2008 Koshland Connect - The San Francisco Foundation

Neighborhoods + Fellows in the News
Teresa Goines
[October 19, 2008 ]
West End of Alameda Awardees
[February 22, 2008 ]
Volunteer helps youth get skills,
In March 2008, a delegation of 15 Koshland community leaders,
Committee paycheck members, and staff landed in New Orleans to attend
PolicyLink’s Third National Summit on Equitable Development,
Social Justice, and Smart Growth.
Bayview—When the gang-prevention program she was working with in
the Mission District lost its funding, Teresa Goines recognized that there
was a need for a comprehensive violence-prevention program for at-risk
The Summit provided an opportunity for people working in very
young people ages 16 to 24. In 2005, she came up with the idea for Cora
different Jean’s arenas Old Skool – Cafe, economic a youth-run development, supper club/internship infrastructure, program with housing,
workforce a 1940s theme. training, The program, parks, which education, is named after obesity, her mother, health was disparities,
created
to boost the interns’ entrepreneurial and conflict resolution skills
while
social
nurturing
justice,
their
the
creativity.
environment, and more – to come together
to reflect on the goals, challenges, and opportunities that tie us
together as a field, and plan for the future.
Participants explored critical issues, celebrated successes, and
shared innovative policy and organizing strategies through trainings,
workshops, plenary sessions, and geographic and issue-
Jordan Simmons
[June 13, 2008 ]
based caucuses. The very diverse attendees – across all demographics,
regions, experience levels, and issues areas – were
connected to a common goal to make full economic and social
inclusion a reality.
Efforts to revive Richmond’s
‘Main Street’ move forward
In addition to a wealth of sessions on topics ranging from the
changing geography of poverty and opportunity to local access
to healthy food, Danny Glover presented a clip of “Trouble the
Iron Triangle—Renovation of the East Bay Center for the Performing
Water,” Arts a in documentary the historic Winters film Building he produced. is slated to The begin compelling early next year. story
follows The a $10.5 Ninth million Ward project New will Orleans include a couple seismic retrofit, through two the new storm theaters, and
more classroom and performance space for the community, and restoration
of the historic facade, said Jordan Simmons, artistic director.
its aftermath, and into a new life. Narrated and partially filmed
by the couple, we experience the storm through their eyes and
witness them seizing the opportunity for a new beginning. In
September, the film was released in theatres nationally.
We had the opportunity to explore the vibrant New Orleans community
outside of conference activities. West Berkeley Fellow
Diane Gray & Jackie Cohen
[ February 2008 ]
Lamont Snaer invited us to dinner with his family, and we enjoyed
a festive New Orleans style meal in their home. We also volunteered
at the First United Church in the Lower Garden district
assisting with the rehab of a shed attached to its volunteer housing.
Our Black group picked History up hammers Month to attach aluminum siding on
the shed and prepare the multi-purpose room to receive up to 80
Local Heroes
volunteers.
KQED and Union Bank of California, in association with Kaiser
The impact of the conference on our delegation is best heard
Permanente, proudly announce the recipients of the 2008 Bay Area
directly Black from History them: Month Local Hero Awards. Diane Gray and Jackie Cohen
are cousins and co-founders of the 100% College Prep Institute, which
offers college preparatory services to middle and high school youth in
“The San highlight Francisco’s for Bayview me was Hunters the focus Point district. on organizing strategies and
successful approaches in spite of obstacles, as well as shared
Documentary shows tough
best practices and inspiring testimonies of positive developments.
times I was impressed on ‘West that the End’ majority of the attendees were
people of color, people working from so many different angles
toward West similar End of goals.” Alameda—The filmmakers document the results of the
–Gerardo five-year, Marin, $300,000 West grant Berkeley overseen Fellow by a hand-picked resident-based
committee. The committee includes the Rev. Michael Yoshii, Buena Vista
United Methodist Church pastor; community activist Vickie Smith; man-
“I really agement benefited consultant from and volunteer getting Phil to Holt; know student our and team mother better Tamara and
being Centeno; exposed and to school many principal of the Niel hot Tam. issues that policymakers are
addressing and organizers are fighting for and against, including
housing, gentrification, education, race issues, and land-use.
The biggest strategy I’ll implement is being aware of the necessity
– not option – of partnering with other people and agencies
in order to get lasting, meaningful work done to better a community.”
Victor Diaz
[June 7, 2008 ]
–Matt Crocker, West Berkeley Fellow
“The workshops on men and boys of color helped me see a
greater context for linking educational outcomes to public policy
development. I also felt inspired by the resilience of the New
Orleans’ Berkeley-Tech community, culminating Grads with the Look crab, shrimp, and
crawfish Toward feed at Lamont’s Future’ family’s house. The ability of Southern
folks to maintain their sense of hospitality and compassion to
strangers with so much going on is always a blessing to a West
Berkeley—Berkeley Technology Academy Principal Victor Diaz summed
Coast up person the school like year myself.” at the 2008 graduation ceremony at UC Berkeley’s
–Michael Alumni McBride, Hall Thursday: West “It Berkeley was a year Fellow of extreme highs and extreme lows
– a crazy, crazy year.”
“Although The school I have graduated been 42, involved or twice with as many movement students than building last year, efforts a
for over
feat
30
Diaz
years,
attributed
I learned
to rise
so
in enrollment
much more
coupled
about
with
public
“a high
policy
success
and
rate.”
community programs that engage the working poor as contributors
to community development practices. Continuing to refresh
myself, as well as my staff, on public policy trends and initiatives
Maria Reyes
[ May 9, 2008 ]
is critical to our ongoing success.”
–John Young, Canal Awardee
BAYVOICES
“The number of workshops delving into equitable education and
the information sharing were highlights for me. I was also proud
to be Afterschool part of the hundreds tutoring of people attending center the helps summit, gathered
Concord from all over students the country with to finish different school professions from
community and plan organizers future to city officials. It was very powerful.”
–Belén Pulido Martinez, West Berkeley Fellow
Concord — Books open, pens out, kids tapping their fingers figuring
out the answer to the math problem, all things typical on a Thursday
“The afternoon tour of at the GGI public (Go Get and It) affordable afterschool tutoring housing center areas in Concord. of New
Orleans was very meaningful to me. The incredible community
“Go get whatever you want…your dreams, your goals,” says Maria
activists
Reyes,
that
c0-founder
led that
of GGI
tour
when
were
asked
able
to describe
to give
GGI’s
a very
name.
moving and
in-depth narrative about their struggles to ensure a one-for-one
20