{"id":61268,"date":"2022-11-18T15:12:06","date_gmt":"2022-11-18T21:12:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/?post_type=newsroom&#038;p=61268"},"modified":"2024-09-12T09:42:33","modified_gmt":"2024-09-12T14:42:33","slug":"alaska-community-neighborhood-park-mebb-community-grant-anchorage","status":"publish","type":"newsroom","link":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/newsroom\/people-culture\/alaska-community-neighborhood-park-mebb-community-grant-anchorage\/","title":{"rendered":"Alaska Community Revitalizes Neighborhood Park with Support from H&#038;R Block\u2019s Make Every Block Better Grant"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/\">H&amp;R Block<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/nextdoor.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Nextdoor<\/a><\/em> <em>have partnered to Make Every Block Better in communities across the United States. Now in its third year, the partnership allows community members to nominate projects that uplift and improve their neighborhood and give people a place to connect. Read below to learn how Make Every Block Better funds made an impact in Anchorage, Alaska and visit the partnership <a href=\"https:\/\/hrbnextdoor.com\/\">website<\/a> to learn about the 30 other projects spanning the nation.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Make Every Block Better | Wilson Park Renovation in Anchorage, Alaska | H&amp;R Block\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/64kG8itnxuw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Access to nature is vital for cultivating community relaxation and recreation. City parks are key resource that provide these opportunities. They give families and young adults a safe place to play and seniors an accessible location to soak in nature.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/P1133739-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-61274\" width=\"256\" height=\"144\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/P1133739-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/P1133739-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/P1133739-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/P1133739-1600x900.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/P1133739-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/P1133739-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 256px) 100vw, 256px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>But this wasn\u2019t the reality for Wilson Street Park in Anchorage, Alaska. The passage of time had rendered the greenspace uninviting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The goal: Breathe new life into the park with a community-led renovation project that would revitalize the area and give neighbors a great place to visit and gather as a community, especially after the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The project\u2019s largest hurdle was funding. Like many cities, the Anchorage Parks and Recreation Department\u2019s resources are extremely limited. <a href=\"https:\/\/hrbnextdoor.com\/\">H&amp;R Block&#8217;s Make Every Block Better<\/a> program, in partnership with Nextdoor, offered a funding opportunity that provided the glimmer of hope needed to push forward. Ultimately, Wilson Street Park was one of just 11 community projects submitted by neighbors from across the U.S. chosen to receive funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Community member and project champion Lindsey Hajduk knew the area locals would greatly benefit from the park&#8217;s beautification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI want people to see that we care about this park,\u201d she emphasized.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/P1133601-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-61273\" width=\"256\" height=\"144\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/P1133601-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/P1133601-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/P1133601-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/P1133601-1600x900.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/P1133601-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/P1133601-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 256px) 100vw, 256px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>After receiving the grant, dozens of residents, H&amp;R Block volunteers, and Nextdoor team members kickstarted the park&#8217;s rehabilitation to bring beauty to the worn and graffitied park. They planted native flowers, painted a shelter, refashioned picnic tables, and spread wood chips under the existing playground to create an area that will foster new memories for the community for years to come. Now, Wilson Street Park is an inviting, open space with joyful playgrounds, a freshly painted shelter, and safe walking paths away from high-traffic roads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis project kicked things off and encourages my neighbors and me to continue to do more to make the park a welcoming space for youth and other residents,\u201d said Hajduk. \u201cHaving the support of national partners and our local Parks &amp; Rec makes our community feel less alone and more capable of making a positive difference for the neighborhood. We thank H&amp;R Block and Nextdoor for the opportunity to bring some resources and support to our street!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/HR-Block-Logo-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"The green H&amp;R Block square with dark grey &quot;H&amp;R Block&quot; text to the right\" class=\"wp-image-60842\" width=\"256\" height=\"144\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/HR-Block-Logo-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/HR-Block-Logo-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/HR-Block-Logo-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/HR-Block-Logo-1600x900.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/HR-Block-Logo-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/HR-Block-Logo-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 256px) 100vw, 256px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>H&amp;R Block and Nextdoor have partnered to Make Every Block Better in communities across the United States. Now in its third year, the partnership allows community members to nominate projects that uplift and improve their neighborhood and give people a place to connect. Read below to learn how Make Every Block Better funds made an [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":406,"featured_media":61271,"menu_order":0,"template":"","tags":[19308],"news-categories":[23336],"class_list":["post-61268","newsroom","type-newsroom","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-make-every-block-better","news-categories-people-culture"],"acf":{"post_rest_thumbnail_alt_id":""},"yoast_head":"<title>Alaska Community Revitalizes Neighborhood Park with Grant | H&amp;R Block Newsroom<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Anchorage&#039;s community project one of 11 chosen from submissions nationwide to improve the spaces and places where neighbors connect.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/newsroom\/people-culture\/alaska-community-neighborhood-park-mebb-community-grant-anchorage\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Alaska Community Revitalizes Neighborhood Park with Support from H&amp;R Block\u2019s Make Every Block Better Grant\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Anchorage&#039;s community project one of 11 chosen from submissions nationwide to improve the spaces and places where neighbors connect.