www.RiverRoad-SantaClaraPlan.org 2 <br />Process to date <br />‘Reaching Out’ phase <br />This summer the community organizations and staff began the Reaching Out phase of this 18-month <br />project. Our Reaching Out efforts had three objectives: <br />1.We wanted to raise awareness about the project; <br />2.We wanted to get the word out about the October 17th community event at North Eugene High <br />School; and <br />3.We wanted to create opportunities for people to provide input on the future of their community. <br />We began raising awareness about the project by meeting with neighbors where they were. We <br />promoted the project at fun activities like Sunday Streets and the grand opening of the new River Road <br />Elementary School and during routine errands at the grocery store. Volunteers from the community <br />organizations canvassed their neighborhoods with informational flyers. There were stories in the regular <br />community organization newsletters and we used social media to spread the information, too. In total, <br />we attended more than 20 events in advance of the big October 17th event! This video contains footage <br />of that outreach. <br />The community event at North Eugene High School was a huge success, with nearly 400 people filling the <br />Highlander gymnasium. We were thrilled with this result. However, we know that many in the community <br />are unable to attend evening meetings, so we’ve made an extra effort to meet with them at more <br />convenient times and places. <br />We formed partnerships with trusted organizations like Saint Vincent DePaul, Food for Lane County, and <br />our local schools. These organizations have helped us to reach a broader swath of residents. In addition <br />to the large community event, small group meetings were held with high school students, affordable <br />housing residents, and Spanish speakers; a small group gathering of rural residents in Santa Clara will take <br />place later this month. Most recently, a group of neighborhood volunteers and City and County staff did <br />door-to-door canvassing of local businesses to gather their input on the neighborhood. [A summary of <br />March 12, 2018, Work Session – Item B