Use these questions to think more about how you would describe your community...
  - Where do people in your community gather or socialize?
  - How and where does your community access services (healthcare, transportation, educational services, etc.)?

Examples of activities and services: Shopping areas, schools and universities, libraries, parks, lakes, rivers, places of worship, healthcare services, public transport, local nonprofit organizations, etc.

Your response: My community of Van Nest is part of Community Board 11, part of the 49th Precinct. Van Nest is a low density community and myself with two other Van Nest residents in CD15 are part of CB11 representing issues relevant to our Van Nest community on CB11 and the 49th Precinct.

Use these questions to think more about how you would describe your community...
  - What are the cultural bonds in your community?
  - If your community has a shared history, what is it?

Examples of cultural or historical interests: Religious groups, ethnic groups, languages, age groups, immigration status, historic or arts districts, etc.

Your response: The whole of Van Nest was established in late 1800's and early 1900's around the Morris Park Race Track's entrance in Van Nest close to the Van Nest Train Station. Also the Yemeni Muslim Community is split with the border running up Wallace Avenue.

Use these questions to think more about how you would describe your community...
  - Where are residents employed?
  - If there are environmental concerns in your community, what are they?

Examples of economic or environmental interests: Tourism industry, agricultural workers, mining town, manufacturing center, polluted natural resource, unemployment problem, etc.

Your response: The residents of Van Nest are either employed in Manhattan or at the hospitals in City Council 13 of Montefiore or Jacobi.

Use these questions to think more about how you would describe your community...
  - What should politicians and/or map drawers know about your community?
  - What are the needs of your community?
  - Is there anything else you want to tell us about your community?

Examples of needs or concerns: Keep community in the same district or separate into multiple districts, shared policy concerns, need for a social service, relationship to other nearby communities, issues with current district lines

Your response: The families and especially our children are extremely underserved. The young and teens of both the Van Nest and Morris Park communities have no community center to offer after school, sports, cultural, summer camp programs. They have no outlet but to get into trouble or swept up by drug dealers. It has been this way for decades. This burden was partially shared with the parochial schools that were closed 15 years ago. We are owed 3,000 middle school seats and now 85% of our children must be bussed out of our community to go to middle school. Van Nest lost its library in a political battle in 1998. It was never replaced. We lost our post office in 2003.