OXNARD — The whole community is invited to the dedication of the Mental Health Awareness Mural of Oxnard and resource fair which will take place on Saturday, June 11, 2022 from 11AM-3PM. On this day the City of Oxnard Mayor Zaragoza, City Council Member Madrigal, and Ventura County Board Supervisor Carmen Ramirez will recognize the youth with certificates of recognition for their dedication, hard work and courage for addressing mental health which is a difficult subject to acknowledge. Opening remarks and mural unveiling will commence at 11:30AM. This kid-friendly community event is free and will include entertainment from Inlakech Cultural Arts Center hosted by Javier Gomez, free food, and community resources.
About the Mental Health Awareness Mural of Oxnard:
The youth from our community have been working hard over several months to create, develop, and install a mental health awareness mural. This latest public art installment came together with the vision from two community-based programs– La Colonia Youth Mural Program and Future Leaders of America. La Colonia Youth Mural Program, under the direction of Ana Carrillo, independently worked with youth by presenting de- stressing and mental wellness art workshops, they spoke with parents, peers, and neighbors about mental health and initiated the beginning stages of sketching ideas for a mental health mural. Simultaneously, FLA youth led their Mental Health and Awareness Campaign within the Oxnard Unified School District. This included surveying students on topics about mental health, presenting their data to district officials, advocating for more resources at school board meetings, eliminating barriers for students to access mental health resources, and
ultimately securing the unanimous passing of Resolution No. 21-37, affirming the District’s Commitment to Mental Health Awareness and Accessibility.
In the fall of 2021, both organizations combined their efforts around mental health and awareness by embarking on a youth-led mural installation. Youth and other local volunteer artist dedicated over 2,000 hours to develop a 79 ft. long mural located by 201 Carmelita Court next to Del Sol Park, and includes not only imagery promoting mental wellness, but, thanks to the support of Ventura County Behavioral Health, were granted permission to include their resource/crisis hotline and the National Suicide Hotline. With the combined support of Terraza de Las Cortes, the Ventura County Arts Council, and Our Town. Our Children. A Social Awareness Art Project., DJC Services and Installations, Vista Paints, Oxnard Housing Authority Resident Services Department, and La Colonia Village Tenant Association, “we hope that this mural becomes a beacon of hope for anyone facing mental health issues and kick starts the conversation on mental health and in fighting the stigma against mental health,” said Ana Carrillo, lead artist and co-founder of Our Town. Our Children. A Social Awareness Art Project.
For more information about the resource fair, please contact: Jaime Arellano at (805) 385-8118 or via email jaime.arellano@oxnard.org
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About Leading Organizations: The Oxnard Housing Authority (OHA) Resident Services Department provides resident services to families in the Public Housing and Section 8 Programs to assist them to become self-sufficient. OHA has 2 HUD specific programs, the Resident Opportunity & Self-Sufficiency Program (ROSS), and the Family Self- Sufficiency Program (FSS). Services include post-secondary entry and supportive services, referrals to services and self-sufficiency programs for tenants, monthly food distribution in collaboration with Food Share of Ventura County, and the Colonia Village Tenant Association, computer centers at Colonia Village, Pleasant Valley Village, Plaza Vista and Palm Vista, community services opportunities for youth and adults, on site Boys and Girls Club after school program at Pleasant Valley Village, occasional site-based programs in collaboration with the Oxnard Adult School (Computer classes, Work Readiness, and ESL Classes), financial literacy programs, community collaborations with community agencies, and collaboration with Colonia Village, |
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Pleasant Valley, Palm & Plaza Tenant Associations. For any questions and information visit their office at 1500 Camino Del Sol, Room 22 Oxnard, CA 93030 or contact: Jaime Arellano-Resident Services Coordinator Phone: (805) 385-8118 Karen Correa-Family Self-Sufficiency Coordinator Phone: (805) 385-8062 Future Leaders of America is a non-profit organization in the Central Coast of California with the mission of developing youth resiliency and leadership to create long-lasting systemic change by empowering and mobilizing youth leaders to advocate for policies that improve their lives and their communities. In 1982, FLA started as a grassroots response to concerns about the high incidence of destructive behaviors in Latinx youth including high school dropouts, gang activity, substance abuse, lack of parent involvement, and limited civic engagement. FLA provides leadership training, educational experiences, and promotes the personal development of youth and families through our annual Youth Leadership Conference, University Seminars, |
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annual Family Leadership Conference, and FLAMA Youth Meetings. If you have any questions, you can contact our Director of Annual Programs, Ivette Peralta. Website: futureleadersnow.org Our Town. Our Children. A Social Awareness Art Project. main focus is to bring community awareness and understanding to the detrimental effects that unstable environments have on children’s emotional development, while providing a creative, artistic avenue for children to freely express emotions, moods, and feelings. While the program is open to all children/youth, our primary focus is at-risk, marginalized, socioeconomically challenged children/youth and families. For questions and information contact ourtownourchildren@gmail.com |