What are some of the areas in which you would like to see community-based organizations get more involved? How can Austin organizations do a better job improving the lives of West Side residents?

Roberta Van

“Involvement with more seniors programs, fitness programs and bus trips. More involvement in affordable housing, lower cost for medicine and health care. We especially need more focus on our youth and helping them with education and getting jobs. The young people are our future and they need education and a sense of direction from the elders as well as our organizations.”

Lorenzo Humphreys

“I would like to see more involvement for young people, keep them busy so they won’t get involved with gangs.”

Ronald Lawless

“I’d like to see community-based organizations be more involved in parental involvement at the school level, which would include reading and math. I think that will help not only the community, but also the parents with their children in education.”

Jennifer Thomas

“Some of the things I would like Austin organizations to be involved in is education awareness of AIDS/HIV in our community. The statistics are high, and we want to bring our numbers down. We want to eradicate [it]?”if not, at least control it in our community.”

Bobby Hines

“As a Christian guy, I want everybody to come together as one. We can’t all be going in different directions. We’ve got to come together as a community. We should have neighborhood gatherings from everywhere?”South Side, West Side, East Side, and North Side, all over. I would like to see big brothers and big sisters get together with the kids, and I would like to see more kids get into the churches. I would like to see more parents with their children and get themselves together because the kids reflect us. If they see what we do, they are going to do the same thing. We have to be there for our kids, not only our kids but other kids also. There is always room for improvement. The churches could be doing more. There are some who want to help and some that don’t. But you got to show them, you have to get out in the streets, even if you have to go corner to corner. You have to let them know that we’re going to stand up for ourselves. Not only white, black, brown, Mexican, Jews or whatever. We all combine to one. That’s the way the Lord sees it. In his eyes, we all as one.”

Keith Hooker

“We have to understand that the West Side is taking a vast turnaround right now. As far as the land itself, the area is becoming wealthier because it’s prime property that we’re living on. We have to keep our neighborhood strong enough for our youth, as well as our protesters who have been there 20-30 years. We have to remember our grandparents fought for this and built and structured it, so it’s time for us to keep their legacy. Community organizations can help with maintaining our heritage here on the West Side.”