at my meetings, etc.We cover the gamut from housing codes to neighborhood curb appeal and everything in between.

     

11. How does BONDS reach its audience? With the use of Facebook, email, newsletters, email blast, the city's webpage, county’s webpage the next door app, neighborhood newsletters, and any other means available to us at the time

     

12. Does BONDS speak to neighborhood groups? yes, we will come out per request.

     

13. Does BONDS work with neighborhood watch group? Yes, we work closely with neighborhood watch through MPD to provide the same resources to watch groups as we would to an association.

     

14. What are some examples of projects BONDS has funded through the grants process? Neighborhood entrance signs and lettering, National Night Out Events, Back to school programs, school tutoring programs coordinated through the neighborhood association, youth field trips, service day projects, beautification/cleanup and community outings, etc.

     

     

15. How often does BONDS meet?We meet monthly with our Gathering of Neighborhoods networking meeting and we offer a monthly training sessions and other resource trainings as needed or requested.

Additional Talking Points:

GON- 3^rd Tuesday at 12 noon- Vaughn Park Church of Christ (3800 Vaughn Road)

The Networking opportunity is wonderful and we need to utilize it to the fullest; so come meet your neighbors and find out what this great city has to offer.