Code Enforcement Workshop for OKC Citizens

2012-05-24T18:30:00-0500 2012-05-24T20:30:00-0500 Code Enforcement 101 4205 North Lincoln Boulevard, Oklahoma City, OK, US http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=hyrq7ycab&oeidk=a07e5siwgu3c2bed53a

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Free Bus Tour of OKC Neighborhoods!

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Volunteers Needed to Transform OKC Neighborhoods

In OKC we are proud of our unique neighborhoods.  From the quirky Paseo District, to the historic Edgemere Park to the beautifully manicured Cleveland, we have neighborhoods of all flavors!  If you love OKC and her hidden jewels, then join us for Neighborworks Week, June 4-9.   All OKC residents, church groups, business groups, corporations, Scout troops, etc. are asked to volunteer their efforts in one of 5 different  low income neighborhoods to show them we all care! 

During Neighborworks Week we will join hundreds of other Cities from across the United States in doing something to honor the value of Neighborhoods and the role they play in our quality of life.  In OKC we are concentrating our efforts on 5 low income neighborhoods:  Classen Ten Penn (near NW 16th and Classen), Culbertson East Highland (near NW 8th and Lottie), The Paseo and Jefferson Park area (near NW 23rd between Robinson and Western), Capitol Hill (near SW 25th and Western), and Classens North Highland Parked (near NE 13th and Walnut) . 

The residents in all of these neighborhoods have already met and created long range and short range goals for their future.  They will be working to improve their neighborhoods over the next several years in hopes of creating a more beautiful, safer and healthier living environment for all residents.  During Neighborworks Week we are asking all residents of OKC to help them  “kick-start” their revitalization efforts by volunteering in these neighborhoods.  

No matter where you live, we all need to work together to strengthen each other’s environment.  During the first week of June volunteers will help plant flowers, paint structures, pick up trash, revamp park equipment, plants trees…and just show the residents of these neighborhoods that their City is behind them and they can make their neighborhood dreams come true. 

Grab you co-workers, your neighbors, your friends or your social group and call Neighborhood Alliance (528-6322) to sign up today.  You can choose any day and any time during the day to volunteer. Your group will be given specific instructions, locations and tools needed to do your volunteer job. 

All volunteers will be honored at a picnic on Saturday, June 9 from 11am-1pm.  Contact Neighborhood Alliance at 528-6322 or Georgie@nacok.org to get more information on how you can sign up to participate. 

Neighborworks Week is sponsored by Neighborhood Alliance, The City of OKC and Neighborhood Housing Services.

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Is Neighborhood Alliance Culturally Sensitive?

The mission of Neighborhood Alliance is simple:  to help create safe, attractive and healthy neighborhoods throughout OKC.   However, one neighborhood might view cars driving 30 MPH through the neighborhood  as their biggest safety factor, where others might have nightly visits from drug dealers and prostitutes.  

Because of this, Neighborhood Alliance is challenged to assure our city-wide programs and workshops truly fit the needs of ALL citizens and not just a few.  We need to make sure we are sensitive to the needs of different wards, different ethnic groups, different socio-economic backgrounds, and the unique needs these groups encounter while trying to create stronger neighborhoods. 

To help with this task we hosted a focus group made up of 14 OKC citizens from diverse backgrounds.  This group represented residents from the all 4 quadrants of OKC, men and women, Hispanics, African Americans,  Caucasians, gays and straights, reps from both voluntary associations and mandatory associations, wealthy and low income neighborhoods.  In order to help them feel comfortable to speak freely, we held the meeting at our non-profit  neighbor, OKC Beautiful’s office, and we asked 2 outside facilitators to lead the discussion.  Neighborhood Alliance staff was not even in attendance.   

Safari McDoulette from Commissioner Brian Maughn’s office and Sgt. W. Cubit from the OKC Police Department led the group in what they said was a lively, informative disucssion on some very sensitive topics.  Later this week the facilitators will meet with Neighborhood Alliance staff to go over what they gleaned from the conversation.  We will publish a report and post it to our website (www.nacok.org) and print it in our bi-monthly newsletter, The Cornerpost.

This exercise was for more than just a nice report.  We will incorporate the ideas, learn from the critique, and continue to listen to our clients as to what they need from us in order to accomplish their job…creating safer, more attractive and healthier neighborhoods for all.  

Great neighborhoods is one huge element in making OKC a great City.  Diverse neighborhoods makes us all happy…some like living in rural settings surrounded by trees and green space where others want a more urban feel where they can walk to restaurants and shopping.  Each comes with its own set of issues…albeit very different ones.  Because of the volunteers who participated in our focus group on cultural sensitivity, we know we are going to be better equipped to support all neighborhoods in thier unique goals.

We are interested in knowing if you have ideas, thoughts, complaints or compliments on ways we can better serve you and your neighborhood.  Please respond to this post or contact us at our office…528-6322 and talk to Jennifer or Georgie.

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