Purpose for Life Foundation, 7815 Prospect Ave, Kansas City, MO 64132, US

To relaize the Mission and Vision of the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council, the organization began implementation of a comprehensive plan in 2001. As a results of its efforts, the organization has achieved dramatic progress --- residents have been trained as block contacts, the neighborhood is cleaner, crime has improved, more than 650 drug houses have been closed, and many lives have been changed. About Us Located in the heart of Kansas City, Missouri and home to 7, 816 people, the Ivanhoe neighborhood is experiencing a period of unprecedented renaissance. The renaissance began in 1997 when Alan A. Young and his wife took the lead in organizing prayer vigils that resulted in the closing of 6 drug houses and revitalization of the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council. The Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council is a 501 [ c ] [ 3 ], not-for-profit neighborhood improvement organization composed of all of the good people that live in the Ivanhoe neighborhood and a growing number of partners committed to the accomplishment of Ivanhoe's vision of becoming a truly thriving community. Four major committees share responsibility with the Ivanhoe board for implementation of Ivanhoe's strategic plan. The committees address all of the major areas required to change lives and revitalize a depressed community, including cleanliness, beauty, capacity building, housing, economic development, jobs, and enrichment programs for families, youth, and senior citizens. Through Ivanhoe's Block Contact Program, neighbors are getting to know ( and look our for ) their neighbors, they call the police, report codes violations, and keep their blocks clean. Through its people, the Ivanhoe neighborhood has become extraordinary in demonstrating what happens in neighborhoods when residents have the will to develop/utilize their power and become proactive in taking back the neighborhood!