In 2020, with David and Yelena Ball, I co-founded We Love Santiago Park to reactivate a park that had been overrun by drug dealers and addicts. Despite the challenges of COVID, we ran nearly 20 events over two years, enticing neighbors to return and reclaim their park. Santiago Park is now a symbol of community resilience and revitalization.
Here are some of the events that Jeffrey spearheaded.
Santiago Park Cleanup
On a Sunday morning, more than 50 people from Park Santiago descended on the park to pick up garbage, condom packets, needles, etc.
Tree Planting
In May, 60 neighbors from Floral Park and Park Santiago planted 50 native trees in the park.
Medical Supply Drive for the Homeless
Jeffrey volunteered with Wound Walk OC to address the homeless crisis in the Santiago Park. He organized a medical supply drive soliciting donations of:
- Bacitracin Ointment
- Antibacterial bandages
- Hydrogel wound dressing
- Gauze pads
- Gatorade
- Silver Calcium wound dressing
- Sodium Chloride Saline
- Absorbine Silver Hones Rapid Wound Repair Spray Gel
- Men’s and Women’s sox
The supplies were donated to Wound Walk OC and then used to treat the homeless in Santiago Park. Often, Jeffrey accompanied Wound Walk OC into the Park at dusk to help treat the homeless. The intent is to create a relationship of trust with the homeless so that they can be persuaded to seek help from appropriate social services offered by the City of Santa and the County of Orange.
Sunday Bike Ride
The social events at the park started simple – bike rides through a desolate park so neighbors can begin to envision the potential for beauty.
Saturday Bike Ride
Please see the video.
Valentine’s Day
To celebrate our love for each other and the love for Santiago Park we coordinated a picnic in the park. Challenged by COVID restrictions, couples were distanced throughout the park as music was played from the Summer of Love (1969).
Bark & Walk
Man’s best friend was not left out of the venture. The neighborhoods partnered on a Bark & Walk through Santiago Park.
Yoga
On four occasions, Floral Pak and Park Santiago hosted yoga sessions under the sycamores adjacent to the lawn bowling.
St. Patrick’s Day Concert
In March, Floral Park and Park Santiago hosted a St. Patrick’s Concert. More than 200 neighbors brought their own picnics as we sat in the Santiago Park Sycamore Grove and listened the Celtic music of The Finnians – an Irish Band whose members live in Park Santiago and donated their performance to the cause.
Fourth of July
To celebrate the Fourth of July we paraded with bikes and music through the Santiago Park. The size of our support from the neighbors was growing significantly.
Halloween Bike Ride
During the Halloween season, Floral Pak and Park Santiago organized a Halloween Bide Ride through Santiago Park.
Lawn Bowling
For more than 30 years, there has been a lawn bowling center at Santiago Park. However, in recent years, its membership has dwindled at the park has fallen in stature. We Love Santiago Park organized two lawn bowling events with more than 80 neighbors coming to events.
Baseball Movie on the Baseball Diamond
This event captured so many different aspects of our neighborhood movement. This was not simply a “movie in the park” evening. Rather, the program was designed to bring together different elements of the city. The movie that was chosen for the evening was “The Sandlot” – a movie that would bring families to the park.
The evening unfolded as a baseball game would. Initially Floral Park neighbors Ryan and Amber Mattis, restauranteurs, volunteered to grill specialty hot dogs for people to purchase. Before the movie started, we announced the starting lineup for the evening.
We reached out to the local high school, Santa Ana High School, and the local community college, Santa Ana Community College, and asked if they would send baseball and softball players to the event in uniform. The players were announced and brought up to the front.
The local city council member was announced as the manager of the team.
A Park Santiago high school student who attended the local school of the arts, sang the Star-Spangled banner.
Before the movie started, neighbor Bob Yoacum, a volunteer high school football referee, came out in an umpire’s uniform and brushed off the screen, and yelled “Play Movie!
In the middle of the movie, we stopped the movie for a 7th inning stretch. We handed out cracker jacks to all the kids and sang “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”
The City was so surprised at the success of this event which had over 200 people in attendance, it began a movie series throughout the City using the same COVID-safety measures that we adopted for the event.
Epilogue: The joint neighborhood project has been a success and will continue in 2022.
Because of our efforts, the City is re-investing in Santiago Park. The area designed for children has been long overdue for improvement. This area has been undeveloped for many years. See the 3 pictures below.
Years ago, the Park Santiago community suggested improvements in this area and provided a sketch of their ideas.
Thanks to the hard work of retired Santa Ana Parks & Rec leader, Ron Ono, the project moved forward in 2021. Meetings were held with the neighborhood associations to discuss the concept plan.
The plan and estimates were submitted to the California Coastal Conservancy for grant funding. The PRCSA was successful in obtaining a $1 million dollar grant for the park development and provided additional funding from Park Development fees.
