History
In July 1998, the City of Oceanside partnered with residents of the Libby Lake neighborhood (then known as Calle Montecito) and Partners for Healthy Neighborhoods – a collaborative of local health agencies and social service providers – on the Calle Montecito Revitalization Project. The goal of the project was to reclaim and revitalize the community which had declined since initial development in the mid-1960s and was plagued by gang- and drug-related criminal activity.
An abandoned convenience store at the entrance to the neighborhood, representative of the decline the neighborhood had experienced, was purchased by the City and converted into a Community Resource Center using Community Development Block Grant funds. The Community Resource Center, operated by the Housing and Neighborhood Services Department in collaboration with Partners for Healthy Neighborhoods, provided a neighborhood site at which residents could obtain information and services from health and social service agencies, and a drop-in after school program. The center also provided a base for community involvement, providing the opportunity for members to learn organizational and leadership skills through service providers, and to meet with neighbors and City representatives to address problems in the community.
Problems of crime, drugs, and gang violence were greatly reduced through Oceanside Police Department’s community-oriented policing programs, which led to improved cooperation and communication between police and citizens.
Housing and Neighborhood Services and Code Enforcement worked with residents to improve the quality and appearance of housing in the area, and the City’s Parks & Recreation Department made major improvements at Libby Lake, restoring it to a beautiful park.
The development of the new Libby Lake Community Center is a key part of the Revitalization Plan. Funded largely by grants and loans from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, it greatly expands the old Community Resource Center. In addition to the programs available at the Community Center, it will also provide a meeting place for the Libby Lake Neighborhood Association as they continue to partner with the City and area service providers in improving the quality of life for Libby Lake residents.
Program Information:
City of Oceanside Resource Center
Suite A, (760) 435-3600, M-F 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
OPD Community Corporal Gordon Govier
Suite A, (760) 435-4818 (Voice mail)
Libby Lake Neighborhood Association
Suite A, (760) 435-3600
Community meeting is last Tuesday of each month at 6:30 pm.
Able-Disabled Advocacy, Inc.
Suite A, (760) 439-7033, M-F 8:30 am – 2:30 pm
Fair Housing Council of San Diego
Suite A, (760) 439-3940, M/W/TH 9:00 am – 4:30 pm
Vista Community Clinic
Suite B, (760) 631-5220 (appointment line)
M-F 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Boys and Girls Club
Suite C, (760) 721-5851
School-year hours: M/T/TH/F 2:00 – 7:30 pm; W 12:30 – 7:30 pm
Summer hours: 7:00 am – 7:00 pm
Teen R.E.A.C.H.
Suite C, (760) 433-6880, M-F 2:00 – 6:00 pm
Contact Information
For more information concerning events, programs, and space availability please contact:
Lewis Chavez
City of Oceanside Community Resource Center Assistant
Phone: (760) 435-3601, Fax: (760) 435-3610
E-mail: lchavez@ci.oceanside.ca.us
CHAVEZ RESOURCE CENTER
605 San Diego St., Oceanside 92054
Phone: (760) 439-9831 Fax: (760) 435-3334
History
A neighborhood that had, 50 years ago, had a strong identity with positive social and family relationships, had become a place where people were afraid to come out of their houses after dark. The community park had become the turf of gang members and drug dealers. Residents were afraid to get involved, fearing retaliation from gang members, and some believed it wasn’t going to make a difference in their lives. The two community center buildings in the park were in poor condition and offered few recreational programs.
In 1994 a coalition combined four disparate Eastside grassroots organizations into a cohesive force that consolidated the interests and concerns of the residents into strong and effective advocates improving the neighborhood. They pulled their community together calling themselves the Eastside United Community ActioN (UCAN) and began holding monthly meetings.
In 1995 UCAN laid the groundwork for a community resource center in the Joe Balderrama Park community building, work began in partnership with the City to improve its new use. Organizations had pledged to bring educational, vocational, and social service programs. The focus of the center was an area dedicated to a computer and study room.
The second center was reclaimed as a neighborhood resource center that had been built by Eastside residents themselves. The center had been used for Saturday night teen dances and various community activities by many of the Eastside residents still living in the neighborhood. It was dedicated in 1957 and reborn in 1996 named after the Chavez family who had given so much of themselves to the Eastside community for decades and gave the residents the strength to take back their community.
