Dave Mingus, Executive Director
Neighborhood House was founded as a settlement house. It began with a church service led by Mr. William H. Coleman with the backing of the Congregational Missionary Society in Peoria sometime in September of 1896. You may wonder what was a settlement house. A settlement house was a facility where poor immigrants could find refuge and receive many of the necessities one needs. The Settlement House received a boost in 1899 when two students from Bradley Polytechnic Institute began a class for area residents in fret wood sawing. Bradley faculty were instrumental in the development of training programs for a majority of residents who were born in a foreign country or had foreign parentage. A 1910 census report showed that 2/3 of the residents in the Eighth Ward (in the South Side) were either foreign born or of foreign parentage. Immigrants speaking fourteen different languages had settled in this area to find their freedom and fortune. Needless to say, most of these immigrants could not speak English and were not prepared to enter the American culture.
Mary Pauline Wright, author of The History of Neighborhood House, best characterized the services at that time. She wrote about the great need to help the Eastern Europeans to realize a better way of living, giving them a start toward citizenship in their adopted country, and learning to speak and understand English.
Neighborhood House will continue to provide the core comprehensive services that began in 1896. We will remain in constant communication with our citizens, service recipients, and community leaders. We have the unique ability to continually assess the needs of the community and to promptly initiate specialized comprehensive programs to meet identified needs.
Our accomplishments are only through the generosity of the you and our funding agents. Thank you for supporting Neighborhood House. Thank you for your prayers, your volunteerism, and your gifts. Thanks to you, the community, Neighborhood House celebrates 113 years of "helping people help themselves.
Look what we have accomplished with your help!
Dave
Meals on Wheels
- 102,157 meals prepared and delivered
- 72,460 units of social contact
- 17,617 educational materials provided
- 11,161 newspapers delivered
Tazwell Catering
- 4,516 meals prepared and delivered (Sept-Dec 08)
Critter Meals on Wheels
- 60 pets received food
Emergency Food Pantry
- 50 meals provided to families
Infant, Toddler, Early Childhood & Youth Education
- 12,674 snacks prepared and served
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12,904 lunches prepared and served
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11,991 breakfasts prepared and served
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244 days of care
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170 children served
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105 latchkey students
Program Hope
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15 youth tutored during the school year
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15 youth involved in recreation
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15 youth taught social skills
Infant Assistance
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522 meals provided through baby food & formula
Over 55 & Having Fun
- 450 men and women served monthly
- 14 transportation trips provided monthly
- 1 health/blood pressure screening monthly
- 3 field trips monthly
- 2 exercise glasses monthly
- 13,659 papers rolled for the animal shelter since ’06
Counseling is available through an on-site counselor to provide emergency services.
Referral Services provide information to residents for services to other agencies, when needed.
Facility Rental provides a place for residents to utilize the community center for wedding receptions, baby showers, birthday parties, graduation parties and more. We are a polling place for residents of Precinct #3. At regular intervals, community members can receive preventative health services such as blood pressure screening, cholesterol testing, and bone density testing. Additionally, a state of the art medical clinic (Heartland Community Health Clinic) is located across the street. A clinic is also located in the Neighborhood House facility. We are a meeting place for Alcoholics Anonymous. Residents meet and plan neighborhood clean-ups and other projects to improve the area. We are a meeting place for Olde Towne South Residents.
