What is BRIGHTEN?
BRIGHTEN is a grassroots initiative to address housing and zoning code violations with the help of neighbors and the larger community.

What is BRIGHTEN all about?
Neighborhood Safety
Neighborhood Pride
Neighborhood Relationships

Past BRIGHTEN Events

VISTAs Clean Wellington Heights Neighborhood

Saturday May 1, 2010, the new season of BRIGHTEN kicked off in the Wellington Heights neighborhood. BRIGHTEN is a Weed and Seed initiative that strives to restore houses while encouraging neighbors to beautify their own homes. Twenty-three VISTA members and 17 community volunteers were busy removing 77 bags worth of garbage from the neighborhood. Collectively the volunteers totaled over 500 hours of donated time, and due to their efforts the neighborhood was instantly brightened and cleaner. However, that is not all they accomplished that day, a small group of VISTAs prepared a house to be repainted by scraping off the old paint. A few others also completed some yard work including mowing a house. The day was a great start to the new season of BRIGHTEN, which has three upcoming BRIGHTEN days this summer.

Hawkeyes Arrive to Help

BRIGHTEN received an Iowan celebrity boost on the weekend of May 15, 2010 when the Iowa Hawkeyes’ arrive in Cedar Rapids to volunteer. About 20 team members arrived to participate in an annual Hawkeye’s leadership training, which involved the three work days for BRIGHTEN. Over 30 people including VISTAs, team members, coaches and support staff spent the three days painting three homes and a garage in both the Wellington Heights and Oakhill Jackson Neighborhoods. They used over 20 gallons of paint and acquired over 540 hours of volunteer service for the community. In just the weekend their effort instantly improved the lives of a few homeowners and greatly impacted the Cedar Rapids neighborhoods.

Photos From Past BRIGHTEN Projects