By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

The West End Neighborhood Watch recently put up welcome signs at the ends of the community, thanks to a grant from CAWACO.

“The purpose of this is to welcome people to the new West End Community,” executive board chair Paul Dickerson said. “Our job has been to expand the neighborhood and make it better.”

The Neighborhood Watch has done this through cleanup and beautification projects as well as youth programs.

The signs are a part of the beautification focus.

Bobby Agee, an advisor for the board, developed the design.

“We are trying to encourage people through the beautification program … Hopefully, people will look at what we are doing and better themselves, and by them bettering themselves and by seeing us better ourselves, it will better the entire community,” Dickerson said.

Board secretary Jessie Binion said the organization will also be placing flags in the neighborhood.

The West End Neighborhood Watch also recently received $750 from the Alabama Power Foundation to be used wherever needed. Van Forrester of Alabama Power presented the check to the board at the E.M. Henry Community Center.

Forrester said the donation was to “help them reach their goals.”

“We also got a big donation from an anonymous donor,” Binion said.

The donation was $5,000.

Both of these donations will be used to further develop youth programs offered by the organization.