Frank X. Moraga
By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805
Following a police shooting earlier this year in La Colonia neighborhood of Oxnard, residents faced the situation with anger, fear and frustration. But group decided to take the situation and use it as one of those teaching moments to help promote better dialog between community members, law enforcement and city officials.
For their efforts, Joseph A. Castañeda, a member of the city’s Community Relations Commission, introduced the Outstanding Organization Award during the 2013 Community Recognition Awards Program held on July 30.
“This year it is Voces de la Comunidad, an organization responsible for increasing communications between the residents from La Colonia neighborhood and the Oxnard Police Department. Recently the volunteers that make up this organization have been instrumental in re-establishing this community group, and have invested countless hours promoting human relations between and among community members and the police department. Earlier this year they helped to organize a community event in La Colonia village that included information booths, a mural and a gardening project. Congratulations Voices de la Comunidad.”
Representatives from the group thanked the commission for their recognition and acknowledge other supporters including Calles de Oro and Victory Life Men’s Center.
“We have strived towards working toward reconciliation, healing, dignity and peace in our community,” the group reported. “The group formed itself almost seven, eight months ago, after a tragic shooting in the community. And it was incredibly important to get together and come together and to bring a voice to the community. The community wanted answers and there had been a lot of difficulties and challenges between law enforcement and the Colonia community specifically. So we organized and we had a town hall meeting. From that town hall meeting we developed a community advocacy committee that now meets monthly with the police department. Thank you to the chief for being there and working with us and to the department for working with all of us in working toward reconciliation. More so, we are a solutions-based group. We’re here about working together and trying to find a common solution toward working toward peace in our community.”
Awards were presented to Darlene Elaine Miller for Outstanding Individual, Valita Stoke for Outstanding Youth, Voces de la Comunidad for Outstanding Organization and Patricia Kosmo for Outstanding Senior.
“This awards program is very important,” said Ken Robinson, CRC chair. “The CRC’s job is to make the public aware of all the services and people involved that are here to serve the citizens of Oxnard, and this program honors the ones who stand out.”
Congratulations to all the winners.
— Frank X. Moraga is editor/publisher of Amigos805. He has served as business editor, director of diversity and general manager of a bilingual publication at the Ventura County Star, and as a reporter in the community editions of the Orange County Register and Los Angeles Daily News.
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