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/newsroom\/people-culture\/alaska-community-neighborhood-park-mebb-community-grant-anchorage\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"H&amp;R Block\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/hrblock\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Nextdoor-Anchorage-AK-Newsroom-Thumbnail.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"319\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"145\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@hrblock\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/resource-center.hrblock.com\\\/newsroom\\\/people-culture\\\/alaska-community-neighborhood-park-mebb-community-grant-anchorage\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/resource-center.hrblock.com\\\/newsroom\\\/people-culture\\\/alaska-community-neighborhood-park-mebb-community-grant-anchorage\\\/\",\"name\":\"Alaska Community Revitalizes Neighborhood Park with Grant | H&R Block Newsroom\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/resource-center.hrblock.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/resource-center.hrblock.com\\\/newsroom\\\/people-culture\\\/alaska-community-neighborhood-park-mebb-community-grant-anchorage\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/resource-center.hrblock.com\\\/newsroom\\\/people-culture\\\/alaska-community-neighborhood-park-mebb-community-grant-anchorage\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/resource-center.hrblock.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/11\\\/Nextdoor-Anchorage-AK-Newsroom-Thumbnail.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-11-18T21:12:06+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-09-12T14:42:33+00:00\",\"description\":\"Anchorage's community project one of 11 chosen from submissions nationwide to improve the spaces and places where neighbors connect.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/resource-center.hrblock.com\\\/newsroom\\\/people-culture\\\/alaska-community-neighborhood-park-mebb-community-grant-anchorage\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/resource-center.hrblock.com\\\/newsroom\\\/people-culture\\\/alaska-community-neighborhood-park-mebb-community-grant-anchorage\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/resource-center.hrblock.com\\\/newsroom\\\/people-culture\\\/alaska-community-neighborhood-park-mebb-community-grant-anchorage\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/resource-center.hrblock.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/11\\\/Nextdoor-Anchorage-AK-Newsroom-Thumbnail.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/resource-center.hrblock.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/11\\\/Nextdoor-Anchorage-AK-Newsroom-Thumbnail.png\",\"width\":319,\"height\":145},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/resource-center.hrblock.com\\\/newsroom\\\/people-culture\\\/alaska-community-neighborhood-park-mebb-community-grant-anchorage\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/resource-center.hrblock.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Newsroom Articles\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/resource-center.hrblock.com\\\/newsroom\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Alaska Community Revitalizes Neighborhood Park with Support from H&#038;R Block\u2019s Make Every Block Better Grant\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/resource-center.hrblock.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/resource-center.hrblock.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"H&amp;R Block\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/resource-center.hrblock.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Alaska Community Revitalizes Neighborhood Park with Grant | H&R Block Newsroom","description":"Anchorage's community project one of 11 chosen from submissions nationwide to improve the spaces and places where neighbors connect.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/newsroom\/people-culture\/alaska-community-neighborhood-park-mebb-community-grant-anchorage\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Alaska Community Revitalizes Neighborhood Park with Support from H&R Block\u2019s Make Every Block Better Grant","og_description":"Anchorage's community project one of 11 chosen from submissions nationwide to improve the spaces and places where neighbors connect.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/newsroom\/people-culture\/alaska-community-neighborhood-park-mebb-community-grant-anchorage\/","og_site_name":"H&amp;R Block","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/hrblock","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Nextdoor-Anchorage-AK-Newsroom-Thumbnail.png","width":319,"height":145,"type":"image\/png"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@hrblock","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/newsroom\/people-culture\/alaska-community-neighborhood-park-mebb-community-grant-anchorage\/","url":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/newsroom\/people-culture\/alaska-community-neighborhood-park-mebb-community-grant-anchorage\/","name":"Alaska Community Revitalizes Neighborhood Park with Grant | H&R Block Newsroom","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/newsroom\/people-culture\/alaska-community-neighborhood-park-mebb-community-grant-anchorage\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/newsroom\/people-culture\/alaska-community-neighborhood-park-mebb-community-grant-anchorage\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Nextdoor-Anchorage-AK-Newsroom-Thumbnail.png","datePublished":"2022-11-18T21:12:06+00:00","dateModified":"2024-09-12T14:42:33+00:00","description":"Anchorage's community project one of 11 chosen from submissions nationwide to improve the spaces and places where neighbors connect.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/newsroom\/people-culture\/alaska-community-neighborhood-park-mebb-community-grant-anchorage\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/newsroom\/people-culture\/alaska-community-neighborhood-park-mebb-community-grant-anchorage\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/newsroom\/people-culture\/alaska-community-neighborhood-park-mebb-community-grant-anchorage\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Nextdoor-Anchorage-AK-Newsroom-Thumbnail.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Nextdoor-Anchorage-AK-Newsroom-Thumbnail.png","width":319,"height":145},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/newsroom\/people-culture\/alaska-community-neighborhood-park-mebb-community-grant-anchorage\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Newsroom Articles","item":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/newsroom\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Alaska Community Revitalizes Neighborhood Park with Support from H&#038;R Block\u2019s Make Every Block Better Grant"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/","name":"H&amp;R Block","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newsroom\/61268","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newsroom"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/newsroom"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/406"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newsroom\/61268\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/61271"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61268"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61268"},{"taxonomy":"news-categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-categories?post=61268"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}