Stockton Workshops Aim To Get Neighbors More Involved In Community

By Carlos Correa—March 30, 2018

Residents in Stockton are tackling some of the issues affecting their neighborhoods including poverty, housing and crime.

The People’s Assembly is a series of workshops aimed at giving neighbors the tools to become community organizers and help find solutions to those problems.

Faith in the Valley is a nonprofit organization that believes a different and better future is possible if people start working together.

Community organizer, Toni McNeil grew up in south Stockton and does everything she can to help improve the city. Through Faith in the Valley, a non-profit organization, McNeil is making sure all voices are heard.

“If there is a disconnect and an absence of the actual voices within the community, then we’re hit and miss-ing. We’re not really targeting the needs of the people,” she said.

The group is hosting The People’s Assembly, the first of many meetings focused on empowering residents to take a more active role in advocating for their community.

“I haven’t spent years fighting to have a voice, to advocate and I’m always advocating for others, but I never really learned how to advocate for myself, and so now as an organizer, I am learning that my voice really does have a great amount of power to it,” said McNeil.

Watch more on CBS Sacramento.