Using a National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Placemaking Grant to help defer some costs, the Mid Illinois REALTOR® Association (MIRA) helped the town of Normal complete a Pollinator Pocket Park at the Unity Community Center.

MIRA members Dan Slagell and Lana Miller, who are also Master Gardeners, directed a team of volunteers who installed the garden’s 225 new plants. The park also includes flagstone path and two boulders/sitting stones.

MIRA appreciates the great relationship it has with the town of Normal, whose involvement was a key component to the project’s success. Volunteers who installed the pocket park included REALTORS®, MIRA affiliate members, town of Normal staff, Unity Center staff and a Normal town council member.  

The Unity Community Center is a multicultural center that provides programming for youth and families with limited resources. It is located in a low/moderate income census tract, and it serves low-income clients from three counties in Central Illinois. 

Mercy Davison, Normal Town Planner said, “It really is a great project. The Unity Center kids and their families get great support from the U of I Extension, and I think they will thrive even more within a more beautiful environment. It’s also great for the neighborhood to have a beautiful landscape to see every day. Thanks so much to the REALTORS® for reaching out!” 

MIRA looks forward to other opportunities to serve the community in the future.