Liska Mendoza: Director, Oakwood Recreation Center

The only public green space in the highly dense neighborhood of Oakwood is the Oakwood Recreation Center. A decade or so ago, before curfews and injunctions were put in place, the park was a haven for drug peddlers and prostitutes. Today, the center is turning its face back to the community, providing services and creating a neutral zone for residents, dog handlers and RV's alike.

The Center
"About 90 per cent of my staff is from the community - they work here and grew up here. That's very unique."

Building Community
"The respect that you give is the respect that you receive."

For the Children
"I take pride in making sure that teens, and the children of the community, always have something to do and a place to go; that it's actually a functioning place that's consistent."

Teena Marie
"We actually had the same piano that she used to play as a child... She can come back and say, I was here and I played the piano here."