Happy 25th Birthd a y, Plano Day Labor Center!

F or 25 years, the City of Plano Day Labor Center has provided an organized, safe and supervised environment for temporary labor placement. Whether you are a contractor, business owner or private citizen, come to the Day Labor Center to hire laborers for any job.

Laborers can:
  • Move furniture.
  • Perform minor landscaping at your home.
  • Assist with larger projects, such as fencing and roofing.

When you arrive, laborers are selected for you to interview on site, based on the skill-sets you request. Wages are negotiated and job details are discussed with the selected laborer in the presence of City staff prior to leaving the site. These practices help ensure a fair and transparent experience for everyone.

Coming Soon! You'll be able to reserve laborers with the new Day Labor Center mobile app. Watch our website for the app .

As the weather warms up, so does activity at the Day Labor Center! An average of 2,500 laborers and 800 contractors are assisted per month during the summer. These services lead to 40-50% of laborers finding job placement on a daily basis. Next time you find yourself looking for a few extra hands for a project, keep this great resource in mind !
Do You Have the Nuttiest Neighborhood?

Every September, the North Texas Food Bank hosts a peanut butter drive to help combat hunger in Collin County. Mayor Harry LaRosilliere, a strong partner of this drive says, “This is the time of year where our community comes together to spread hope with their generosity and care." For the first time ever, Neighborhood Services is helping to reach the goal of 100,000 pounds of peanut butter by introducing a friendly competition among our neighborhood groups.

Starting September 1, the neighborhood that collects the most peanut butter per household will be honored with the title of “The Nuttiest Neighborhood”! All registered neighborhood groups are encouraged to participate. For more information, visit the webpage , speak with a BEST Neighborhoods division team member at 972-208-8150 or email BEST@plano.gov .
NEW PROGRAM ALERT! Neighborhood Services
Good Neighbor Volunteer Program

Over the years, many of our community partners and residents have consistently volunteered with the City through programs offered by Neighborhood Services. These include programs such as: Love Where You Live (LWYL), Plano CARES, the Homeless Count and many more! To recognize our volunteers’ selfless acts of kindness, to energize our volunteer base and to inspire new volunteers to join, the department is kicking off the Good Neighbor Volunteer program. These volunteers will be celebrated as ambassadors or builders. 

Attend our Good Neighbor Program Kick-off and Volunteer Awards Ceremony to learn how you can get involved in any of our programs. Join us at the Oak Point Nature and Retreat Center, 5901 Los Rios Blvd., on Thursday, October 10, 6:30 p.m. RSVP here .

For more information, contact Kala Krishnan at 972-208-8150 or kalak@plano.gov
Network with Plano, Garland and Rowlett Neighborhoods!
Join us at Collin College for the Neighborhood Summit on November 9, 8:30 a.m. This year’s theme is “ Building Neighborhood Leadership .

Why should I attend?
  • To learn from subject experts and peers from neighboring cities how to strengthen your community, engage with your neighbors, communicate effectively and plan for the future. 
  • To be inspired with great ideas to implement in your neighborhoods.
  • To win amazing giveaways and raffle prizes!

Keynote speaker Angela Blanchard is globally-recognized as an expert practitioner. She has a unique ability to create community by bringing people together in unprecedented ways. Blanchard works with business, civic and nonprofit leaders tackling complex challenges of community transformation. Her work in Houston over the past three decades puts her at the forefront of developing solutions for community challenges.

It’s FREE but spots are limited, so register today .
STAY COOL AND SAVE ENERGY THIS SUMMER
Looking for cool ways to reduce energy costs this summer? Here are some tips to help cut costs during summertime:

  • Set your thermostat as warm as comfortable (for every degree below 78°, you use 5-10% more energy).
  • Adjust your ceiling fan to rotate counter-clockwise, which creates a wind-chill effect on your skin.
  • Cook on the grill instead of the oven or stovetop, which can raise your kitchen’s temperature by 10°.
  • Use your bathroom and kitchen fans to remove the heat and humidity caused by showering and cooking.
  • Run appliances (dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, etc.) at night when it’s cooler. Run full loads, and consider air drying dishes and clothes.
  • Wash with cold or warm water, and take shorter showers. 90% of the energy used by your washing machine goes toward heating water.
  • Close all windows, blinds and curtains during the day.
  • Install weather stripping or caulking around your doors and windows.
  • Replace incandescent bulbs with light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs. LEDs last about 10x longer and produce 4x more light for the same amount of energy.
  • Change air filters regularly (a dirty filter makes the HVAC system work harder).
  • Have your HVAC system inspected, serviced and cleaned on an annual basis to maintain performance.
  • Make sure there are no tiny holes in your air ducts that could cause your air conditioner to work harder.
  • Increase insulation to R-19 for walls and floors, and R-38 for the attic.

