Close to Home: Building community one block at a time

My husband and I moved to northwest Santa Rosa in 1992. My beloved cat Oso disappeared soon after we arrived, and I thought she was gone forever.

I was working on a missing-cat flier when we received a phone call from a neighbor. She found Oso stuck on her roof, managed to get her down safely and traced us through an old phone number on Oso’s tag.

I will never forget the joy and gratitude I felt when our neighbor showed up minutes later with Oso in her arms. At that moment, I knew we’d chosen a great neighborhood to live in.

Oso is no longer with us, but our neighborhood is still going strong - lost pets are found, gardening tips are shared, and homes are cared for while neighbors are away.

It’s a special place to live, and we value the sense of community and safety that comes from being connected to our neighbors.

I’ve learned since moving to Santa Rosa that there are many ways to build community in neighborhoods.

For example, my neighborhood and others across the city connect online using Nextdoor, a free private social network that makes it easy for neighbors to share information about garage sales, upcoming events and much more.

Another way to build community is to organize events like block parties or COPE (Citizens Organized to Prepare for Emergencies) meetings.

Some neighborhoods are formally organized, producing newsletters and holding regular meetings. Other neighborhoods are drawn together by social events or when issues arise that need a coordinated response.

To support neighborhoods in building community, the city of Santa Rosa’s Community Advisory Board leads an annual community improvement grant program.

CAB is a 14-member board appointed by the City Council. The board acts in an advisory capacity to the City Council on issues such as public safety, works with the city to support greater community involvement in planning and budgeting processes and helps neighborhoods organize to build community and resolve issues.

The grant program provides small awards of up to $1,000 for community projects. Over the years, the program has funded projects such as neighborhood banners, murals, park cleanups, community gardens and block parties.

Many projects benefit one neighborhood, such as an information kiosk built in the Santa Rosa Junior College neighborhood. Others have broader impact, such as the citywide Sunflowers for Santa Rosa program or the Free Bookmobile of Sonoma County.

Don’t miss this opportunity to apply for a community improvement grant to support a project in your neighborhood.

Grant applications are due by Aug. 3, and CAB members are available to answer questions about the program. Grant applications (in English and Spanish) and contact information for CAB members are available at www.srcity.org.

Let’s all work together to build community one garden, one mural, one neighborhood at a time

Tanya Narath of Santa Rosa is chairwoman of the city’s Community Advisory Board.