Hawthorne Neighbors/Dodge Collection

The Hawthorne Neighbors, a branch of the Lake View Citizens' Council, had its first meeting on July 22, 1959. According to an organizational history written in 1969, the participants at the meeting determined that "a neighborhood organization might be useful in helping to stimulate community pride - get the area spruced up a bit and combat violations of the city's building code." They originally accepted members from the area bounded by Sheffield, Racine, Roscoe, and Cornelia but later expanded their area of interest to encompass the blocks from Belmont to Addison and Clark to Southport. The Hawthorne Neighbors organized and hosted a variety of events, including neighborhood clean-ups, tree planting days, Christmas parties for neighborhood children, street fairs, and dances.

Helen Dodge held various leadership positions with the Hawthorne Neighbors and Lake View Citizens' Council in the 1960s and 1970s, including Chair of the Hawthorne Neighbors and Chair of the Hawthorne Neighbors door-to-door campaign. The Lake View Citizens' Council named her Lake View Citizen of the Year in 1962 for her work with the Hawthorne Neighbors, including her efforts to beautify the area and create garden space under the elevated tracks in the neighborhood.