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Our quality of life is strongly dependent on where we live, how safe and secure we feel, how well we know our neighbors, and whether there is a vibrant sense of community.
In many communities, there are neglected and blighted spaces in need of transformation. Over the past few years, organizations like A Reason to Survive and the Pomegranate Center have engaged artists, community planners, students and neighborhood volunteers to convert abandoned urban spaces into beautiful public places for people to come together and build a sense of community.
Two such gathering places have been completed recently: Butterfly Park in National City, and the Manzanita Gathering Place in the City Heights area of San Diego.
Both were transformed in a matter of days by hundreds of volunteers and community leaders, with support from the Rokenbok Educational Foundation and Myron Eichen Memorial Funds at The San Diego Foundation, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. and other private donations.
The wonderful thing about these gathering places is that they do so much more than transform neglected spaces.
In fact, Bill Cleveland, a national expert on arts-based community development, has evaluated the community impact of these gathering places. Here is what he found:
A Reason to Survive plans to expand and deepen its partnerships with other communities to promote community revitalization and youth development through gathering places and the arts.
There are many ways you can give or support opportunities like this for gathering places, youth development and community engagement in the San Diego region.
On August 9, 2022, we awarded $838,704 in Opening the Outdoors grants to 24 nonprofit organizations that offer equitable access to outdoor spaces in San Diego County.
“San Diego Foundation is proud to once again support its partners committed to increasing community-driven efforts to enhance accessible outdoor space, encourage youth to learn more through hands-on education and create the next generation of environmental stewards in the San Diego region,” said Christiana DeBenedict, SDF Director of Environment Initiatives.
This year’s grantees will help address these inequities and enhance access to the outdoors throughout San Diego County.
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