Guadalupe Park

Congratulations!

Every member of this project has earned the Build Volunteer badge! Congratulations for succesfully completeing your playground project.

Check out your profile page to see the badge or learn more about the Build Volunteer badge.

Thank you all for making this project such a wonderful day of celebration for this community. I'd love to hear more stories, keep them coming!

Last evening, Patrick the handyman came to work on projects for IHA. He showed up in his red Forester's shirt and ballcap, all freshly laundered. Patrick volunteered as the build's "Butterfly Team" captain, energy in flying colors with his granddaughter's flashy pink beret. "Thank you again for our new park!" he said. "You did this," I replied. Patrick lived for many years at the mobile home park that borders Guadalupe Park. He knows the area well, and the need for safe playspace. "It's 'ours,' Tobi, it really is! I'm seeing kids play there, and families hang out. I think they really know this is for them. They worked for it, and they're taking care of it." Patrick's face lights up every time he mentions the park and its change. I wish I could type the right words to show readers the image. On behalf of Patrick, thank you Foresters, KaBOOM!, City of La Habra, volunteers, everyone!

Thanks, Foresters, for helping get the onsite and post-event word out to the media about our 7/24 build at Guadalupe Park! We're seeing some of the press coverage roll in. It's great to see how consistent they were to point out all the volunteers, teamwork, need and support on this project. Very grateful! Congrats on all you're doing in So. Calif., and nationwide. Tobi Some of the links include: * In Regional LA's Spanish-speaking newspaper, La Opinion, 7/26/2010: http://www.impre.com/laopinion/noticias/la-california/2010/7/26/un-parque-de-la-comunidad-201164-2.html#commentsBlock * In the 7/26 online edition of Orange County Register: http://www.ocregister.com/news/habra-259319-park-playground.html#article-comments * From iStockAnalyst.com, 7/24: http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/4339629 * From Digital Journal.com, 7/24: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/80716

Thank you to all of you who helped with the KaBOOM! Project. We had a wonderful turn out on Thursday and Saturday and everyone there was extremely happy to get involved. This is such a great gift given to our community. THANKS!

Need volunteers? La Habra Journal is on board, excited to help raise awareness and coverage for our July 24 event (they'll be there onsite, too.) They gave us great coverage in their July 8 issue. Check it out! http://www.lhj90631.com/ Thank you LHJ!

A really great quote, given by Rose Espinoza, Founder, Rosie’s Garage, to Vanessa Rodriguez, FRC, at yesterday's La Habra Collaborative meeting (said to over 30 community leaders): “You should feel proud because you gave mentoring and training to a working-class community. Now they know what they can do, and this can be replicated.” (regarding the creation, growth and successes of the La Habra Action Council, and their latest endeavor—the Guadalupe Park playground build)

Hey Everyone, Great news (literally)! Yesterday's OC Register featured a very nice article on the Guadalupe Park playground project, including our sponsor and volunteer needs. And, just as great, they highlighted all the team members: Foresters, KaBOOM!, FRC, the City, everyone. (see link below). What a way to show teamwork! What a way to kick off this weekend! http://www.ocregister.com/news/park-253985-habra-center.html

Hey California buddies! La Habra Family Resource Center is still taking donations of gently used clothes, toys, etc for their garage sale next weekend--proceeds to benefit the Guadalupe Park KaBOOM/Foresters project!! Also, we really need volunteers on July 22-24...especially on Sat, July 24 Build Day. (hint, hint). :-) Of course, $$ and food donations also welcome!! Please contact Vanessa directly at: 714-447-3460x206 or e-mail: vrodriguez@frclahabra.org to sign up. Got garage stuff? I can take it to FRC for you, if you get it to me no later than Wed, June 16. Thank you!! :-)) Tobi

We'll we're off to a fast pace in making a playground at Guadalupe Park a reality. To all the "playground alumni" nationwide--what playground fundraisers worked best for you? Got any fun, proven, easy-to-implement brilliant ideas? Our community is abuzz with their own brainstorming. Why not include the best from our neighbors nationwide? Send us your thoughts!

Vanessa sent us an e-mail today, inviting us to bring our favorite, gently-used items to Family Resource Center this week. Her team is planning a neighborhood garage sale-fundraiser for Guadalupe Park. It's perfect for the community--an easy way for everyone to become involved. It's perfect for me--my girlfriends recently shed their children's toys and clothes. My porch became their destination; they know that I love grassroots roll-up-your-sleeves adventures, and it's easy to find projects that need "stuff"! Vanessa, watch out---I'll be bringing stuff to "your porch" very soon! ;-)

More than 35 children poured into the elementary school gym for Design Day on May 27, crayons in hand, ready to draw their "dream playground." There were balloons, paper, color and conversation everywhere. It was a lot of fun to see the kids--and the adults--have a blast. Colorful sketches of animals, slides, monkey bars and green grass quickly emerged in the children's drawings. Soccer balls too. Parents talked about their own favorite games as children: slides, hide-and-seek, jacks, seesaws, and rocking horses. "Build Day (at Corona Park) was a superb experience," said Irma, a mother who helped last year. "It only took four hours, and everything was transformed. The children painted and everyone worked hard. I am happy we will have a playground here." Elements from the kids' drawings will be included in Guadalupe Park's new playground--I can't wait to see how it turns out!

It was great meeting Kara from Kaboom!, who flew all the way out to see Guadalupe Park and meet our community. Everyone is in the midst of planning--landscaping, soil testing, talking with neighbors about this new project, and more. The excitement seems contagious. The City of La Habra was involved in a different Kaboom! build the year before (at Corona Park); we have a very experienced--and motivated!--management team. "One of my best days in this business was the day when it (Corona Park) was built," said Sal Faila, Director of Community Services Dept. for the City of La Habra. David DeLeon, Recreation Manager, seemed to agree. The City "is very pleased to see the strength of each group collaborating here," said David. "Partnerships--it's important to build family relationships and creating a playground in our community helps us do that," he added. Kara smiled. With the success of the Corona Park project, and the shared experience of working together, this second project at Guadalupe Park seems like a great fit. I think they're awesome--everyone on the team.

Hi Everyone, Welcome to our site. We are very excited to get this project going. We are looking forward to working with the community.