Safe Streets is a volunteer neighborhood organization representing a 20-block area in one of the oldest and most historic parts of our city, which has been plagued by poverty, crime, and prostitution for decades. In the elementary school that serves our neighborhood our children have the lowest grades, the highest absentee rate, and the highest number of behavior problems.  We have been active in the neighborhood for more than 20 years.  You can see photos from our many successful activities on our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/safestreetsbinghamton/

We want to become a non-profit and built a website so we can more effectively fulfill our mission to address neighborhood quality of life by building community capacity, sharing information, engaging external stakeholders, and encouraging investment.  Our goals are to have a safe neighborhood, a beautiful neighborhood, a positive neighborhood reputation, an engaged community that takes pride in the neighborhood, and a thriving and sustainable economic base.  We will be working with many dedicated partners in this endeavor, including The City of Binghamton, Binghamton University, the United Way, and the First Ward Action Council.  

Gaining tax-exempt status and creating a website are the first steps in accomplishing our goals. As a non-profit we can solicit donations from people who live in our surrounding area and our many Facebook friends.  We can apply for grants to support our projects. With a website we can spread the word about our mission, gaining support to carry on the work that will improve the quality of life in our neighborhood.