South Park Coalition
Community Site: Southpark, Santa Rosa CA
Lead Organization: St. Joseph Memorial Hospital
Community Problem: Neighborhood Safety
Grant Cycle: Community Action
Coach: Kelly Elder
Date: December 2022
This story is about engagement. For CBI engagement is demonstrated by strong relationships between people and a connection to neighborhood as a community and a place. The stories below provide just a few examples of how we in Southpark know that we are engaging more people in our mission to build a healthy safe community.
South Park has historically had a higher-than-average rate of crime in comparison to other neighborhoods in Santa Rosa — with much of the crime being gang related. Though gang related crime has waned over the last decade, property crimes, nuisance behavior, and dangerous traffic violations have increased, maintaining the image of Southpark as a dangerous undesirable community. This perception has been shared by residents of Southpark breeding feelings of disempowerment and isolation. Strengthening the pride and cohesion of the Southpark community is a key element of the Southpark CBI effort.
The Southpark Coalition engaged in numerous activities in Martin Luther King Junior park — which sits at the center of the neighborhood. The park had been the site of crime activity in the past and was mostly avoided by residents out of a long-practiced habit. The Southpark Coaltion began to bring people to the park for a range of events and activities open to the community, and made a point of creating social time where neighbors were able to get to know each other. Gradually, more specific events aimed at reducing crime, and improving safety in the community were offered and participation grew. These events always included information on the safety issues being addressed through the neighborhood Coalition’s strategic activities and an invitation to join.
Resident participation in community, social, celebratory events is often thought of as the objective of an effort. For CBI events are a tool to help build relationships between neighbors. A means to an end, rather than the end itself.
Siting events, celebrations, clean-ups, and meetings in the park reinforced a sense of ownersgip and a shared place.
Low threat but high-profile activities promoted participation at a variety of levels — creating a comfortable opportunity for almost anyone.
By acknowledging and expressing appreciation for the full range of “action” or “engagement” — participating in an event, signing a petition, writing a letter, or taking a leadership role in an activity — we have opened up a place for everyone to feel included.
Outcomes
When talk about the CBI pillar of “Engagement” we are talking about working toward inclusion and increased cohesion among neighbors. People often ask, “What does that look like?" Below are just a few vignettes that describe what increasing engagement, cohesion, and inclusion have looked like for the Southpark neighborhood.
“A Big Change”
A neighbor stopped one of our team members who was out putting up posters for an event. He said, “Hey, what you’re doing is working.” When asked what he meant, he shared that he had previously lived in the Southpark neighborhood for many years. He had moved away 10 years earlier and rented out his South Park home. He was back doing some maintenance on the rental property in preparation to sell. While spending time landscaping the front yard, he said he noticed a big change in the neighborhood. He said everyone who went by while he was working stopped to say hello or they smiled and waved from their car. He said that had never happened before. People weren’t so friendly when he lived here before, but now they were. It made such an impression on him that he has decided to move back into the neighborhood. He claims this would not have happened if it was not for the Coalition’s work in the neighborhood!
“Community”
While we were repainting the mural that was tagged with graffiti in the park, there was one resident who was watching us from the sidelines. We asked if she wanted to help us paint and she said no. Later, noticing she was still there watching, we asked her again. Again, she shook her head "no". About 20 minutes later, she was still there. “Come on,” we said. “We know you want to join us.” Finally, she did. As she painted, she said quietly, “I don’t like most people.” We just smiled and kept painting. After a bit, she put her paint brush down and said she had to leave. A few weeks later, I was walking in the park, and she rushed up to me. She was quite animated. “Oh, I was hoping to see you!”, she said. “The other night, I was up in my apartment (she pointed to the second story unit that was above the fence with the mural we had painted) and I was awakened by the sound of a spray paint can being shook. I ran to the window and saw some young boys down by the mural. I yelled at them, “Oh, no you don’t! That mural is community. Family!” The boys looked up in surprise, shouted they were sorry and ran off. She looked at me, her face beaming with pride. “Community,” she said and walked off. It was a great feeling to see how the simple act of connecting through this small project created a sense of shared space, belonging, and ownership!
“Pretty Cool”
While at the counter of our local donut shop, a teenage customer was sitting at a table with two younger boys, all three aged between 10–12 years. He asked me if I was the “South Park lady.” I paused, before replying, “Yes.” It is a little unusual for a group of teenage boys to walk up and start chatting with an adult they don’t know. He nodded his head up and down slowly and I was expecting some kind of snarky response. Instead, he said “What you’re doing is pretty cool. It’s nice to see things happening in our neighborhood.” Sometimes we wonder if our efforts are making any difference. It was a great feeling to get acknowledgement that our work was having an impact, especially from a teenager. But I also realized that for these boys to feel comfortable approaching me said something more about what was happening between neighbors in Southpark. There is a sense of belonging and trust growing. Not only among those directly involved in the day-to-day business of our CBI work but among those that participate and feel the impacts of the subtle but important changes we are seeing in our neighborhood.
