| 1981 |
Isles is founded as the result of a student-initiated seminar at Princeton University, and begins to provide technical assistance to groups interested in community gardening and nonprofit housing development. |
| 1982 |
Isles starts its Community Gardening Program. Isles now operates the most extensive community gardening program in New Jersey. |
| 1984 |
Isles begins planning, building and preserving public parks and other open spaces; encourages the City of Trenton to form the Open Space Advisory Board, which today advises the Planning Board on policy. |
| 1987 |
Isles creates the Perry Street Children's Garden, a nature laboratory for urban youth. |
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Isles co-founds the New Jersey Community Loan Fund, which provides low-interest loans and technical assistance to homeowners and nonprofit housing organizations throughout the state. Isles also becomes a founding member of both the NJ Affordable Housing Network and the Capitol Area Food Security Council. |
| 1988 |
Isles organizes the Open Space Coalition, a public-private partnership that successfully redrafts and implements a new Open Space Master Plan for Trenton. |
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Isles establishes its in-house Affordable Housing Program. |
| 1992 |
Isles successfully completes the first demonstration Trenton Neighborhood Tree Project (TNT). |
| 1993 |
Isles establishes the first central New Jersey Urban Environmental Center in Trenton's Cadwalader Park. |
| 1994 |
Isles begins a demonstration project to involve residents in the clean-up and reuse of an abandoned toxic industrial site in Trenton. |
| 1995 |
Isles completes construction of the $5.2 million, 46-unit Wood Street Project, an innovative joint venture with a for-profit developer. |
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Isles begins a Job-Training Program to teach at-risk young men and women the construction trades, help them pass the high school equivalency test and address life-skills issues. |
| 1996 |
Isles forms a Community Outreach Department to develop community leadership, involve residents in neighborhood planning and redevelopment and inform them about available resources. |
| 1998 |
Isles begins two initiatives: an Environmental Health Project, to gather health information and help city residents create and enact responses to public health hazards, and a Community Farm, to train and employ city residents in the production of food to be distributed in low-income neighborhoods. |
| 2000 |
Through the Isles' Capital Campaign, Isles raises significant funds for an endowment and to create an Urban Environmental Education Center. |
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Isles co-founds the Trenton Community Campus Partnership (TCCP), designed to link higher educational institutions (Princeton University, College of New Jersey, Rider University and Mercer County College) to community-based research. Of equal importance, the TCCP builds the capacity of local organizations to design and manage applied community research. |
| 2001 |
Isles forms the New Jersey Regional Coalition to promote an anti-sprawl, pro-development, socially equitable and environmentally friendly research, organizing and policy agenda. |
| 2002 |
Isles creates the Financial Self-Reliance program to teaching people how to manage and save money and to develop financial plans. |
| 2003 |
Isles launches Breathe Easy Asthma Management program to provide in-home asthma counseling by trained community-based counselors. |
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Isles publishes the New Jersey Metropatterns study in partnership with the NJRC. |
| 2004 |
Isles launches its Healthy Homes Initiative to provide indoor environmental assessment of Trenton homes for lead, moisture, and pests. |
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Isles launches Trenton Moves program to increase exercise and improve nutrition among Trenton adolescents. |
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Isles develops its first two affordable, historic microload homes with solar panels and state of the art energy and green building retrofits. |
| 2005 |
Isles launches PEP Sr., building on the Parents Empowering Parents (PEP) program, to address issues and challenges facing grandparents who find themselves raising children once again |
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Isles partners with Rutgers University Blaustein School of Planning and Public Policy on a Community Food Assessment in Trenton's low income neighborhoods. |
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Isles joins other stakeholders in the Central Jersey Regional Equity Coalition (CJREC)'s second Public Action Forum, attended by over 900 people. |
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|
| Awards: |
|
| 1989 |
Take Pride in America Award from President Bush, recognizing the accomplishments of Isles' Greening Programs and environmental improvement activities. |
| |
National Gardening Association Award, for the development of the Children's Garden. |
| 1991 |
C. McKim Norton Community Development Award from the Middlesex Somerset Mercer Regional Council, recognizing Martin Johnson, founder of Isles, Inc., and Liz Johnson, Director of the Greening Program, for vision and leadership in developing innovative programs to revitalize Trenton neighborhoods. |
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CDBG Special Achievement Award from the City of Trenton, for Housing Rehabilitation. |
| 1993 |
Princeton Peace Prize, recognizing Martin Johnson for promoting economic justice in the Trenton region. |
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Certificate of Merit from the National Association of Neighborhoods, in recognition of the Trenton Neighborhood Tree Project (TNT). |
| 1994 |
Environmental Quality Award from the Environmental Protection Agency. |
| 1995 |
CDBG Special Achievement Award from the City of Trenton, for the Wood Street Project. |
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Green Community Achievement Award from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Parks and Forestry, for the TNT. |
| 1996 |
Mercer County Planning Achievement Award, for the Wood Street Project. |
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Honorable Mention Certificate/Tax Credit Excellence Award from the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition, for the Wood Street Project. |
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New Jersey Environmental Achievement Award from the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions. |
| 1997 |
New Jersey Historic Preservation Honorable Mention from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Parks and Forestry, Historic Preservation Office, for the Wood Street Development. |
| 1998 |
New Jersey Pride Award from New Jersey Monthly Magazine, for Martin Johnson's community development work. |
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Humanitarian Award from the National Conference for Community and Justice, for Martin Johnson's achievements in public service and community development. |
| 1999 |
Harry Chapin Award from World Hunger Year, for Isles' Community Farm. |
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"Best Practices" Commendation from the United Nations Commission on Human Settlements, for "exemplary work in brownfields redevelopment.and improving the living environment." |
| 2000 |
Trenton Community Development Block Grant Award, for leadership in providing affordable housing including the Monument Crossing I Development. |
| 2001 |
Phoenix Award, in recognition of excellence in brownfields development, for the Crane site, a former brownfield located in Trenton. |
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Governor's Award for Outstanding Neighborhood Revitalization, for work in the Old Trenton Neighborhood. The work included construction of new rental apartments, homeownership opportunities, a day care center, job training, playground, community gardens and streetscape improvements. |
| 2002 |
American Planning Association, New Jersey Chapter, award for neighborhood planning and organizing work in the Old Trenton neighborhood. |
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Governor's Award for Excellence in Housing, for best practices in affordable housing development. |
| 2003 |
St. Michael's Church Annual Compassion & Justice Award, for work on social justice issues. |
| 2004 |
Delaware Valley Southern Christian Leadership Conference Environmental Award, for environmental work that furthers racial justice. |
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Environmental Quality Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region II, for its rehabilitation of homes on the 200 Block of Bellevue Avenue. |
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Historic Preservation Award, Neighborhood Impact, from the City of Trenton for that project. |
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Community / Campus Partnership Award from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey for several collaborative projects. |
| 2005 |
First Prize Founders Fund Award from the Garden Club of America, in a national competition. |
| 2006 |
Community Development Award from the City of Trenton, for exemplary service in the provision of affordable housing through the Bellevue Court project. |
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Humanitarian Award from the National Conference for Community and Justice - New Jersey, Princeton Area Capital Chapter, for Isles' commitment to improving intergroup relations and understanding and to improving the quality of life for citizens regardless of race, color, creed, gender or ethnic, cultural, or national origin. |
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Preservation Award from the Trenton Landmarks Commission for Historic Preservation, for rehabilitation of five homes on Academy Street. |
