Residents of the CSUF Center for Healthy Neighborhoods surprise their council member at his final community meeting

It was a beautiful day on October 5, and it ended up being a memorable one. Council Member Dr. Ahmad Zahra arrived at the CSUF Center for Healthy Neighborhoods for what was meant to be a routine final report, his last community meeting there in his capacity as council member. He didn’t know the Center’s resident leaders had planned a surprise going-away celebration in his honor.

For the past eight years, Dr. Zahra and the Center’s resident leaders have worked together on the issues that matter most to their neighborhood. Their partnership has touched housing, healthcare, COVID relief, public safety, park improvements, the Union Pacific Trail, and much more. Meeting after meeting, residents brought their concerns and ideas to the table, and together they turned them into real progress for the community.

Along the way, the relationship grew into something more than a working partnership. “We also became friends,” Dr. Zahra said.

After Dr. Zahra delivered his final report, the room turned the spotlight on him. Residents presented a lovely cake, heartfelt appreciation letters, and kind words of thanks for his years of service and friendship. Dr. Zahra said the gesture truly touched his heart.

He offered special thanks to Egleth Nuncci for her friendship, her partnership, and for bringing everyone together all these years. “I’m grateful for all we accomplished,” he said.

To the residents in Spanish:

“Gracias por su amistad, su confianza y todos estos años compartidos. Siempre las llevaré en mi corazón.”
(Thank you for your friendship, your trust, and all these years together. I will always carry you in my heart.)

The afternoon was a fitting tribute to eight years of collaboration, and a reminder that the strongest communities are built by neighbors and leaders who show up for one another.