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Meet Your Neighbor: Michael Herrera
By Callie Thomas
“You just gotta ignite the light…and let it shine
just own the night…like the Fourth of July” – Katy Perry
It only takes a spark to ignite a fiery sense of community among neighbors. As it happened, resident Michael Herrera was just what the neighborhood needed in 2003 when he became a homeowner in Coventry Homes at Anthem. The firefighter/paramedic is driven by his passion to help and serve the community, and his efforts have fostered friendships and a sense of giving among his neighbors. “I’ve always enjoyed serving the community by responding to medical emergencies, house fires, traffic collisions, flood emergencies and helping others in their time of need,” says Herrera. “The progression to start a community organization in our own neighborhood felt natural to me.”
Not one for “sitting on his hands” and “letting opportunities pass,” Michael started what has become the Coventry Neighborhood Watch Program in February of 2009 in association and cooperation with the police department of Henderson. Largely through the magic of Facebook, something Michael is a master at utilizing, the program has effectively created a community that socializes and supports one another in various ways, from watching out for vandalism to exercising in the park.
The Coventry Neighborhood Watch Program has grown to include sub clubs, a few neighborhood groups that get involved in benevolent programs. The Coventry Mom’s Club has supported Help of Southern Nevada by adopting needy families for Christmas this past year. They raised over $1,000 to provide gifts for the families. The Coventry Fitness Club Members are participating in a 5K fundraiser to support the March of Dimes and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Neighborhood Watch members also donated 115 toys to the Southern Nevada Firefighters Burn Fund. The group is active in helping families within the Coventry community, too. “When it was revealed that a few of our neighborhood kids have Type I Diabetes, the Coventry Homes at Anthem community members supported the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation by attending events that help to raise funds for the organization,” said Herrera. All of the clubs help to create a desirable and safe community. Residents choose to participate under their own volition with varying levels of effort. All participation is voluntary.
Herrera feels that the quality of the community depends on the energy of its residents. By creating a culture within the neighborhood that encourages residents to become engaged, along with an inviting atmosphere where families rely on one another, community members will help to stave off crime and suspicious activity. “We also continue to host various events that encourage interaction like our Spring Fling Picnic, various outdoor picture shows in Harmony Park, a July 4th block party, Halloween Safe Street and even a visit from Santa Claus,” he said. All of the neighborhood events are free and funded by the residents.
Michael Herrera is proud of dispelling the statistics from a recent UNLV study which found that only 33% of respondents felt a strong sense of belonging in their neighborhood. The Coventry Neighborhood Watch program and resident gatherings have greatly challenged those statistics. He feels a sense of pride in raising his own family in the area, which includes wife Amity, two and a half year old son Jaxson, and their soon to arrive new baby. “We’re not alone in our homes, neighborhoods and communities that our children will live in someday. We are all responsible for creating the kind of neighborhood you want to live in, thrive in and raise your family.”
Just moved in to Coventry 30 days now and feel like i always lived here….Great place to live…
Thanks Dan!!! Awesome neighbors make awesome communities…