Thread: The Get-Together

The Get-Together
City sponsors community event in Lakeside
By Layla Farmer
The Chronicle
http://wschronicle.com/
Despite the unyielding sun that bore down on everyone below it last week, hundreds came out of the comfort of their homes in the Lakeside Apartments complex to take part in a special Community Service Day sponsored by the city.
The community day is the second of its kind to be held in Lakeside over the past year, and is part of a larger initiative known as the Neighborhood Improvement Plan, Project Coordinator Stephanie Stimpson explained.
The plan is a multifaceted approach, backed by a variety of city and county-based organizations, Stimpson says. Its goal is to help Spanish-speaking residents gain access to the services they need, and inform them of the laws that govern them as city residents.
"We decided to select two test areas to test the plan in - Lakeside was one and Weatherwood Court was the other, because they both have a high concentration of Spanish-speaking individuals," Stimpson said. "In August of last year, before school started, we had the kickoff at Lakeside. We had about 35 different agencies that came and set up information booths and we had the music, the food and the entertainment."
The first event was a success, in Stimpson's estimation.
"They came and they got the information, we talked to them about city codes and dealt specifically with the problems," she stated. "We had information about the ordinances that pertain to that; as a result, we've seen improvements."
The Winston-Salem Urban League was among the organizations that convened in the neighborhood to participate in the community day for the second time.
"We feel it's very important to be here so that we can inform the community residents about our services," remarked the Urban League's Patricia Sadler. "We are beginning to get all of our materials translated into Spanish so that we can do a greater outreach in the Hispanic community."
Although there are many agencies and city departments that are equipped to aide the Hispanic population, many individuals within communities like Lakeside are unaware that they are eligible to receive services. Beyond that, representatives from the city and other organizations are confounded by barriers of language and fear.
"What they don't understand is most government agencies are not concerned with immigration laws; if you're a citizen in this community, there are certain things that you are entitled to - whether you're illegal or not has no bearing on that," Stimpson commented. "We're just trying to get them to understand that we are out here not to try to get you arrested or to turn you over to immigration, but just to tell you about the rules for living."
Holding events like the recent community day has helped to foster more trusting and productive relationships between the city and the people it serves, according to Housing and Neighborhood Services Director Ritchie Brooks.
"One of the best things about putting this type of event on is the one-on-one contact that we can have," he said. "(It) gives them an opportunity for them to interact with different city departments in a different setting."
Lakeside resident Lorenzo Arroyo was attending the community day for the second time. A native of Mexico, Arroyo, who spoke through a translator, has lived in Lakeside for the past eight years.
He said the last community day was helpful to him.
"The city helped him, it helped him at least get some things done in the apartment that weren't able to be done before," explained translator Miriam Hernandez. "He says he likes the event because they're helping the Hispanic community."
Six-year resident Reyes Toribio also spoke to the Chronicle through a translator, saying that she thought it was good because it was bringing much needed information to the community.
The city hopes that the interaction may have other positive effects as well.
"We've had issues with safety and a growing gang issue so the more we can positively engage the community, the better," said City Manager Lee Garrity. "City government can't do it all and if we can build relationships and partnerships in all neighborhoods and they can see the faces of the government, the faces of the different agencies and see that we're here to help, then we can build relationships to avoid negative things that can happen in the community."

These welfare and services providers are anxious to justify their existence and continued receipt of government and foundation $$$ by saying, "Look, we are serving people." It's about preserving their jobs. Welfare becomes a self-perpetuating machine.


" if you're a citizen in this community, there are certain things that you are entitled to - whether you're illegal or not has no bearing on that,"

-These people are not "citizens." This is the slaughtering of the word "citizen."


"they can see the faces of the government, the faces of the different agencies and see that we're here to help"

-Didn't Ronald Reagan say that the words he feared most in the English language are: "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help."?

"What they don't understand is most government agencies are not concerned with immigration laws; if you're a citizen in this community, there are certain things that you are entitled to - whether you're illegal or not has no bearing on that," Stimpson commented.

????????????

Government agencies should be concerned about all laws, including federal laws! Local and state laws aren't supposed to conflict with federal law. Actually, federal law supersedes local and state law.