by Ashley Ragus
“In order to create the city we want, we all have to be a part of the solutions to the issues we all face.”
The Friends of Cleveland Heights Neighborhood Council came together in March with this as our stated purpose.
Our neighborhood’s 2021 priorities, as determined via surveys of our neighbors, include increasing safety, ending homelessness, and working toward disaster preparedness. Accordingly, our 2021 meetings will feature local folks who are doing on-the-ground community work. They will share their programs so our neighborhood can grow and expand on them!
In March, our Council had the pleasure of having members of the Good Brotha Network join us. The group, led by Black men, seeks to address the impacts that systemic racism and economic hardship has on youths in Oakland. The group is composed of life coaches and youth outreach specialists who work within local neighborhoods to address youth opportunities in both essential needs and jobs. It was inspiring to hear Kentrell, Taco, and Wayne speak about their experiences living and working with youth in West Oakland, and how they created a network to increase resilience for the whole city!
In May, we will feature the Oakland CORE/CERT program director who will talk about household, block, and city-wide safety efforts in the event of a large-scale emergency or natural disaster.
The Cleveland Heights neighborhood network has regularly scheduled meetings on the 2nd Tuesday in odd-numbered months. The next meeting will be Tuesday, May 11 at 7pm. See our website for more information.
Editor’s Note: Ashley Ragus is a Cleveland Heights resident who serves as their Neighborhood Council Outreach Coordinator.
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