Logan Park Apartment’s fourth annual Back to School Night was once again a big hit in the community. Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010, brought thousands out for an evening full of food and fun. Everyone was given a ticket for to get complimentary hamburgers, hot dogs, snow cones, popcorn and drinks. The first 100 school-aged children present received backpacks filled with school supplies. $500 of free rent was raffled off and other prizes were given out. The Kings’ Dance Team came out and entertained the crowd by teaching them how to do some dances. Children had a great time in the bounce houses – some of them even had water slides; and the pool was packed. The event was sponsored by Wasatch Property Management; property manager, Warren Smith; and Life Matters, Inc. (LMI).
Logan Park went from being considered one of the most dangerous places to being a truly great place to live. Warren Smith attributes the success of this transformation to their partnership with the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department, Life Matters and Wasatch Property Managers. Prior to Logan Park’s grand re-opening last year, the police were even reluctant to respond to calls that came in from the community. They averaged 600-900 calls from the property per month! They would only arrive with several cars of backup support. Now the Sheriff’s Department makes regular patrols, and calls for emergency services now average only 60-90 per month – mostly for medical attention and some domestic disputes. The officers now make regular patrols and spend time talking to the kids, and just making sure everything is going well. Management used to spend thousands of dollars a month on repairs for vandalism and graffiti. “Now I spend less than $50 a month on graffiti clean-up”, said Smith.
The Wasatch Property Management Group put more than $20 million into renovating the community, making it the largest conversion of affordable housing. But that’s not all they did. With the help of LMI, they brought life back the property. Wasatch’s mission statement is “Striving to elevate all people we are given the opportunity to serve”. At Logan Park, they really are making a difference and improving the quality of life for their residents.
The Back to School event is just one of the ways that Logan Park supports its community. With 661 units, Logan Park is more like a small city than an apartment community. Warren Smith is affectionately referred to as the “Mayor”. During the event, residents of all ages were coming up to greet him throughout the evening, and he knew each of them by name. The same was true for Penelope Larry, COO of LMI. She and President and Founder, Pastor Joy Johnson both have a real heart for the people. They operate the Life Center right on the Logan Park property. Because LMI is a not-for-profit organization, they are also able to provide help to people that live in the surrounding community. They provide life skills education for both adults and children. No child that lives at Logan Park is left without food. If any of the staff know of a child that does not have enough to eat, they take them to the Life Center and make sure they are given a healthy meal.
Every Wednesday the Life Center offers a week’s worth of groceries to up to 200 families, and each day the children receive an after school snack. Coats and toys are also offered to families that are in need of these articles. They run a charter school right on the property through the Life Center. Adult education classes are also offered. They encourage all of the residents to participate in the activities offered by the Life Center. Each month, a calendar of events is brought to every door. The Life Center at Logan Park is a 1500 sq. ft. building with 700 sq. ft. of covered outdoor space, and easily accommodates all of the programs that are offered to the more than 1,200 children plus adults that reside in and around Logan Park.
Logan Park is another fine example of community in action. If you’re looking for a new place to hang your hat, stop in and see Warren, Patty and the rest of the gang in the office. They will be happy to answer any questions you might have, and give you a chance to see the transformation for yourself. Logan Park is located at 4215 Palm Avenue, Sacramento, CA. They can be reached by phone at (916) 344-4494 or online at www.isyourhome.com. For more information about LMI, visit their web site at www.whereyourlifematters.org.