ECHO Keeps Evelyn City Neighorhood Beautiful

Over the years, Evelyn City residents have implemented many strategies to make their collection of roughly 550 homes into a more pleasant community. These efforts have included neighborhood crime watch patrols, potluck parties and monthly street cleanups.

Their latest endeavor is Evelyn City Helping Others/Ourselves (ECHO).  About six months ago, Evelyn City resident Ray Reed grew tired of seeing dilapidated homes and rundown yards overtaking his neighborhood.

“When a neighborhood block starts deteriorating it invites prostitution, the homeless and drug activity,” Reed said.

To curb the encroachment of criminal activity he started cleaning up abandoned yards. After working alone for awhile, Reed posted a request for help on the Evelyn City Yahoo discussion board.

At his next cleanup, he was joined by Evelyn City Neighborhood Watch coordinator Susan Elbare and her fiancé Doug Hicks. Since then, the trio has made revitalizing unkempt yards a monthly activity and they have added more volunteers to their ranks.

“You don’t want to look across the street and see something overgrown and ugly, "Elbare said. “The houses look better, it cuts down on crime and it increases the value of the neighborhood."

On Saturday, about a dozen volunteers met at 8 a.m. at the vacant Mediterranean style home at 915 E. Sligh Ave. The group had five homes on its agenda for the day. They were joined by two volunteers from the Anthony Bonet and Matt Adams.

Adams, who grew up in the neighborhood, saw the volunteer opportunity posted when he headed into work that morning. He said he was glad to sacrifice his Saturday morning to help improve his old neighborhood.

“There is no sense in complaining if you don’t do anything to fix it,” Adams said. “It just makes you feel better when you’re helping someone out.”

Elbare describes ECHO as being in its “infancy” but said their processes are becoming more streamlined each month. The group plans on performing lawn maintenance on one specified Saturday of each month and expanding their reach to the homes of people who need assistance maintaining their properties, such as the disabled or the elderly.

Recently, Elbare applied for a $1,500 grant for new equipment so volunteers won’t have to use up and wear out their own yard tools. If ECHO receives the grant, Home Depot will provide ECHO with a 10 percent discount on supplies, she said.

In addition to beautifying Evelyn City, Elbare says ECHO creates a stronger sense of community in the neighborhood.

“Even though we’re a neighborhood, we don’t know everybody that lives in the neighborhood,” she said. “We meet new people, we get good exercise, and at the end of the time we see something completed."