Category Archives: General Updates

Food and Clothing Drive on November 19

The Merle Hay Neighborhood Association will host its second annual food and clothing drive for the less fortunate at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19 at the Northwest Community Center, 5110 Franklin Ave. Food collections will once again be donated to the DMARC Food Pantry program. A list of most-needed food items can be found online at: www.dmarcunited.org/movethefood/most-needed-items/

Clothing items will be donated to children at Moore Elementary School, which includes Kindergarten through Fifth Grade. We are accepting new stocking hats, gloves, mittens, snow boots, and winter coats. Winter boots and hats are always the biggest need. Boot sizes generally range between children’s sizes 8-13, and youth sizes 1-7.

MHNA volunteers will deliver the food and clothing items to the intended recipients. For more information or to help, please contact MHNA’s coordinator for the project, Kathy Battles, at 255-5050 (home), or 865-3040 (cell), or by email at kmbattles@msn.com.

Tree Planting Project on Franklin Avenue

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The Merle Hay, Beaverdale, and Waveland Park neighborhood associations are working with Trees Forever and the City of Des Moines on a tree planting project along Franklin Avenue between Merle Hay Road and Beaver Avenue. This is a great way to beautify our neighborhood, and help the environment.

We will be planting approximately 50 trees in the city-owned right-of-way along Franklin on Saturday, October 17. We will have more project details in the near future. Please contact Jason Pulliam by email at jason.pulliam@gmail.com if you would like to help us plant trees on October 17.

Thank you to the Beaverdale and Waveland Park neighborhood associations for their contributions, and thank you to Trees Forever and the City of Des Moines’ Forestry Division for helping us coordinate this wonderful effort. We also wish to thank Amazing Grace Outreach Church and Ministries, First Federated Church, the Franklin Court Apartments, and all of the residents who have agreed to participate in this important tree planting project.

National Night Out is Tuesday, Aug. 4!

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Please join MHNA for our annual observance of National Night Out, America’s night out against crime from 6 p.m. to 8 on Tuesday, August 4 at the Northwest Community Center, 5110 Franklin Ave. There will be free food, family friendly entertainment, door prizes, and great tips and information from public safety personnel about how to safeguard your property against crime. For the kids in our neighborhood, we will have games, a bounce house, and our friends from Bankers Trust will do face painting.

Please spread the word! We look forward to having a great turnout on Tuesday.

REMINDER: MHNA Meeting TONIGHT (7/16)

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A reminder that the Merle Hay Neighborhood Association will hold a quarterly meeting at 6:30 tonight (Thursday, July 16) at the Northwest Community Center, 5110 Franklin Ave. We will be joined by the following guest speakers:

Samantha Ricke, the field marketing manager for Flix Brewhouse. Samantha will tell us a little about Flix Brewhouse, which opened recently at Merle Hay Mall.
Kimberly Hansen, the executive director of Rebuilding Together Greater Des Moines, a nonprofit that helps rehabilitate homes for low-income homeowners. Kimberly will share details about Rebuilding Together, and discuss potential project opportunities in the Merle Hay neighborhood.
Staff from America’s Renewable Future, a bipartisan, statewide coalition that promotes Iowa’s renewable energy industry.

We will also have plenty of neighborhood updates, and refreshments. Please invite your neighbors!

Hope to see lots of you this evening.