Community: Davenport

Host Agency: Davenport Resource Service Center of the Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County Community Profile: The Davenport Resource Service Center is available to the approximately 1,000 people of the greater North Coast of Santa Cruz County. It serves the communities of Davenport, Swanton, Last Chance, and Bonny Doon, as well as agricultural ranches. This North Coast community is located in a rural, isolated setting with pockets of poverty and limited access to services.

The Davenport community identified transportation, employment, small business assistance and childcare, and the lack of teen services/recreation as the key issues to be addressed by a community approach.

One volunteer for the Davenport Resource Service Center took the lead in the transportation issue. He rode the buses to experience first hand, concerns of the community regarding the bus service. To determine the current modes of transportation used in the area, other community members conducted a survey. Their findings pinpointed the total number of residents that ride the bus, which was 219 of the nearly 300 surveyed, and where they live. Finally, the results showed the number of riders for each of the top five scheduled stops, and the need for additional buses and schedule changes. The residents presented findings to the Santa Cruz County Transit Authority for increased service and re-scheduling of buses to accommodate children to and from school and working parents. By September 1999 the result of their extended negotiations was the awarding of $80,000 in new bus service. The survey pinpointed for the Transit Authority when and where the buses are to be provided. The community conducted a celebration of their success thanking all that contributed. (see charts in appendix)

A similar approach was taken in regards to the lack of any teen services within the community. In this case, part of the ICCS stipend was used to employ local teens to survey other resident youth to determine interest in a teen center and determine the activities. Once the survey was completed and the results aggregated three parents successfully wrote a grant to the Community Foundation for $4,600, and set up the North Coast Teen Program, which operated all summer. The goal of the program, as stated in their mission statement, is to "improve the lives of North Coast teens and empower them by involving them directly in the development of a teen program." The activities of the teen program included rock climbing, movie nights, beach clean-ups, Giants games, and more.

Business and employment was the third issue. After tabulating the survey results, the Resource Center brought in Cabrillo College, a resource that assisted in addressing the topic of business. As a means of employment, many of the residents are interested in starting small businesses; an example is childcare. Members of the small business program at the College came to Davenport and presented the types of services they offer, and provided interested residents with the information they needed to get started.

The process used in the Davenport project was a simple one. The Resource Center convened five community meetings, beginning with a large one comprised of 13 residents, the Human Resources Agency, local business people, representatives from the school board and the cement plant. The issues were determined. The large group then broke up into sub-groups to accomplish the various tasks assigned to them. With the Resource Center convening and facilitating monthly meetings and ICCS providing technical information on welfare legislation impact, charting data collected in the community, and a process for community planning the community was able to reach agreement on its immediate needs and negotiate funding and policy changes.

As a result of this project, community residents were empowered to conduct this project in its entirety. The project has helped in mobilizing community residents and has given them a structure to address needs that have always existed, yet have gone without constructive discussion or resolution. That is no longer the case. ICCS is planning to include Davenport in the proposed Community Leaders program.

 

Accomplishments:

• Convened a broad spectrum of North Coast residents to discuss and seek solutions to problems/issues affecting area residents.
• Surveyed over 250 residents regarding current Public Transportation Service to the North Coast.
• Tabulated Public Transportation surveys and designed an alternate schedule that reflects the results. Alternate schedule expands present service by combining service between two towns. Group will present alternate schedule to the county Transit Board.
• Surveyed over 100 area teenagers regarding their interest in participating in a teen program. Surfvey also gathered a list of popular activities amongst area teens.
• Formed a parent/teen group that submitted a grant to the Community Foundation of S.C. Co. for funding of a summer teen program. The group received funds for summer of 98 and is currently running a teen program. The activities offered by the program reflect the results of the teen survey.
• Accessed the services of the Small Business Development Center. The Center provides multiple services for opening and developing small businesses.

Challenges:

• Finding an effective medium to promote the services of the Small Business Development Center.
• Affecting the needed change to the present bus service to the North Coast. This requires convincing the Transit Authority of the valididty of the survey results and the benefits of combining service between two North Coast towns.
• Converting the organization and enthusiams of the participants in the present Teen Program, into a permanent site-based teen center. The teen center will provice the long-term solution to the present lack of a safe haven for area teens.

Next Steps:

• Work and negotiate with the Transportation Board to provide more comprehensive bus service to the North Coast.
• Work with local and regional funding agencies/government to provide funds to sustain present teen program.
• Set in motion the initial steps to gather funds, organization and space for a permanent site-based teen center.
• Promote the services of the Small Business Development Center through newsletter and outreach.