Fondren North Focuses on Community Improvement via Annual Soup’s On! Fundraiser
The Fondren North Neighborhood Association was established over 25 years ago. Today, the association is a thriving unit dedicated to creating a sense of community for residents and guests. Kosciusko native Abigail Hartman is president of the association and an occupational therapist. After spending her teenage years in Romania, she returned to Mississippi to attend Mississippi State University and moved to Jackson for graduate school at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Hartman has been a Jacksonian for 10 years and a Fondren North resident for 5 years. Because of her time spent in various places across the state and world, she understands the importance of community. “The biggest thing our neighborhood association wants to do is create a sense of community. So, whether it's event-related or just checking on one another, we are focused on ensuring neighbors know each other and are connected,” Hartman said. Fondren North (formerly Broadmeadow) makes up the northern strip of Fondren, hence its name. Its boundaries are Northside Drive (north), Meadowbrook Road (south), State Street (west), and I-55 (east). The neighborhood is home to a wide variety of residential properties, churches, businesses, and schools. Aside from its brick-and-mortar assets, the neighborhood association is focused on its human assets: connected neighbors who value community improvement.
Abigail Hartman and Stuart Rockoff
The neighborhood’s annual Soup’s On! fundraiser directly funds the community’s improvement initiatives. Neighbors sign up to donate at least 10 quarts of soup for the annual fundraiser, and local restaurants are asked to donate. This year, at least 18 neighbors and 5 Fondren restaurants, including Amerigo and Saltine, are donating delicious soup for the cause. February 5 is this year’s deadline to place an order; however, soups are selling out fast. Soup pick-up is on Saturday, February 8, at Broadmeadow United Methodist Church. “We will have everything packed and ready to go,” Hartman said. “Usually, people will stay and hang out, so we will also have donuts.” The money raised during Soup’s On! funds Fondren Fright, Jackson’s largest free Halloween event, and the neighborhood’s 4th of July cookout. Although the fundraiser was established before Hartman came to Jackson, Soup’s On! grows bigger and stronger each year.
Although Fondren North does not collect mandatory HOA dues, it suggests an annual donation that goes directly towards funding more community improvement initiatives for safety and beautification. “With that money, we were able to purchase traffic cameras along Northside Drive, which was named Jackson’s most dangerous street due to car accidents, pedestrian deaths, and street racing. We’re also using it for improved signage,” Hartman said. These voluntary donations are funneled through a community improvement group, which acts as the neighborhood's nonprofit organization. This group is separate from the neighborhood association’s board of directors.
The Fondren North Neighborhood Association meets on the first Monday of each month at Broadmeadow United Methodist Church at 6 pm. To learn more about the community, visit their website at fondrennorth.com or follow them on Facebook and/or Instagram. “A word of advice to other neighborhoods is to communicate. Get to know your neighbors. Talk about things that matter. We realized we needed to have a way to ensure everyone is informed and has input into problem-solving. Everyone needs to have a voice in this.”
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