Mission Statement
The mission of ENP is to work for justice and equity with our neighbors in Nashville, Tennessee, through building relationships, community action, service, and empowerment. ENP’s motto is “Neighbors doing what neighbors do.” We help each other to strengthen our community. We seek innovative approaches to education, community co-ops, and affordable housing, in order to build a more vital community in which to live, work and play. To that end, ENP manages 3 programs: (1) The Spot, an after-school program for 7th – 12th-grade students, supporting them to become their best selves; (2) the FreeStore, a community cooperative, where neighbors share a meal and “shop” for household, personal and cleaning items not eligible for Food Stamps; (3) As the affordable housing subzone captain of the Nashville Promise Zone, ENP engages in community action by supporting resident tenants to self-advocate for affordable housing and addresses development, gentrification, transportation, and safety issues.
Three principles guide ENP: (1) As a neighbor, ENP seeks to address the concerns identified by community stakeholders: residents in public housing, in single-family homes, and the business community. (2) ENP partners with others already engaged in effective programs. Current partners include West End United Methodist Church, Belmont United Methodist Church, Open Table, the Nashville Food Project, Oasis Center, NOAH, Belmont University, and Vanderbilt University. (3) ENP is volunteer-driven: this is how we build relationships, understand needs and work to improve our community.