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A crash course on Burbank
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Program introduces students to city departments, nonprofits and businesses.By Christopher CadelagoWhen Hernando Cervantes emigrated from Barranquilla, Colombia, to Burbank eight years ago, the 39-year-old architect-turned- construction project manager said he couldn’t name a single city leader, let alone a department or social-service program.“When you come, you can’t afford the time to study,” Cervantes said. “We have a lot of miscommunication in the community.” Three years ago, Cervantes began taking English classes at Burbank Adult School, eventually joining the school’s Advisory Committee. Then, he and a dozen other residents were chosen to be members of the Burbank Neighborhood Leadership Program’s inaugural class. A joint effort of Leadership Burbank, Burbank Adult School and the city’s Community Development Department, the program puts students through a rigorous five-month introduction to each of the city’s departments, local nonprofits and businesses, such as Cartoon Network and Walt Disney Co. While the program initially calls for citywide immersion, the students are then expected to serve as ambassadors of their communities, helping to introduce neighbors to available programs and services, said Community Resources Coordinator Gabriela Flores. “Honestly, this has been the best thing I have ever done,” said Kathleen Lindblom, chairwoman of the Leadership Burbank Alumni Assn. “This has been the most amazing process, and I don’t want to see them go.” Hernando and Nunez will join the rest of their classmates May 30 at Burbank City Hall for a graduation ceremony and reception. But the group has pledged to stay tight-knit in order to address nagging neighborhood problems, which the city officially confronted 12 years ago when it purchased and rehabilitated nine apartments buildings in the cul-de-sac of West Elmwood Street. At the time, Elmwood was plagued by gang activity and crumbling buildings, prompting city officials to declare it a “focus neighborhood.” Officials have since tackled crime, a lack of safe open space and graffiti in Verdugo-Lake, Golden State, Peyton-Grismer and Lake-Alameda. In 2005, the city established Connect with your Community, which aimed to build community not just by erecting new structures, but by fostering partnerships with area organizations and residents. The leadership program takes leaders from each of the focus neighborhoods to form what Nunez called a “Green Dream Team.” “There are a lot of people in the group for whom the environment is a daily focus,” she said. Students last month visited the Burbank Recycle Center for a primer on environmental issues the city faces. “It’s been a pleasure watching them grow and develop into community leaders,” said Burbank Adult School Director Cherise Moore. In one session, students learned financial literacy, including balancing a checkbook and how to properly maintain a family budget. The students visited Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center for information on health literacy, access and wellness. And in another lesson led by City Manager Mike Flad, students took a tour of the city, followed by an introduction to local politics. “When the manager of the city takes one day to explain what he and his staff does, that is something you can pass to the other people,” Cervantes said. “These people aren’t working for a salary. They really love what they are doing.” The Burbank Temporary Aid Center and Family Service Agency of Burbank is where students said they felt most connected. Nunez, who spent two years living in a shelter for battered women in South Central Los Angeles, said working to raise more than $3,000 for the Family Service Agency through its second annual Care Walk of Burbank was one of the highlights. “They helped me through changes in life,” said student Magda Sellon, who sought out the organization when she separated from her husband. “We’ve had people go through domestic violence and we all wanted to help.” |