Who we are
The Neighborhood Network Alliance (NNA) is a South Shore community organization built around resident leadership. We work with neighbors, block leaders, and partners to bring local knowledge into community development decisions.
Residents’ everyday experience guides this work: what is changing on a block, which resources are useful, and what needs attention. The South Shore Community Collaborative is one way NNA brings those voices together.
Join the Collaborative
Our purpose and our future
The Neighborhood Network Alliance advances community development in South Shore by organizing residents, strengthening neighborhood leadership, and providing programs that support housing stability, connect neighbors, and expand access to resources.
We envision neighborhoods where residents are connected, organized, and empowered to work together with institutions and public partners to create safe, resilient, and thriving communities for current and future generations.
Our organizing history
South Shore neighbors came together to shape the future of their community. That continuing work has carried three names: The Planning Coalition, Southeast Side Block Club Alliance, and Neighborhood Network Alliance.
When the South Shore Dominick’s was set to close in 2013, Val Free and fellow organizers brought residents together to discuss what should come next. The Coalition gathered neighbors’ grocery priorities and pressed for a replacement that met their needs.
The work expanded through connections among block clubs. Neighbors and block leaders shared local knowledge and brought the concerns of individual blocks into a wider organizing network.
NNA carries that commitment forward through resident organizing, housing resources, energy education, and Hey Neighbor community life. South Shore Connects and computer distribution also grew from the work of connecting residents with resources.
Explore our digital equity historyA shared neighborhood agenda · 2022
The 2022 plan brings neighbors’ priorities together across eight areas:
NNA co-convened the planning process with the South Shore Chamber of Commerce and South Shore Works, supported by LISC Chicago. We connected residents and block leaders with the process.
Read the complete plan (opens a new tab)Published 2022 · Community goals and proposed strategies.
Leadership
Executive Director & CEO
Val’s work starts with listening to neighbors and bringing people together. From the Planning Coalition’s grocery campaign to NNA’s work today, she helps residents turn shared concerns into community action. She also hosts the Hey Neighbor podcast, where South Shore’s people tell their own stories.
Find a way to participate that fits your interests.