For more summer home maintenance tips, visit PlanoNeighborhoods.org
MORE GOODNESS!
Is Your Neighborhood Beautiful, Engaged, Safe and Thriving? 
If yes, apply for the BEST Neighborhoods Designation program before the October 1 deadline. Learn more about applying for the program at PlanoNeighborhoods.org .
Use Nextdoor to Engage
with Your Neighbors
In June, our Neighbors Connect series hosted Nextdoor representative Robbie Turner to help neighborhood leaders understand how they can best use this great FREE outreach tool. Don't worry if you missed the workshop, we've made it available for you to watch and share with others!
Need Help Reaching Your Neighbors?
Would $500 Help?
New and established voluntary neighborhood groups are invited to apply for Neighborhood Engagement Mini-Grants . These grants encourage collaboration among residents by building their leadership team, creating new relationships/partnerships, strengthening inclusiveness and increasing outreach to neighbors. The Mini-Grant Program maximum award amount is up to $500 with no match required! Apply for the Neighborhood Engagement Mini-Grant today!

Got questions about the Mini-Grant Program? Contact Kala Krishnan at Kalak@plano.gov or 972-208-8150.
2020-24 Consolidated Plan:
We Need Your Input!
The City of Plano is preparing its next five-year Consolidated Plan. This plan outlines housing and community development priorities for the City’s federal funds. Input from Plano residents is vital to determining our needs! Check our website in mid-September for public meeting dates and to complete our short online survey.
Plano’s National Community Development Week Wins the John A. Sasso Award
The City of Plano received the 2019 John A. Sasso Award for National Community Development Week events during April 22-26, 2019. The Neighborhood Services team planned awareness activities and educational workshops. Each one highlighted the impact federal Community Development Block Grant funds have on Plano residents.
Celebrate National
Good Neighbor Day
National Good Neighbor Day is on Saturday, September 28! Plano, let’s celebrate as a community. Please post a selfie or group picture with your neighbors doing something “good” using hashtag #PlanoNeighbors2019 on Facebook or Instagram. The neighbors with the best photo win a prize! Submit photos by the end of the day on September 28.

Please Note: in order to be considered for the competition, you need to make your post “Public” on Facebook or Instagram. Happy National Good Neighbor Day!
NEIGHBORHOOD SPOTLIGHT
Glenview Subdivision Gives Back with “Socktober”

T his quarter’s neighborhood spotlight is none other than the Glenview subdivision. This small, but highly engaged neighborhood, is located along Sweetwater Drive and Legacy Drive. Their active crime watch group is involved in a variety of engagement efforts to connect not only their own neighborhood, but the greater Plano community. Annually, on National Night Out, Glenview asks neighbors to donate socks to Hope’s Door, a local charity bringing hope to women and children living in difficult situations. Over the years, this grassroots initiative, “Socktober,” has given out numerous pairs of socks.

Glenview also held a Turquoise Table event recently to help bring neighbors together! The Turquoise Table is an initiative first started by author Kristin Schell. It’s a movement to bring neighbors together around a turquoise table in the front yard!

Are you looking for unique ways to engage your neighborhood? Check out our Neighbors Connect Series, the Neighborhood Resources webpage and save the date for our November 9 Neighborhood Summit !
GET TO KNOW OUR TEAM
Wendy Mora
Housing and Community Services Coordinator
Serving Plano Since 2017

  1. Describe your role within the Neighborhood Services? As a housing and community services coordinator, I assist Plano residents with housing-related issues; whether it be an emergency repair to fix an A/C or a more extensive structural repair.
  2. What made you decide to take this career path? In my prior job, I worked for a nonprofit that helped to stabilize neighborhoods throughout the U.S. by repairing foreclosed homes and reselling them. I had the opportunity to meet some of the new homeowners - some of which were first-time homebuyers. This gave me a desire to work within my own community to help others with their housing-related issues.
  3. What do you enjoy most about working at the City of Plano? Helping people within the community and being a part of a great team of people.
  4. Fun fact about where you grew up or a hobby you enjoy outside of work? I’ve lived in 8 states and traveled to all 50. I love to travel and try to make it to a new country each chance I get.
  5. What is your favorite place in Plano and why? Arbor Hills Nature Preserve, I love the trails and the trees, a little escape in the middle of a City. 
PLAY TO WIN!
DEADLINE: Noon, Wednesday, August 28

Email us at  BEST@plano.gov with answers to the following three questions, along with your name. The winner is drawn from the correct responses and the prize is totally brag-worthy!

1.
What is the goal for the number of peanut butter jars
to collect for this year’s peanut butter drive?

2 .
When is National Good Neighbor Day?

3.
What’s one way you can save energy this summer?

Thank you for making our community a better place!