Building Leadership at the NeighborWorks Community Leadership Institute

Building Leadership at the NeighborWorks Community Leadership Institute

Posted on December 30, 2024

This fall, SHE’s Community Development Specialists, Javier Salazar and Oscar Cisneros, led a group of residents from Comunidad Nuevo Lago (CNL) to the NeighborWorks America Community Leadership Institute (CLI) in Baltimore, Maryland. The three-day event gathered over 600 resident leaders from across the country to address local challenges under the theme Diversity to Harmony: Blending Perspectives for Common Goals.

CNL, a resident-owned community in Fresno, California, is home to 60 families, primarily farmworkers. Seven residents, including six immigrants from Oaxaca, Mexico, and one Fresno State student, attended the CLI. They are part of a leadership program supported by the California Center for Cooperative Development (CCCD), which has assisted them in transforming their mobile home park (MHP) into a resident-owned community. Now, CCCD is helping the group form a leadership board and learn how to manage meetings and the community effectively. Self-Help Enterprises partnered with NeighborWorks America CLI to sponsor their attendance at the event.

At the conference, they participated in workshops focused on community engagement, problem-solving, and collaboration—skills to help them build a sustainable future for their neighborhood.

One of the most impactful moments came when Lorenzo, the Board President of CNL, shared the group’s story during a brainstorming session. He proudly introduced the team, saying, “We are proud Indigenous and Oaxacan people who work hard to produce food for the country and to create a hopeful future for our children. We’ve fought to turn our mobile home park (MHP) into a residential community, and while challenges remain, we are committed to running our community fairly for everyone.” This resonated with many attendees, creating immediate connections through shared struggles and aspirations.

CNL also received a $4,000 grant from NeighborWorks, which is helping the team build a community space in their MHP—a place for events and gatherings to foster pride and maintain a well-kept community.

In addition to the training, Javier and Oscar led the group to Washington, D.C., where they met other leaders and witnessed civic engagement on a larger scale.

The trip was transformative, especially as it was the first time many residents traveled so far from home. They met leaders facing similar challenges and left feeling inspired to overcome obstacles in their own community. The conference’s focus on women’s leadership particularly motivated the women in group to step into more leadership roles.

This initiative is a great example of Self-Help Enterprises’ Community Development Department in action, empowering local leaders and fostering sustainable growth through hands-on training, collaboration, and leadership development. The CNL team is already applying their new skills and is eager to use them to improve their mobile home park and strengthen community bonds.