CARON (Community Alliance to Revitalize Our Neighborhood) is Honored as a Welcoming Star

At the Redwood City Council meeting, Councilmembers and Redwood City Together celebrated the 17th Welcoming Stars Award recipient, CARON (Community Alliance to Revitalize Our Neighborhood). CARON Director Victor Lopez, Captain Christina Corpus, CARON staff, and volunteers were present to receive the award on behalf of the CARON program.

Started in 1999 by the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office and community leaders to reduce gang violence, CARON has grown immensely and now focuses on bridging the gaps between immigrant families and law enforcement in Redwood City and North Fair Oaks. CARON operates with the belief that there is no better crime prevention than community engagement. “Every member of the community has a voice and it matters,” says Jose Luis Aguirre, who is the Outreach Program Manager at CARON. A hallmark program of CARON is the 7-week Community Academies that cover topics ranging from gang prevention to civic engagement. These community academies give participants of diverse backgrounds the opportunity to make a positive impact in their neighborhoods. Most recently, CARON has delivered workshops around mental health and vaping prevention.

Featured is the story of Martha Flores, who is a survivor of domestic violence who participated in the Community Academies and is now a CARON board member. She is currently finishing her studies at Cañada College and hopes to one day write a book to empower women experiencing her past situation. Community members can support CARON Community Academies and increase CARON’s impact by giving their own stamp of approval and helping to spread the word.