The Safe Streets Campaign honored five superstar community volunteers during its annual luncheon Oct. 19 at the Tacoma Sheraton. This year’s superstars included Tacoma Police Lt. Mike Ake, Arborcrest Apartments manager Kathy Hernandez, Youth Leading Change graduate Nan Nop, Prairie Ridge community members Lou and Mary Sorg, and Carilyn Stock of Lakewood.
“Superstars take responsibility to create safer communities,” said Priscilla Lisicich, executive director of the Safe Streets Campaign. “Organizing their neighborhoods can start with a simple mission to get cars to slow down on a neighborhood street, for example. Then their work blossoms into neighborhood patrols that help to protect children going to and from school, closing down meth labs, driving drug dealers out of the neighborhood, restoring a park and so many other activities that make their community safer for all to enjoy.”
At the luncheon, Safe Streets board members asked the business and community leaders to continue to financially support the organization’s efforts to organize neighborhood block groups, provide leadership opportunities to youth and promote initiatives to eradicate the use and manufacture methamphetamines.
Safe Streets is the first private, non-profit organization that unites neighbors against crime — a model for other programs nationwide. Serving Tacoma and Pierce County since 1989, Safe Streets is supported by private and public dollars.
