Green Oasis Community Garden

The Green Oasis Community Garden began in 1981 when founders Norman Vallee and Reinaldo Arana looked out from their apartment window at a collection of five blighted, rubble-filled lots. Tired of the neighborhood decay, they organized residents to clear away abandoned cars and debris by hand to create a safe space for local children. Their work turned a dangerous urban scar into a vibrant neighborhood sanctuary that eventually grew to include a koi pond, beehives, and a rare Blue Atlas Cedar.