Growing Stronger: North Oakland Village Merger With Ashby Village
Ashby Village (AV) and North Oakland Village (NOV), both beginning their second decade of service, are finalizing a merger to become effective on July 1st that will bring even stronger support to both communities.
The Boards of Directors of both villages have officially approved the merger. Andra Lichtenstein, AV Board Chair, Flo Raskin, AV volunteer and their NOV counterparts, Susan Pierpoint, NOV Board President, and Judith Coates, NOV Co-Founder, are working on the details for the merger of operations and administration while preserving the North Oakland Village name and sharing programs and events.
“As the Village movement expands across the country,” says Andra, who is also on the board of Village Movement California, “this type of affiliation will contribute to making the vibrant village model more sustainable.” Staff and leaders of both groups are learning more about programs and services offered by each organization to see how they can best be integrated and continue to provide excellent support to all members.
“We are delighted with this opportunity for Ashby Village to continue to grow while strengthening our neighborhood connections. In December, we added new members and volunteers from Richmond and now joining forces with North Oakland Village, will enrich us all.” says Andy Gaines, AV Executive Director.
More details and information will be described in the July issue of Village Voices. Comments and suggestions are encouraged at info@ashbyvillage.org.