An Engaging Neighborhood Conversation
Where we live influences nearly every aspect of our lives: the schools our children attend, the resources we have access to, and our sense of connection and belonging. That’s why strong neighborhoods are the foundation of a strong community.
On October 29, 2025, Foellinger Foundation hosted Neighborhood Conversation: An Evening with Seth Kaplan to reflect on the vital question: How can we come together as neighbors to strengthen our communities from within?
Keynote
Keynote speaker and author of Fragile Neighborhoods: Repairing American Society, One Zip Code at a Time, Seth Kaplan, shared powerful insights on the role neighborhoods play in shaping the health, resilience, safety, and opportunities of their residents. The presentation covered topics such as institutions and meeting places that enrich the community, opportunities to boost business and social micro-entrepreneurship, and ways to strengthen local social bonds, ultimately helping people transition from a fragile to a flourishing state. This framework mirrors our Independence Continuum, which demonstrates how our grantees move people from dependence, to independence, to interdependence.
Sarah Aubrey, President of the Broad River Neighborhood Association, attended the event and shared, “Seth Kaplan underscored that our biggest challenges—loneliness, mistrust, polarization—aren’t abstract issues, but symptoms of weakened local relationships and institutions. It’s not about politics or policy as much as it is about relationships—knowing your neighbors, having shared spaces, and rebuilding those local connections that used to be second nature. The reminder that ‘the health of a society determines the health of everything else’ has really stuck with me.”
“Seth did an excellent job explaining that focusing efforts on specific places, institutions, and people can produce more lasting results,” said Nikki Quintana, Executive Director of Fort Wayne Metro. “He highlighted the importance of working collaboratively with local leaders and residents to build genuine relationships that foster trust and progress over time. I plan to continue intentionally prioritizing community through neighborhood engagement and active support for local institutions.”
Panel Discussion
Following the keynote, Foellinger Foundation President and CEO Sarah Strimmenos moderated a panel discussion. The panelists included Seth Kaplan, Mayor Sharon Tucker from the City of Fort Wayne, Tamesha Fikes from MidWest America Federal Credit Union, and Javier Mondragon from Bridge of Grace. Click here to read their bios and learn more about how they champion opportunity in Allen County.
“I believe real change begins with open and honest conversations,” said Tamesha Fikes. “Our community has faced challenges that require not just resources, but understanding—understanding of what truly works for us. Being part of this dialogue allows me to listen, learn, and contribute ideas that can help stabilize our neighborhoods and create opportunities for all residents to thrive.”
Tamesha continued, “Events like this are important because they give us space to be transparent about both our successes and our struggles. They bring together voices that don’t always get heard—residents, community leaders, and organizations—so we can identify real solutions that fit the unique needs of our community.”
Sarah Aubrey added, “Engaging stakeholders means meeting people where they are, not where we wish they were. In any neighborhood—and especially one as diverse in so many ways as Broad River—it’s important to involve people with a wide range of perspectives.”
Steve McDaniel, Director of Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation, also attended the event. He said, “That means hosting those meetings in their neighborhoods. Use existing structures, such as churches, meeting places, and group events, to connect with these stakeholders. This will help ensure that decisions, projects, and policies are well-informed, broadly supported, and more sustainable in the long term. Ultimately, you are seeking better outcomes, smoother implementation, and stronger long-term relationships.”
“It was validating and made me proud of our progress so far,” said Sarah Aubrey. “The key is patience and repetition: recognizing that change is incremental, but every step builds the foundation for the next. When a panelist said, ‘Don't try to go from zero to ten, go from zero to one,’ lightbulbs went off!”
Event Partners
Thank you to our event partners: the City of Fort Wayne, the City of Fort Wayne Department of Neighborhoods, MidWest America Federal Credit Union, and Bridge of Grace Ministries!
“Bringing together different agencies is essential because no single organization can solve complex community challenges alone,” said Tamesha Fikes. “Each agency brings its own expertise—whether it’s housing, employment, health, or financial stability—and when we coordinate our efforts, we maximize our impact. Collaboration allows us to connect resources, reduce duplication, and present a united front dedicated to improving the quality of life for every resident.”
Resources for Neighborhoods
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The City of Fort Wayne’s Department of Neighborhoods launched Engage Fort Wayne to inform and connect residents to information that will help them create change in their neighborhoods.
In 2025, the City launched Neighborhood 101 Guides and Workshops to equip residents with tools and resources for community improvement. The workshops build on the guides, offering interactive, in-person learning led by City of Fort Wayne staff and community experts. These workshops are designed to help neighborhood leaders and residents take action on projects that improve their community.
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Neighborhood Engagement Grants
Managed by the City of Fort Wayne’s Department of Neighborhoods and funded by a Special Opportunity Grant from Foellinger Foundation, these grants support projects that connect residents and strengthen neighborhoods. They fund activities like block parties, educational workshops, neighborhood cleanups, and other community-building events.
In 2025, nine grants were awarded, with another round planned for 2026.
Neighborhood Improvement Grants
These grants empower neighborhood associations to propose and execute projects that enhance residents’ quality of life, with up to $5,000 available per project for improvements like placemaking, transit-oriented upgrades, landscaping, and neighborhood branding.
In 2025, 35 neighborhoods were awarded grants totaling over $166,000 to make their streets safer, more beautiful, and more livable.
Be on the lookout for upcoming grant opportunities! Find more information throughout the year at engage.CityOfFortWayne.org.
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In 2025, Mayor Sharon Tucker announced a special Connected Neighborhoods Initiative, which awarded two neighborhood groups $1 million each to invest in catalytic neighborhood improvement projects. The East State Village area and Northwest Central Collaborative were both selected this year, with another round of investment anticipated in 2027.
Photo Gallery
Each of us can contribute to our community at the neighborhood level. As our founder, Helene Foellinger, said in a speech to the South Side High School PTA, “A community in a very real sense is an abstraction—a community is you and I. Since the community is you and I, it is a fallacy to believe that individuals can get out of a community something over and beyond what they have put into it.”
Thank you to all who attended this event, and for your commitment to uplifting your neighborhoods and the residents who call them home!