United Way of Erie County has been a proud sponsor of local National Night Out (NNO) events since 2004. In the past, NNO events have taken many forms including but not limited to block parties, cookouts, parades, visits from emergency personnel, rallies and marches, exhibits, youth events, safety demonstrations, and seminars. National Night Out also aligns with the prevention portion of the three-pronged Unified Erie Violence Reduction Initiative. Learn more about the Community Action Plan here.
Last year, in-lieu of in-person NNO events, United Way of Erie County opted to award Neighborhood Mini-Grants to foster safety and health efforts in the community in the form of projects or limited COVID-safe events.
As the vaccine rollout continues and COVID-19 cases in the community decrease, it was announced that United Way will once again provide support for National Night Out events that follow local Department of Health guidelines. National Night Out 2021 is on Tuesday, August 3, 2021.
United Way is pleased to announce the funding of 17 National Night Out events and 2 related projects totaling $13,700 in mini-grants.
| Organizer(s) | Event Address | Event Time |
| Academy Neighborhood Association | Baker Field at East 32nd and Holland St. | 6PM-7:30PM |
| Bayfront East Side Taskforce | Wallace Park at Wallace St. & E Front St. | 6PM-8PM |
| Belle Valley Fire Department, Inc. | 1514 Norcross Road Erie, PA 16510 | 6PM-9PM |
| Diehl Elementary School & Mercyhurst University | Diehl Elementary School 2327 Fairmount Pkwy Erie, PA 16510 | 6PM-8PM |
| East Avenue/Hess Avenue Neighborhood Watch | Perseus House Collaborative Learning Center 648 Hess Avenue (Back parking lot area between Lynn Street & Brandes Street adjacent to St. Casimir Church) | 5:30PM-9PM |
| East Middle School | East Middle School 1001 Atkins St. Erie, PA 16503 | 2PM-6PM |
| Edison Elementary School and Boys & Girls Club of Erie | Edison Elementary School 1921 E Lake Rd Erie, PA 16511 | 4PM-7PM |
| Elk Valley Elementary School, Elk Creek Recreation & Leisure Board, Rice Avenue Community Public Library | Elk Valley Elementary School 2556 Maple Avenue Lake City, PA 16423 | 6PM-7:30PM |
| Erie Free Store | Elmwood Avenue Presbyterian Church/Erie Free Store 2816 Elmwood Avenue Erie, PA 16508 | 4:30PM-7PM |
| Glenwood United Methodist Church | Glenwood United Methodist Church 2931 Myrtle Street Erie, PA 16508 | 6PM-8PM |
| Greene Township | 9333 Tate Road Erie, PA 16509 | 6PM-8PM |
| Housing Authority City of Erie | Erie Heights Neighborhood and Curry Schell Apartments 4200 Block Crestmont Avenue | 5PM-8PM |
| Iroquois Elementary School and Lawrence Park Township | Iroquois Elementary School Parking Lot 4231 Morse Street Erie, PA 16511 | 6PM-8:30PM |
| McKinley Elementary School | McKinley Elementary School 933 East 22nd Street Erie, PA 16503 | 3PM-6PM |
| Our West Bayfront Bay and Harbor Neighborhood Association, Boulevard Park Neighborhood Watch, Gateway Neighborhood Association, Erie MLK Center, Garden County Association, West Bayfront Neighborhood Watch, West Side Saints Neighborhood Watch | Gridley Park W. 6th and Liberty Street | 5PM-8PM |
| Perry Elementary School and Erie Family Center | Perry Elementary School 955 W. 29th Street Erie, PA 16508 | 4PM-6PM |
| Youth Leadership Institute | 1306 E. Lake Rd. Erie, PA 16507 | 4PM-7PM |
For organizations not comfortable holding an in-person event but had continued neighborhood needs, United Way also considered awards for projects that address community resources this year. Projects that support Community Resources for Basic Needs needed to align with the following: providing resources to the community (e.g. food, health, and other basic needs distribution) and/or making the community aware of available resources (e.g. developing & distributing flyers to share local resources and outreach efforts to meet community need.
Projects receiving funding:
| Organizer(s) | Project |
| Harding Elementary School | Basic Needs Bags |
| SNOOPS Neighborhood Watch | Neighborhood Outreach Picnic Boxes |
All events and projects being funded will be required to align with the current CDC recommendations.
Planning assistance for United Way’s efforts will be provided by the NRO which is a service agency created to provide resources, support and technical assistance to neighborhood groups throughout Erie County. Services provided by the NRO are available to any neighborhood group that is organized or that wishes to organize and desires to utilize the services. Those groups looking to connect with the NRO are encouraged to contact John Villa, the Neighborhood Resource Organization Outreach Coordinator (814) 572-0755.