What does it mean to manage a center for the community?
What is the purpose of its existence?
Whom should a community center serve?
Over the last few months I have been in hot pursuit in taking action to foment social responsibility awareness of the way the management of the South Norwalk Community Center and its chief executive officer, Warren Pena have orchestrated their affairs towards the community. Efforts to facilitate positive disruptive action have been taken directly onto the streets of South Norwalk, as well as on social media platforms to bring pressure upon what appears to be a improper mishandling of around one million dollars in funds by Pena's management group. To date, his director has been ousted and a board of advisors member has resigned due to community action in the last twelve weeks.
Violence has not been exacted nor is condoned in the campaign to bring the 'powers that be' in the South Norwalk Community Center to do what is right for the local community. To date, the center runs a back office that gives monetary welfare to families in need of paying utilities, yet there is not one single program open to local families. In fact, the only way the center is of use is directly through South Norwalk schools. I have spoken with a great number of parents and individuals in the community who all have overlapped in their thought and feeling about the center. The message that keeps coming through is that of funds being 'lost' and improperly used, pre-school programs that never got off the ground and allocated funds of which have been unaccounted for decade after decade.
How is it that almost $1,000,000 have been given to Warren Pena as the head of that center and yet the place looks like an eye sore? Children who live on the same street tell me that there is no dance, yoga, chess, basketball, baseball, music, art or fitness room. A halfway house for recovering alcoholics and serious drug addicts was stopped virtually over night a while back and the inhabitants left to the mercy of the streets. There is no love coming from the center to the community and the people say the center does not care about them.
Again, it just has a back office that gives some monetary help to pay for utilities. Is this how a YMCA is run? Is this how a country club is run? Do we not all matter regardless of the size of out bank account or does only Warren Pena matter? Why is the South Norwalk Community Center appear like an unwelcoming fortress? When you walk in the lights are dim and one is unsure of where to go. There is NO front desk. One has to meander around and find an open door where there is a secretary. Two of these ladies have told me that there are no programs for the public.There is no love for Mr. Pena.
He has certainly heard of me by now and though I can bring hard evidence I know that I am followed around town. Even this morning as I skateboarded in my Norwalk community, a car drove fast and quick (35 mph) within 18 inches of me in a possible attempt to scare or clip me. This has never happened to me and I am not scared.
He knows he is on his way out. The writing is on the wall. His days are numbered. He did not serve the community but served himself of it.
My goal is to out him not to work with him. There will be no accord. New life will be brought into the center. A vetting process is in formation to bring in people who actually care and can make a difference quickly.
I would like to serve my community and would accept the chief executive officer position on a voluntary basis without pay. I am a fire-breathing educator entrepreneur who has crossed the country working in Special Education in Boston, Hawai'i, Connecticut, New York and greater Massachusetts. I know how to win hearts and how to serve people. I know how to put others first, rather than my own interests. I also know how to move faster than lightning, establish immediate programs for the community, delegate authority and support a team environment where everyone is valued.
Let's ramp up our voices, rise together and make corruption heal to the will of the people.
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