Modesto’s neighborhoods continue to coalesce, evolve

A local neighborhood movement that took root a decade ago continues to spread across the city-governed and unincorporated areas of Modesto.

In the Village I area in the city’s northeast section, security is the primary concern for neighbors.

Other neighborhoods are coalescing around the county-initiated Focus on Prevention with the goal of reducing the blight of homelessness.

Meanwhile, south Modesto organizations want to revitalize parks, support young people and improve opportunities for disadvantaged residents.

The faith-based City Ministry Network will resume an annual conversation on neighborhoods at its monthly Catalyst meeting Thursday at the Family Life Pavilion in downtown Modesto.

A “neighboring” movement has swept communities here, and elsewhere in the United States, around themes of connecting with neighbors, helping others and improving the quality of life. The art of “neighboring” is often linked with a literal interpretation of the Christian teaching, “love thy neighbor,” but Modesto has active neighborhood groups that are secular.

Marvin Jacobo, executive director of City Ministry Network, said he believes the movement began with the re-creation of the La Loma Neighborhood Association about 10 years ago. It has gained momentum in other neighborhoods including College, Woodland West, DelWood, Orchard Park, Creekwood and south Modesto.

“There are a lot of people we are finding in every neighborhood, and every sphere of influence, that want to have a positive impact on our city,” Jacobo said.

For Thursday morning’s Catalyst, timed before the 8-to-5 workday, Jacobo will ask three panelists why they care about neighborhood work and what they have learned.

The panel will include Christie Berlin of the Creekwood neighborhood, Kris Helton of Village I and Jose Sabala of South Modesto Partnerships. Jacobo also expects to involve City Manager Jim Holgersson in the dialogue.

Helton said Village I residents communicate on a Facebook page and Nextdoor. He is working on educating homeowners about a possible private security patrol in the area from Sylvan Avenue to Briggsmore Avenue and Oakdale Road to Claus Road.

The La Loma and College neighborhoods have contracts for roaming private security to discourage property crime. Village I is looking into it, Helton said.

“We don’t see a homeless population like you see in La Loma or the College area,” Helton said. Like most neighborhoods, Village I has its share of burglaries, vandalism and park damage.

Helton also suggested that Village I residents could organize around beautification projects.

Partnering to improve south Modesto

Since its start a year ago, the nonprofit South Modesto Partnerships has rallied the faith community to bring about change. As an example, a computer coding camp at Hanshaw Middle School last summer was brought together by SMP.

The effort to connect churches with neighborhoods is what Sabala calls “the church outside the four walls.”

“We are utilizing the faith-based resources and connecting them with the common good of the community,” Sabala said.

South Modesto Partnerships will support a Love Modesto cleanup April 23 and take part in the Day of the Child, a celebration of kids in the community, planned by the group Manos Unidas on April 30. Activities including face painting, a clothes fair and obstacle course will be held in Fairview Park, near West Whitmore Avenue.

The park was closed some years ago by drugs, gangs and neglect.

Working in the area west of Crows Landing Road and south of the Tuolumne River, Manos Unidas volunteers brought soccer back to Fairview Park and spruced it up.

Stanislaus County, which restored irrigation for the grass, has applied for a state grant for bathrooms and other improvements. The old bathrooms were torched in an arson. Another need for the park is a new driveway from Tucson Avenue.

County Supervisor Jim DeMartini was encouraged to see about 500 children and adults gather at Fairview for an Easter egg hunt.

DeMartini said neighborhood groups are making a positive impact on the disadvantaged areas of south Modesto. “That is something we had been lacking for years,” DeMartini said. “Government alone can’t do it. It has to be the community pulling together.”

Jacobo said the Catalyst meeting is open to the public. To help build relationships, most participants arrive 10 minutes before 7 a.m.; the program begins at 7:10. The Family Life Pavilion at CrossPoint Community Church is at 1301 12th St. For more information, go to https://cityministrynetwork.org/catalyst.

This story was originally published April 2, 2016 at 5:01 PM with the headline "Modesto’s neighborhoods continue to coalesce, evolve."