CommUniverCity San José:
August 2005-August 2006
Year-In-Review

Over the course of a year, CommUniverCity San José, through the hard work of its FWBT resident, university and community partners, has...

...generated over $105,564 in volunteer labor.

...utilized $23,564 in cash and in–kind donations.

...organized 8,797 hours of volunteer labor in the FWBT neighborhood.

...involved 1,103 FWBT residents and 340 SJSU student service–learners in programs.

...collaborated with 24 SJSU faculty and staff members, 14 San José State University Departments and Institutes, three City of San José Departments and three non–profit community partners.

...outreached to ten grassroots groups, ten social service providers, nine businesses and three schools, all located in FWBT and previously unfamiliar with CommUniverCity. Four out of the ten grassroots groups are comprised of monolingual Spanish speakers.

...more than doubled resident participation in Strong Neighborhoods Initiative efforts in FWBT.

...enabled FWBT to be the first of 18 other SNI neighborhoods to update their action agenda.

...staffed information and activity booths at three FWBT community festivals.

...met residents in two FWBT trailer parks by organizing an on–site community meeting and changing regulations to allow trailer homes to qualify for house–painting services.

...been featured in four print articles, two television interviews and two public health conference presentations.

...received one commendation from the City of San José and three commendations from San José State University for its work.

...established its website, steering committee and protocol for voting and selecting and assessing projects.

...submitted letters of inquiry for five grants.

...carried out one door–to–door and one phone survey measuring what 558 FWBT residents think about levels of safety, health and social connectedness and their area.

...hosted 511 youth and resident volunteers its first annual “Day of Service” event on April 22, 2006. In one day of work, volunteers painted three homes, completed two murals, landscaped around three community centers, registered people to vote, cleaned trash throughout one square mile of the neighborhood and participated in community meetings about improvements in FWBT.

...sponsored a health fair on April 22, 2006 where representatives from 16 health–related organizations shared information about nutrition, diabetes–prevention and physical activity with 54 FWBT families. Neighborhood residents signed their children up for health insurance and immunization appointments after touring the San José High School Health Clinic, and 35 residents had their cholesterol, body mass index, blood sugar and blood pressure screened by university students.

...increased voter registration in FWBT by 1.5%.

...conducted two block–by–block assessments of walking conditions in FWBT.

...shared information with 225 FWBT parents and students about going to college.

...discussed the qualities of healthy relationships with 96 FWBT residents.

...prepared 32 FWBT residents to respond to an earthquake or other natural disaster.

...mentored two AmeriCorps*VISTA members, four AmeriCorps*Bridging Borders Members and one SJSU Political Science intern.