With the establishment of a neighborhood resource center to provide community-based social services and family programs as the ongoing priority, remembering the fiestas and other social gatherings, UCAN planned to bring these events back to the community starting with a Fall Fair to provide a neighborhood educational and social event. The neighborhood has asserted itself to be a knowledgeable force whose concerns would be addressed in their on-going effort to improve the community, networking with other community groups in the City. Their grassroots effort has been a rewarding experience.
Through the City of Oceanside Housing and Neighborhood Services Department, volunteerism, help from City officials, and especially the effort of the Oceanside Police Department, Eastside has been able to accomplish its work. We continue to move forward to better our community.
Program Information:
City of Oceanside Resource Center
Eastside United Community ActioN (UCAN)
(760) 439-9831
Community meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm.
NAACP (760) 754-9686
County of San Diego Health and Human Services – North Coastal
(760) 754-3530
OPD Community Corporal Rick Favela
(760) 435-4591 (voicemail)
Contact Information:
For more information concerning events, programs, and space availability please contact:
Concha Hernandez-Greene
City of Oceanside Community Resource Center Assistant
Phone: (760) 439-9831, Fax: (760) 435-3334
E-mail: chgreene@ci.oceanside.ca.us
CROWN HEIGHTS RESOURCE CENTER
1210 Division St., Oceanside, CA 92054
Phone: (760) 435-3335 Fax: (760) 435-3336
History
In 1996 the Crown Heights Resource Center was located in what used to be a house at 1215 Division Street. It was then modified to house several non-profit agencies such as Partners For Healthy Neighborhoods, Hope and Power, and the Santa Margarita Family YMCA. Under the jurisdiction of the Police Department, the resource center was staffed by a Community Assistant and a Public Safety Officer. The resource center transitioned from the Police Department to the Parks & Recreation Department and then to the Housing and Neighborhood Services Department, which continues to oversee the function of the resource center. In July of 2001 the Crown Heights Resource Center moved to the Americanization School located at 1210 Division Street.
The resource center was initially opened in 1996 due to the high crime rate and gang activity in the neighborhood. Since then multiple agencies and organizations have worked in collaboration with the City of Oceanside to address the different needs and problems faced by the residents of this neighborhood, such as health, social, and economical issues.
Thanks to the City of Oceanside, multiple organizations and agencies have worked together to improve the quality of life for residents.
Program Information:
City of Oceanside Resource Center
(760) 435-3335
OPD Community Corporal Rick Favela, (760) 435-4591 (Voice Mail)
OPD Senior Volunteer Aggie Sanchez, (760) 435-3335
North County Health Services, Rosa Rodriguez, (760) 542-5415
Contact Information:
For more information concerning events, programs, and space availability please contact:
Adrian Mendoza
City of Oceanside Community Resource Center Assistant
Phone: (760) 435-3335, Fax: (760) 435-3336
E-mail: amendoza@ci.oceanside.ca.us
Adela Martinez
City of Oceanside Community Resource Center Assistant
Phone: (760) 435-3337, Fax: (760) 435-3336
E-mail: amartinez@ci.oceanside.ca.us
SAN LUIS REY VALLEY RESOURCE CENTER
521 Vandegrift Blvd. Suite B, Oceanside, CA 92057
Phone: (760) 435-3395 Fax: (760) 435-3394
History
In March of 1993 the residents of the San Luis Rey Valley came together to remodel a storefront building in the Mesa Margarita Shopping Center. Their purpose was to provide a neutral place for children that was free of gang activity, drugs, and street violence. Construction was complete and the grand opening took place in September of 1993. Residents of the neighborhood also brought in all equipment in order to jumpstart the work that lay ahead.
The N.E.T. Work team from Oceanside Police Department had a lease agreement through Southland Corporation who charged only one dollar per month for rent. The agreement stated that the resource center was to provide a program for children and a police presence in the community. Eventually the resource center was managed by the Parks & Recreation Department and then by the Housing and Neighborhood Services Department. In addition to children’s programs, the resource center has provided food programs, karate lessons, and the WIC program for many years, which has been a positive influence and help in the San Luis Rey Valley community.
Program Information:
City of Oceanside Resource Center
(760) 435-3395
OPD Community Corporal Gordon Govier, (760) 435-4818 (Voice Mail)
San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency
Edward Becerra, (760) 435-3395
Women Infant and Children (WIC), (760) 435-3395
Karate, (760) 439-6306
Alcoholics Anonymous, (760) 439-6306
Contact Information:
For more information concerning events, programs, and space availability please contact:
Joanne Rush
City of Oceanside Community Resource Center Assistant
Phone: (760) 435-3395, Fax: (760) 435-3394
E-mail: jrush@ci.oceanside.ca.us
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