right away but in retrospect we should
have spent a little longer establishing
committees and defining individual roles.
Communication was key in keeping us on
track; like most organizations, we some-
times fell a little short of perfection.
We found out that it would take
more than our class members to help us
achieve our goal. We had mentors such
as our beloved Program Director, Theresa
Kiernan. Chris Houle of L/M Inc., donated
labor and reached out to other generous
business contributors on our behalf.
Community members such as Frank Léal
and Cecelia Ponzini contributed to our
success. Organizations such as Heritage
Bank, Kaiser Permanente, PG&E, Santa
Clara Valley Water District, and the
Persing Family and Edward Boss Prado
Foundations, all earned our thanks and
hopefully points for good Karma.
We raised over $72,000 in cash and
in-kind donations, which paid for trees,
plants, planters, mulch, irrigation, two
storage sheds and lockers, fencing and
more. A special brick feature was created
including names of project donors and
supporters. We also provided a set
of tools for students to maintain the
garden after project completion.
I can honestly say a good 80 percent
of our project was a golden experi-
ence. As for the other 20 percent, a few
glitches are inevitable and the end result
was well worth the effort. Are we better
leaders? Only time will tell. For now,
we’ve got the Oasis, some strong new
community connections, and nineteen
people who are no longer strangers.
“The Oasis is an amazing
place — the culmination
of selfless awesome
individuals coming together
with energy, enthusiasm
and synergy to create an
educational and community
space for all to enjoy.
I hope this idea serves as
a springboard for others
to make positives changes
in our town.”
Vera Gomes, Principal
Central High School
78
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016
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