City Heights Community Development

Join us in celebrating the installation of new roofs, security gates, and restrooms for the public meditation class space at Wat Champou Ruckkha Vanaram on 45th Street! City Heights CDC is proud to have partnered with the Khmer American Mutual Association of San Diego to fund this important project, continuing our efforts to support neighborhood revitalization and provide essential resources for residents to flourish. Meditation is known to reduce stress, improve mental clarity, and promote overall health—crucial for thriving in today’s busy world. These classes are designed for everyone, offering simple techniques to enhance mindfulness and relaxation. We invite everyone to explore how meditation can positively impact your daily life! #CityHeightsCDC #Meditation #CommunityWellness

?? Foundation work is well underway at Cuatro at City Heights! Over the past few weeks, we’ve successfully poured the concrete for Parcel 1 in two stages, ensuring a solid base for the exciting transformation to come. ??? With the groundwork laid, we’re eager to see this project rise. Stay tuned for more progress updates! #TransformationTuesday #CuatroAtCityHeights #ProjectUpdate #Allgiregeneralcontractors

Reflecting on an inspiring day at the City Heights CDC annual staff retreat! This year, our focus was on identifying and harnessing our individual and collective strengths as a community-based organization. We enjoyed a delicious lunch at Key and Cleaver and challenged ourselves with a fun team-building activity at Belmont Park’s Escapology. It was a fantastic day of growth and collaboration. We're energized and excited for the opportunities ahead! #CityHeightsCDC #TeamBuilding #CommunityStrength

This year's New Roots Garden Summer celebration was an amazing day! Gardeners, their families, and our City Heights CDC team shared delicious multicultural foods, music, pi?atas filled with candy, aguas frescas and plenty of laughter. The specialness of this annual tradition lies in the sharing of food and culture in honor of the community garden - it truly is a beautiful sight to see. Special thank you to the gardeners, their families and our CDC team for making this year's celebration memorable. We are incredibly grateful to be part of the New Roots Garden community. We can’t wait for many more celebrations to come! ???? #NewRootsGarden #CityHeights #CityHeightsCDC

We are pleased to announce that our President and CEO Alexis Villanueva, MS and our Vice President of Community Development and Policy Rosa Olascoaga Vidal have been nominated for San Diego Magazines Celebrating Women 2024. Alexis and Rosa show amazing leadership day in and day out leading City Heights CDC. We can not be more proud to celebrate our amazing leaders and hope you will support too. Please cast your vote for Alexis under the Non-Profit Pioneer award, and Rosa under the Non-Profit Rising Star award. We look forward to sharing space with all other women leaders in our city! #leadership #CityHeights #FutureImpact #Risingstar #Pioneer

We are proud to share that City Heights CDC, in partnership with the Khmer American Mutual Association of San Diego, is celebrating a significant milestone with the opening of the Wat Champourukha Vanaram's public meditation center on 45th Street in City Heights, an initiative which marks a crucial step in providing accessible mindfulness practices to the community. "Our organization has long valued non-traditional health options as a means for healing in historically underserved communities like City Heights. By actively engaging with community members to identify their needs, we can mobilize our organizational resources to address them and enhance our quality of life." - Alexis Villanueva, President and CEO of City Heights CDC Communities like City Heights need sacred places where meditation and mindful practices, such as breathing deeply, taking in the environment, and embracing quiet, are encouraged and accessible... Continue reading here: https://lnkd.in/gyR3_PVx

Meet Sylvia, our Economic Development Program Director ?? With more than 20 years of advocacy work experience, Sylvia joins our team as a passionate changemaker. Motivated by her upbringing, she has helped create programs that help address the need for education and empowerment for marginalized communities. Sylvia's deep interest in social media and social justice led her to pursue a master's degree in New Media Studies, where she specialized in leveraging technology and digital platforms to amplify marginalized voices and foster inclusive communities. Sylvia's work in advocacy, outreach, and community partnerships has been instrumental in raising awareness about the importance of financial education. Her efforts challenge societal norms and systemic barriers that perpetuate economic disparities. These qualities will help us further advance economic mobility and development in our community. We're thrilled to have her on board! ?? #CityHeightsCDC #EconomicDevelopment #CityHeights

Champion Scholars Student Spotlight ???? Safiyo Mohamed Congratulations to the third Champion Scholarship recipient, Safiyo ?? Her longtime passion for healthcare led her to pursue Nursing at San Diego City College. Outside of school, she loves gardening and volunteers at the New Roots community garden. Her experiences with the New Roots farmers have taught her the importance of community gardening and access to fresh produce for enhancing residents' emotional and physical health. For Safiyo, it is also essential to respect neighbors' different cultures and backgrounds to promote inclusion and community. These valuable lessons learned while growing up in City Heights will shape her approach as a future nurse. We are rooting for you, Safiyo! ??The City Heights CDC Champion Scholarship uplifts local youth whose stories will inspire and positively impact City Heights. We invite you to support our scholarship program. Your donation empowers City Heights students on their path to higher education. Donate today: https://lnkd.in/gmeEt95B ?? #CityHeights #CityHeightsCDC #ResidentServices

Thanks to our partners Allgire General Contractors and CAREERworks at Able-Disabled Advocacy, Inc., 15 student apprentices from San Diego County joined us on a site tour of the Cuatro affordable housing project in City Heights. Student apprentices toured 3 of the 4 Cuatro construction sites where they heard from Allgire contractors and supervisors. Throughout the site tour, students learned of the various positions, trades, and potential career paths available in the construction industry. Several students joined CAREERworks at Able-Disabled Advocacy, Inc. skills training and employment assistance programs right after high school. The 8-week intensive training course provided by Able-Disabled Advocacy covers topics such as electricity, carpentry, safety in the workplace, and more! Once certified, Able-Disabled Advocacy assists students with applying to their desired apprenticeship program and acquiring the tools they need for their programs. We hope this tour inspires local youth to pursue well-paying career paths that amplify their talents and strengths. #CityHeights #CityHeightsCDC #CuatroHousing #DevelopmentWithoutDisplacement

Meet our amazing Board of Directors! This diverse group brings a wide range of personal and professional backgrounds and strong connections to the City Heights community. Their experience in business, housing, resident services, finance, and community development helps guide our mission to improve life in City Heights. We are grateful to have such a committed board and are glad to partner with these great people as they help steer our organization’s success. Thank you to our board members for your dedication to City Heights! #CityHeights #CHCDC