Ladling Out The Love

 

This editorial originally appeared in Conejo Valley Lifestyle, on Oct 24, 2017,
“Ladling Out The Love”

LOCAL VOLUNTEERS FILL HEARTS WITH BOWLS OF HOPE

The Conejo Valley and its environs are wonderful places to live, but finding affordable housing for our homeless and low-income residents is often an issue. In fact, the dearth of affordable housing in our area has been an ongoing topic of discussion for nearly 40 years.

In early 1979, Frank Schillo called Thousand Oaks civic leaders together to try to find a solution to the high cost of housing here. Representatives of city government, business and faith communities, service clubs, nonprofits and others gathered to discuss ways of meeting the housing challenges.

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Many Mansions Builds a Firm Foundation for Community

This editorial originally appeared in Conejo Valley Lifestyle, on June 23, 2017,
“Many Mansions Builds A Firm Foundation for Community”

In 1979, community members of Thousand Oaks came together in response to the housing crisis plaguing their neighbors, especially those who were becoming homeless or being forced to live in overcrowded, run-down, and crime-ridden housing.

These individuals represented a wide segment of Thousand Oaks, including the faith community, social services agencies, businesses, local government and concerned citizens.

Their initial efforts led to the establishment of Many Mansions in Ventura County, which owns and operates 500 units in 14 affordable housing complexes in Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley and Oxnard.

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