Neighborhood and Community Services Division

The Community Resources/Recreation Division focuses on the goals of City Council to preserve and enhance the quality of life for all Salem residents and to provide for effective and efficient city government. These goals are pursued by using innovative programming, new technologies, professional involvement, staying attuned to the pulse of the community, involving and encouraging citizen participation, working hand in hand with neighborhood associations, and actively pursuing new partnerships and collaborations to find more focused, integrated, and coordinated methods of meeting the community's needs.

Neighborhood and Community Services is organized functionally into the following sections:

• Human Rights
• Neighborhood Response Effort
• Neighborhood Services
• Social Services
• Youth Development

   

Human Rights

Provides support to the Human Rights and Relations Advisory Commission. The Commission assists citizens with human rights concerns, promotes harmonious relationships among community groups, examines sources of tension, practices of discrimination and acts of prejudice within Salem, reports to the City Council, and recommends action.

Neighborhood Response Effort

The Neighborhood Response Effort, or NRE, is not a project, but a process that supports neighborhood renewal through partnerships between neighbors, landlords, the faith community, schools, businesses, and local government. It is an effort that, through a collaborative process, addresses the issues and concerns of the people who live and work in a specific area. Whether the area suffers from physical deterioration, social strife, or crime, the NRE focuses on the neighborhood's strengths and abilities to solve its own problems. The NRE provides an opportunity for people to identify issues, work together, and leverage additional resources when needed.

Neighborhood Services

The Neighborhood Services section provides support to Salem's nineteen (19) Neighborhood Associations, as well as Salem Neighborhoods, Inc. (SNI).

Services include the Neighborhood Liaison Program, publishing Salem Community Connections monthly, publishing 19 neighborhood association annual newsletters, orientation and training for Neighborhood Association Chairpersons and Board members, support for SRC Chapter 64 compliance, facilitating citizen/City linkages and partnerships, providing mailings and meeting notices, distribution of City Council materials to neighborhoods, and referrals and other forms of citizen assistance.

Social Services

Provides support to the Social Service Advisory Board.  This Advisory Board identifies the social service needs of the community and develops recommendations and solutions to meet those needs, monitors and evaluates social service programs funded by the City of Salem, and advises the city manager and City Council in the area of social service fiscal and program responsibilities.

Youth Development

The Youth Development section provides support to the Salem Youth Advisory Commission ,  REACH Club drug prevention program, middle school after-school  POWER Program , s ummer BLAST camps, and the annual Healthy Choices Youth Rally. Staff also promote connections with community and governmental groups which address youth issues.