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CITIZENS PARTICIPATION -- PRICE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICE CENTER AREA
Citizens participation in the Price Neighborhood Service Center
area is relatively wide-spread. From the beginning of our existance,
May, 1965, we have had organized neighborhood groups to determine
existing problems, and help to find solutions to these problems.
For the last 12 months, we have broadened this community
participation to neighborhood participation. We have 25 organized
neighborhood groups, or block clubs. These groups meet and discuss
neighborhood, as well as, community problems, and at the same time,
they are exposed to total city resources and problems. Neighborhood
groups also have representation on the over-all Center Advisory
Council.
This council serves as a sounding board for all problems from
the individual areas as well as an excellent vehicle for the Center
staff to relate to the community.
In addition to block organizations, the Center staff has involved
scores of neighborhood, social, and church groups at their requests
who had specific interests for group needs. We have organized five
steps that saw a need for day care services in their community. Two
of these groups were successful in getting two large day care centers.
From a nucleus of a small group of businessmen from the area, we
organized two business improvement clinics. These clinics, ten sessions,
had an average attendance of 50 persons. Two similar-type clinics were
organized with residents of the area who managed apartments. These
residents wanted to gain knowledge on how to properly care for the
property and work with the residents.
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In September, 1966, residents of the area, interested in family
day care, were organized to conduct training clinics and to help get
the existing family day care programs up-graded.
One block club, that saw an over-all need for concentrated
attention on many areas of problems, was involved in what we chose to
call "Operation Exposure". Representatives from the area block clubs,
interested in recreational services, have been involved in area
recreational council. This council, during the summer of 1966, made
approaches to City officials and land owners, and successfully
established two equipped play-lots. This group has held many
training sessions in an attempt to learn what is involved in an
adequate recreational program and what community resources are presently
available.