By Shain Haug
The Allied Gardens-Grantville Community Council (AGGCC) Nov. 27, 2018 Town Hall Meeting addressed the Zephyr housing project for homeless veterans at the old Motel 6 on Alvarado Canyon Road, the Stella housing project for previously homeless persons on Twain, and the Blue Water development for employed low-income families on Fairmont Extension. There will be about 80 dwelling units in each and all will be supported through public housing resources.
The meeting was attended by representatives of Affirmed Housing, the owner/builder, and PATH (People Assisting The Homeless), the organization that supports residents during their transitions from homelessness. More information will be found in the minutes of the meeting that will be published in the next AGGCC newsletter.
Residents will begin moving into Zephyr in January. These folks will be coming off the street to their new homes with little in the way of household supplies. We hope that the community will step up to give each new resident a “Welcome Home” package. If we each make a small financial investment, we can create kits consisting of the following type of items: Cooking utensils and dining sets such as pots and pans, mixing and measuring spoons, dish towels, and tableware; bedroom items such as pillows, linens, and blankets; bathroom supplies such as towels, soap, toiletries, and shower curtains; cleaning supplies; and miscellaneous items that you found out you needed only after your moved into your first apartment. Kathryn Johnson, the librarian at Benjamin Library, volunteered the services of the library to accept the packages and to see to their delivery to our new neighbors.
AGGCC volunteers lit up the flyover bridge on Dec. 1. The lighting crew included Edie Ordierno, Marilyn Reed, Barry Price, Omaira Solis, Shain Haug, David Peterson, Tripp Frost, Pat Haug, Julie Stollenwerk and Sophia Frost. The tree and lights at the Waring Road Triangle went up on Dec. 9.
Our next Town Hall Meeting will be on Tuesday, Jan. 22 at 6:30 p.m. at the Benjamin Library, at the corner of Zion Avenue and Glenroy Street. We have not decided on a topic yet. What would you like us to bring to the community? Look for more information in our January 2019 Mission Times Courier article, on Nextdoor, and on our website. Our March 26 meeting will feature the president of San Diego State University.
The AGGCC board of directors meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at Benjamin Library. We are dark in December. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, Jan. 8 (delayed one week because of the New Year’s Day holiday).
There is so very much the council would like to take up in 2019, but there are only 10 of us who are active on the board. If you join us, we promise you that we will support and encourage your special passions for the neighborhood. You will not be asked to do more than the tasks you agree to take on and, of greater importance, we will help you on the projects that you bring to the council.
The Allied Gardens we love is ours to preserve and Grantville is beginning a momentous change in which we must be a part. The communities need you. This is an opportunity to be proud of your part in our important work.
—Shain Haug is president of the Allied Gardens-Grantville Community Council. Reach him at [email protected]. For more information about the council, visit aggccouncil.org.
