Fred Sheil - Stocktonians Taking Action to Neutralize Drugs
In this episode we feature the voice of Fred Sheil the Administrator of STAND who shares his passion, insights and organization’s work over the past two plus decades in South Stockton to address, policing, neighborhood revitalization, slumlord abatement, housing and commercial development.
Fred Sheil
Fred grew up in a small farm town outside of Madison, Wisconsin. Fred, did the seven year program to get his Bachelor of Science degree. Fred spent four years in far Northern Thailand with the Peace Corp. Fred did his Masters work at the University of California Davis. Fred arrived in Stockton, CA in 1983. Fred has spent forty five years designing and managing small businesses, international agricultural projects as well as community social and economic development projects. Fred has worked over twenty five years with STAND developing over 400 units of affordable housing in South Stockton as well as working with residents and the police department to implement and manage community policing.
Stocktonians Taking Action To Neutralize Drugs (STAND)
To understand the birth of STAND, one needs to understand the history of the “neighborhood” of Fair-view Terrace. The neighborhood is a seventeen-block area of southeast Stockton, consisting of very low to middle income residents, most of who are African-American and Hispanic. Beginning with the ‘crack’ epidemic of the early 1990’s, the entire area became plagued by overt criminal activity and blatant outdoor drug sales. Many of these activities were occurring in and around the neighborhood elementary school (Garfield Elementary) and the neighborhood park (A.E. Williams Brotherhood Park). Residents of the neighborhood came to realize that the traditional approach to policing was ineffective. Born out of fear, weary of living in an area controlled by drug dealers, drug users, prostitutes, gangs, and the sound of constant gunfire residents of the community decided it was time to take a STAND (Stocktonians Taking Action To Neutralize Drugs) and retake their neighborhood.
STAND created the Affordable Housing Program. While cleaning up crime, we learned that the slumlords that provide housing to addicts and dealers are an equal part of the crime problem. Our board organizes many youth activities and other community events in the neighborhood; such as youth basketball camps and leagues, a Christmas tree lighting project that covers over 30 blocks of street trees, Easter Day event, crab feeds, Mother and Sons breakfast, and many more activities. Get engaged with STAND.
Donation / Fundraising
Please Support STAND’s Work
Your support of STAND will help us continue to provide vital services to both the Fairview and Southeast Stockton neighborhoods such as our Community Policing, community Building Events, Neighborhood Revitalization, Slumlord Abatement and Beautification Project all of which supports the larger South Stockton community.
Help STAND continue to bring the scared and fragmented community back together http://www.standaffordablehousing.org/donate/
“It is easy to be judgmental and put the “them” label on it versus us and that gives you a simple solution that allows you the out”
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