ARVAC was born out of a tragic incident that took place in our Alum Rock community in September 2016. A beloved longtime resident in our community was brutally attacked during a home invasion and later succumbed to her injuries. This heartbreaking event shook our Alum Rock community to its core, prompting us to gather at St. John Vianney Church to discuss how we could prevent such incidents in the future and improve our neighborhood's quality of life.

 

Over 200 of us came together in groups to identify key areas needing improvement, including speed and overall safety, caring for the elders in our community, getting to know one another better, taking pride in our neighborhood, addressing crime hotspots, beautifying parts of our area, and enhancing the overall quality of life for our Alum Rock neighbors. 

 

Under the sponsorship of Supervisor Cindy Chavez, I issued a call for volunteers to create an Alum Rock neighborhood association of active change agents. This call was met with great success, as we initially recruited approximately 15 dedicated individuals from diverse backgrounds. During our first meeting in October 2016, we organized and established ARVAC, the “Alum Rock Village Action Committee.” We chose to keep the word “Village” in our name to remind us that it takes a village to make the positive changes we strive for. 

 

Eight years later, ARVAC continues to thrive, delivering positive results in the community that align with our mission to improve the quality of life for our Alum Rock residents.

 

-These reflections come from Jesse Haro, Founder of ARVAC.