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NEAT is devoted to building indigenous participation and leadership from within the North End neighborhood. NEAT's goal is advocate for the interests of the North End.

Description:
NEAT has been the little engine that could, creating a neighborhood voice, identifying issues, building participation, developing indigenous leadership, convening process, and producing results. NEAT has developed a grassroots organization that represents the neighborhood's interests within the City of Middletown. The power of the collective voice generated by NEAT in areas including housing, public safety, children's issues, and leadership development has generated key infrastructural support from Wesleyan, the city, and the non-profit community.

History:
The North End Action Team (NEAT) was formed in l997 by residents of the North End of Middletown, CT in response to the expanding physical, economic, and social decay that threatened to erode neighborhood stability. Poverty, racism, joblessness, homelessness, blight, institutional, municipal, and indigenous apathy were conditions that contributed to both the fact and perception that the North End had higher crime, lower property values, disinvestment, and poor quality of life for its residents.

NEAT developed a structure from which advocacy on a variety of neighborhood concerns could take place and, along with Wesleyan U., conducted a charrette to assess the priorities and possible solutions envisioned to revitalize the neighborhood.

NEAT has focused on initiatives that include: 1) housing redevelopment, blight eradication, community policing, code enforcement, arts program development, a community garden, a partnership with Wesleyan U. to develop the Green Street Arts Center,and a youth mentoring program, among other initiatives to improve the quality of life within the North End

Contact people:

Izzi Greenberg, Community Organizer, (phone), (email) Lydia Brewster, Executive Director, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (860) 704-8533

Address:

Community Health Center Building, 33 Ferry Street, second floor Middletown, CT 06457 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.neatmiddletown.org

Directions:

From the North or South follow Route 9 to Middletown. Exit onto Route 66/ Washington Street. Take a right at the second stop light which is Main Street/Route 66 & 17. Again, take the first right which is. . . (more)   Nearest Bus Stop: Middletown Terminal, Middletown Area Transit, 10-15 minute walk