O.N.D. Mission Statement

The Office of Neighborhood Development (OND) is the newest office of the City of Reading. It began in 2004 as one of four major efforts of Mayor Thomas McMahon’s commitment to reduce crime, cultivate economic growth, balance the budget, and rebuild neighborhoods in the City of Reading.

Rebuilding neighborhoods in Reading is a quality of life initiative to empower and enable residents to bring about changes in their own communities. It is not a brick and mortar effort. (That is the role of the Community Development Office.) The OND seeks to assist neighborhood organizations (NOs) in identifying and solving problems that affect residents in their daily lives. Areas of focus include crime and gang activity, litter and trash, graffiti, abandoned cars and properties and other codes violations. Programs include neighborhood litter cleanups, alley and abandoned lot debris/trash removal, crime watches, youth mentoring/activities, park and playground mural painting, small business development, community parties and various social activities.

Efforts to rebuild neighborhoods are as different and individual as each neighborhood. The projects that are adopted are determined by the leadership from each neighborhood organization. Leaders are elected at NO meetings that are usually held each month during the non-winter months. These leaders meet monthly with other leaders from around the city at the Council of Neighborhoods. At this meeting ideas from the OND, other city offices, as well as other NO leaders are discussed for application across the city.

Volunteers are the key to the success of neighborhood rebuilding. The OND provides opportunities for individuals and organizations to get involved in this process. In the non-winter months the OND works with dozens of organizations and hundreds of persons that want to be a part of making a difference in the city. There are over twenty different activities that volunteers can be involved in.