The Neighborhood Association of the Whitely Community on the eastside of Muncie IN.

Since 1966, the Whitely Community Council, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, (WCC) has served the neighborhood of Whitely, overseeing improvement projects in seven strategic areas, including: beautification and improved infrastructure; community safety; education and health promotion; employment and business support; neighborhood pride and event planning; resource development and fundraising; and advertising and public relations. The Council meets on the second Monday of every month, with a consistent attendance of 60-70 individuals for their neighborhood meetings.

The Whitely Neighborhood…Who We Are!

Whitely is a historically African American sector of Muncie with 2,530 residents. Residents of Whitely evidence a lower income than the rest of the city, with 95% of elementary school students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. There are 10 churches of notable size, exemplifying the faith base of the neighborhood. Additionally, the neighborhood has produced a number of notable community leaders and is historically recognized for its role in the last known lynching in the Northern States.According to Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization,17.7% of households in Delaware county are food insecure. This is 2.4% above the Indiana average of 15.3%, and 5% above the United States average of 12.7%. Additionally, 54% of families live below the threshold for SNAP coupons with an annual income less than $31,525.While a family’s socioeconomic status is definitely a variable in the equation of food insecurity, lack of access to healthy food is another important factor. In the time period between 2015-2017, the three major grocery outlets serving the Whitely neighborhood all closed, leaving neighbors with proximal access to only a Dollar General store and neighborhood gas station – neither of which shelve fresh produce – as principal sources for food purchase. Particularly for residents for whom transportation is a barrier, the situation became quickly untenable, and required a major response.