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PAGE 43 Strengths The strengths of the Tri-Valley area are not just seen, but deeply felt. Community members expressed what makes their community great and provided context for why they are invested in its improvement through this needs assessment. Key Tri-Valley strengths are community cohesion, diversity, nonprofit and law enforcement services, education, health care and mental health services, and recreation. Community Cohesion The Tri-Valley was described as warm and welcoming. Residents said that people in the community were helpful, empathetic, compassionate, and look out for one another. One resident mentioned the importance of giving back: “… I have not gone hungry in my life. But I know that I’ve been very fortunate. There’s a lot of peo- ple who have made that possible for me, that I don’t take that for granted. .... And I have an obli- gation to help others to see what I can do to kind of pass on and lift up folks that didn’t get those same opportunities.” People also seem to try to get to know each other and noted that their neighbors lend a helping hand when needed. One recalled a time when she was struggling and how the community came together to help her. “… I’m a single mom. And I don’t have a lot of in- come. And one time when I lost my job, there were parents from the PTA that donated grocery gift cards for me. And one of the teachers bought coats when my son and I didn’t have proper outerwear. He rides his bike to school … and he was late to school. The teacher said ‘Why are you late?’ And my son explained to him, ‘my bike broke down, it’s not working properly and I’m always trying to fix it and it won’t.’ And so the teacher took it upon himself to ask other teachers in the lunchroom to donate. And they got him a new bike, so he was able to get back and forth to school.” Additionally, given that the health and social service systems can be hard to navigate, communities coordi- nate events where residents can get basic necessities. Image 1. Something I Love About My Community Sign “We really are a community, everybody kind of does watch out for one another. … Again, some- thing kind of very small, but I think it does go a long way. And I think being a Livermore resident, that’s a huge piece of what keeps us here is our neighborhood and the people in it.” Diversity Another common thread that residents noted was the rich diversity in the Tri-Valley. Participants celebrated the cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic differences among residents. They also valued the ability to build relationships and get to know others from different backgrounds. “I think that diversity is a strength in our commu- nity…we’ve got diversity especially as it relates to Asian and white individuals. We lack diversity as it relates to African Americans and to some extent, the Hispanic population. But there’s a lot of ethnic diversity. And I think that gives us strength” EASTERN ALAMEDA COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES NEEDS ASSESSMENTSS Page 101 of 554