SAN ANTONIO – Oct. 1 is National Night Out, and several organizations across San Antonio hosted events to foster community.
“I think it’s amazing to be out here, the community coming together as one is great… the band, I love the band, I can hear them from my house, and I’m like aye,” said Ciera Roman.
The community events are neighborhood parties with a purpose. The goal is to strengthen relationships between neighbors and first responders in the area.
“When a young man or woman sees a man or woman in blue, they don’t need to be afraid of them. They need to build that relationship with them, and it also helps our officers start a relationship with families; that way, if something does happen, they have a starting point,” said Eduardo Hernandez, Edgewood Independent School District superintendent.
The community event is also an opportunity to meet neighbors and discuss issues their community struggles with.
“Right now, it seems to be car thefts for some reason; I know we deal with stray animals quite a bit as well,” said Rudy Lopez, the Vice President of the Thompson Neighborhood Association.
And once certain issues are identified, knowing who needs to be made aware and how.
“It’s important to bring the community into what we are doing as well as our families so that way they know what’s going on; they know what to expect of the district, and we know what they expect of us,” said Rita Sanchez, a program coordinator for the San Antonio Independent School District.