Longtime Keizer residents will usually agree with the sentiment that the community is a “city of neighborhoods,” and the active engagement of the local neighborhood associations has long been the backbone of Keizer’s commitment to volunteering and community service.
As the city grows, new neighborhoods form and seek to participate. Two such organizations have recently received official recognition from the city and are looking for volunteers to staff the committees – the Northeast Keizer Neighborhood Association (NEKNA) and the Kennedy Neighborhood Family Council.
Tammy Kunz, NEKNA president, says there are about 4,000 families in the new association. She said they formed in order to ensure the neighborhood is represented when local decisions are being made at the city and county level.
“The goal is to add support and voices to those who may need to be heard,” she said. “We want to advocate fo the voiceless and share what is going on in the community.”
Kunz said they are looking for someone willing to volunteer as association secretary as well as four-to-seven voting members to serve on the committee.
The Kennedy Neighborhood Family Council is an education-focused committee designed to serve the needs of families with children enrolled at Kennedy Elementary School, but Kunz said anyone is welcome to join the council.
“We’re committed to help create programs to enhance positive social connections among the families that support our educational needs and values,” she said.
Kunz has offered her contact information for anyone interested in either of both of these new volunteer groups. She can be contacted at 971-701-3008, or you can send her an email at [email protected] or [email protected].