Trinity Park resident Carolyn Krueger sent out a message on her neighborhood's e-mail discussion list recently.

"You can help Duke freshman make a positive contribution to our neighborhood," she wrote.

She went on to ask her neighbors to lend gardening tools, donate plants and help the Duke volunteers improve landscaping at George Watts Montessori Elementary School . She even volunteered to pick up and return the borrowed tools.

Durham residents like her -- and you -- are a driving force in the Neighborhood Partnership. People who live in the 12 partner neighborhoods as well as neighbors from across the city are crucial to a great deal of the partnership's work.

We welcome you to look over the partnership's neighborhood priorities and suggest ways you'd like to help. Here are a few ready-made opportunities:

• Community fund-raisers can join the Neighborhood Partnership to help ensure a bright future for Durham by helping secure individual and corporate contributions to the Duke-Durham Campaign that funds the Neighborhood Partnership. Contact Sam Miglarese sam.miglarese@duke.edu at (919) 668-6275.
• Join your neighborhood association and/or your neighborhood Partners Against Crime organization. PAC District II serves some partnership neighborhoods and offers e-mail updates about crime and crime prevention strategies.
• Southwest Central Durham residents, business owners, non-profit agencies and volunteers: Your input is needed to make the Quality of Life plan a reality. Contact Mayme Webb-Bledsoe at mwebb9@nc.rr.com.

Get started: contact Sam Miglarese at (919) 668-6275 or sam.miglarese@duke.edu