NEIGHBORS
attendees.
The group will likely continue making meetings accessible online even after they go back to convening in-person, he said.
Clairemont’s town council has focused on finding creative and safe ways to bring people together during the pandemic.
The group organized two community clean-up projects, and during the holidays it dropped off food, toys and decorations at two families’ homes.
That limited interaction hit the spot, said Eden Yaege, president of the Clairemont Town Council.
“I think that’s what we are all missing, all those things that happen when you are spending time in space,” Yaege said.
Community planning groups, which make recommendations to the city about land use development projects, also continued to meet monthly — virtually.
Most of the 42 groups have successfully hosted virtual meetings, but some have experienced hiccups.
Dale Huntington, vice chair of the Southeastern San Diego Community Planning Group, said most of his online meetings have gone well, but at least two were hacked — often referred to as “Zoombombing.”
During one meeting someone played a video with sexual content on their screen. In another meeting someone made racist remarks to the group’s chair, who is Black.
“I was sick to my stomach,” Huntington said of the racist remark.
He said he hopes the city will help community planning groups avoid future problems by providing access to more secure software, since all groups are volunteer-led and don’t have much funds.
Dozens of residents still participate in the meetings, he said, especially for
such hot button issues as marijuana dispensary projects.
Beyond meetings, other neighbor leaders have used the extra time at home to launch community mutual aid projects and to organize neighborhood improvement events like trash cleanups.
Neighbors in Valencia Park recently revived their community council to launch beautification projects. And Sherman Heights residents began operating a 24-hour community mutualaid food pantry in March.
Also hundreds of residents across San Diego have installed and filled book-sharing boxes called little libraries for families.
James Lively, a City Heights resident, created a bi-weekly cleanup group called Superheroes of City Heights, to stay busy during the pandemic and connect with people. At least five volunteers help him regularly.
“I use these cleanups as an opportunity to talk to people on the block,” Lively said. “I try to learn each person’s name so that I can say Hi next time we cross paths.”
Although Lively participates in online community meetings, he said he prefers in-person experiences.