The North-Oak NRZ President Manny Sandoval has announced the June monthly meeting of the neighborhood organization.
“It’s your community,” Sandoval said. “All are welcome.”
North-Oak Neighborhood Revitalization Zone (NRZ), the North-Oak neighborhood’s community organization, allows area residents and others involved in the neighborhood are able to work together to advocate for the future of the community.
“For a long time now the North Oak Area has been a disenfranchised and disengaged population,” Sandoval said. “However, we the members of the North Oak NRZ are currently working to change that.”
Sandoval added, “We believe the key words for our population are understanding, acceptance and inclusion. Our community is just like every other community requesting to be heard and understood.”
At the May meeting of the NRZ, Sandoval discussed work of the organization in the neighborhood.
One of those plans is work with the city Police and Fire departments and Coach Wilbert Allen of Top Flight Basketball to organize a, “2 on 2 or 4 on 4 basketball tournament biweekly, where the youth will be partnered with the Fire Dept. and Police Dept.”
Sandoval says that the tournaments will allow city police and fire fighters to, “meet our youth where they are,” giving them, “an opportunity to learn from our youth what it feels like to be a youth from our neighborhood.”
Saying that, “The networking opportunities created through these games can bring endless opportunities for our youth”, Sandoval says it is important to, “reiterate that our youth are human beings who deserve respect as well.”
The NRZ’s monthly meeting is to be held on June 23, 2022 at 6:30pm. The meeting is to be held at Willow Street Park.
“Let’s make things happen,” Sandoval said.
Willow Street Park is located on Willow Street, near the corner of Putnam Street.
