Over 40 Years of CNA, Over 100 Years of Creston Community Organizing By Gabe Savercool You can thank Briggs Park for the Creston Neighborhood Association you know today. As many locals know, Briggs Park and Pool is a treasure to the neighborhood, especially during the hot summers. Over forty years ago, that treasure was … Read more
Catherine’s Health Center: Community Care for Creston Residents Adapted by Alex Valentine with permission from Catherine’s Health Center, www.catherineshc.org In 1993, Creston Neighborhood made preventative health care a top priority as concerns about access to health care continued to arise in the neighborhood. With support from St. Mary’s Health Services and Neighbors of Belknap Lookout, … Read more
I live in Creston? Connecting Neighborhoods, Connecting Neighbors By Gabe Savercool The Creston Neighborhood Association (CNA) serves a neighborhood of over 27,000 residents, multiple business districts, more than 2 dozen churches, and almost 400 acres of parks. Historically, many of these residents attended neighborhood schools and graduated together from Creston High School. They voted in … Read more
Carrier Crest Apartments Provide Affordable Housing since 1992 By Alex Valentine Creating stable and affordable housing has always been a high priority for the Creston Neighborhood Association (CNA). In the 1980s, CNA’s Housing Committee saw the need for affordable senior housing and crafted a plan to purchase and rehabilitate the former St. Alphonsus convent … Read more
Saved by the VanBelkum: How passionate neighbors saved a community institution By Gabe Savercool Creston has a rich history of neighbors fighting together to create and preserve key community resources.This tradition dates back to 1906, when the Creston Citizens’ Association, a group of local businesspeople and civic leaders, was formed with a key goal … Read more
LInvesting in Creston: Community Financial Services BLOOM over time By Alex Valentine In 1996, the Plainfield branch of the Old Kent bank closed, leaving the Creston community with only one full-service banking option, NBD Bank (now Bank One). Soon after, the Creston Neighborhood Association (CNA) got word that NBD Bank would too close its doors … Read more
A Sweet Place for a Park By Gabe Savercool The Sweet Street Park was built in 1972 as part of the expansion of Creston High School in the 1970s. By the mid 2000s, the park was in disrepair, as the playground equipment had not been improved or upgraded in over 20 years. In 2006, … Read more
Urban Orchard Takes Root in Creston By Amanda St. Amour The Living Green in Creston (LGC) committee started as a conversation group about topics surrounding permaculture, recycling and energy efficiency. The group has embraced several movements in order to promote environmental health and awareness in the community. As a result of the recession, the City … Read more
Underground Infrastructure Makes Creston Friendlier, More Sustainable, Greener By Gabe Savercool At times, the work of Creston neighbors through CNA’s community organizing may go unobserved by the public. But these underground efforts to improve the neighborhood can be just as important as the other, more noticeable projects. One such project is the creation of … Read more
