South Oak Park/City FarmsDevelopment Proposal

Liz Blum, Rheanna Chen, Elliott Froissart, and Amy Gabriel

Agenda❏ Introduction to the Area: Looking Closer at South

Oak Park❏ Google Mashup❏ Current South Oak Park Conditions❏ Current South Oak Park Development Efforts❏ Proposal❏ 3-step plan/implementation of Proposal❏ Re-cap & Conclusion

Introduction to the area...

Census Tracts 36, 37 & 44.02

Google Mashup

https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?hl=en&authuser=0&mid=zSnvOvgJK0jI.kkgYinKfLh9o

The People of South Oak Park

Info Source: US Census Bureau

❏ ~47.5% of population is Hispanic (mostly Mexican)❏ Other prominent racial groups:

❏ 16% White Alone (compared to 47.5% Sac County Average) ❏ 15% African-American Alone ❏ 16% Asian Alone

❏ 47% Male and 53% Female (Our Area) ----- VS ----- 49% Male and 51% Female (Sac County)

❏ About 43% of population is 24 years old or younger; 11.5% is 60+ yrs; meaning “adults” (age 25-59) account for 45% of the population; ⅕ of population is 9 yrs old or younger

❏ Average Household Income $23,167❏ 36% live in Poverty based on federal levels of $26,000 for a family of 4❏ Almost 50% of youth live in poverty❏ African-American & Asian, largest poverty groups (44% and 43% of

groups respectively)❏ Majority of population works within 10 miles

- Over 40% of pop. is Latino (Mostly Mexican)

-Large disparity between Sac County and Area Whites (16% Area /vs/ 47.5% County)

-Other Prominent Racial Groups:-15.5% African-American-16% Asian Alone-Also, noticeably high rates of Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander Alone

~43% of CT population is 24yrs or younger

-Excluding the “elderly” there are about as many “youth” (<25 years old) as there are “adults” (age 25-59)-Almost ⅕ of the population is 9 years old or younger (Our proposal should be implemented no so that this group will be able to fully utilize our programs

South Oak Park Community Voices

Construction Worker Snow Cone Vendor Elementary Teacher

Babysitter

WIC Program Manager

CHARTS

Nearly half of the population did not complete their high school education, leaving many unable to find jobs or find other useful and healthy ways to spend their time.

Current South Oak Park ConditionsThe percentage of Youth ages 16-19 are filing for unemployment more than any other age group in the County or the state.

Overall youth employment in the area as decreased by ~10%.

1. There needs to be more jobs available in our neighborhood.

2. The number of employed residents has declined by ~1000 from 2010 to 2011.

3. The number of area jobs are slowly increasing.

Jobs must be created in order to meet the residents demand for jobs.

Potential “In Area” Job Creation: Public Admin, Educational Services, and higher paying sector jobs like Finance Services and Technical Services.

1. More people in area jobs are commuting from distances greater than 50 miles.

2. Employed residents are commuting less. 20% more are working within 10 miles of the neighborhood.

Social Issues

Gangs: drugs, alcohol and crime

Young people do not finish high school

Convenience, fast food, liquor stores

Current Development Efforts

No Youth Left Behind (NYLB)

& the Inner City Arms Round Education (ICARE) Campaign

What are NYLB & ICARE?NYLB Foundation❏ Non-Profit, grassroots organization❏ Mission: help remove barriers for “at

risk youth” and improve their life chances

❏ Envision the empowerment of youth through education, training and workforce development with educational programs and activities

❏ Launched the National Youth Awareness Campaign, including ICARE programs focused on connecting youth, ages 8-25, with one another through mentoring programs

NYLB Facility

NYLB Workshops Volunteer Opportunities with NYLB

The “Gold Room,” for tutoring or other activities, and for recognizing those who have donated to the organization

Front Desk Reception

Computer room for studying, tutoring or holding meetings

Proposal

Establish a partnership with No Youth Left Behind, a local youth development organization, to build a collection of new

community gardens that will provide fresh foods for a fresh market, community kitchen and public dining hall in the

current NYLB facility, located on Martin Luther King Avenue in the heart of South Oak Park

Empty Lots/Potential Garden Plots in the Area

A few of the many vacant lots along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard

Potential Marketplace, Kitchen & Dining Areas

Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard

Project Vacant Lot

Why?Central Location...SchoolsConvenience StoresEmpty LotsNo Youth Left Behind Org.Crime Activity

Project Vacant Lot

LogisticsHow much will it cost?❏ Cost of empty plot❏ Free building supplies and materials by donation from area businesses

How do we acquire the needed spaces?❏ Purchase of empty lots in the neighborhood❏ Spaces for kitchen and dining already owned

Who will be working together?❏ Ubuntu Green, NYLB, UC Davis, Other college and local school affiliates

Who will work the gardens, market and kitchen?❏ Local citizens, volunteers, interns, employees

3-Step Implementation Plan1. Production: With assistance and resources from Ubuntu

Green, establish at least 3 more gardens within the next 3 years (a garden a year) in the South Oak Park neighborhood. Ultimate goal of matching number of gardens to number of liquor stores in the area

2. Education: Using these gardens, teach youth valuable nutrition and garden management skills in order for them to better address food insecurity problems at home and in the greater neighborhood

3. Collaboration: Partner with No Youth Left Behind to build a fresh market, community kitchen and public dining hall in their current facility

Recap/Conclusion

What problems do citizens of South Oak Park face?❏ Food Desert❏ Disengaged Youth

How do we propose to address these issues?1.Production2.Education3.Collaboration