La Familia Supports Listening Sessions
Ashland Cherryland Together (ACT), a community collaborative supported by La Familia staff, joins ALL IN Alameda County in their effort to end poverty. ALL IN is funding Listening Sessions throughout Alameda County to hear directly from residents about what’s working, what’s not working, and what should change in their communities. These listening sessions are guiding discussions related to affordable housing, early care and education, economic empowerment, and healthy food access.
Ashland Cherryland Together (ACT) will be conducting two listening sessions this month (March 2018) in partnership with Resources for Community Development. The discussion topics will be primarily focused on economic empowerment and healthy food access. Each listening session will be conducted in a community café fashion which will facilitate rich conversations between participants. Each session will provide small eats, coffee, tea, childcare, and opportunities for further engagement, including membership in the Ashland Community Association.
Additionally, Ashland Cherryland Together (ACT) staff will conduct 3-5 one-on-one listening sessions with members of the communities Ashland and Cherryland. Ashland Cherryland Together (ACT) staff is confident that the voices of Alameda County residents will be instrumental in the planning and strategizing of future projects. “It is important that residents have venues in which they can voice their concerns and wishes for their communities and trust that they will be heard—ALL IN listening sessions provide that stage for residents,” said Elsa Casanova, who coordinates Ashland Cherryland Together (ACT) for La Familia.
Ashland Cherryland Together (ACT) is a community coalition that has served the Ashland and Cherryland communities of unincorporated Alameda County since 2008. As a Drug-Free Communities Support Program grantee, Ashland Cherryland Together is dedicated to reducing substance use and misuse by educating youth, empowering stakeholders, mobilizing the community, and shaping environmental policies. Partners of the coalition include Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, Supervisor Nate Miley’s Office, and other local organizations. La Familia provides staffing support and fiscal administration services to support the Ashland Cherryland Together coalition.
