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Community Corner

The San Francisco Foundation Selects Hayward Communities for Koshland Fellowship

SAN FRANCISCO – July 2, 2014 – Twelve newly named Koshland Fellows will lead a grassroots initiative with community members in Jackson Triangle and Harder/Tennyson neighborhoods over the next five years, with a commitment of $300,000 by The San Francisco Foundation. This launches a five-year effort to improve the quality of life for people living in the area and to support the growth and leadership of neighborhood residents. For over 30 years, The Koshland Program at The San Francisco Foundation has invested in neighborhood leaders to partner and build up the leadership of Bay Area grassroots risk-takers – social innovators who take on the most stubborn neighborhood problems and who work collaboratively to overcome them.

“We are proud to lift up this cohort of twelve who are bridge-builders committed to the well-being of the neighborhood,” said Retha Robinson, Koshland Program Director at The San Francisco Foundation. “Community planning, teamwork, and the well-being of the neighborhood – that is what makes our Fellows’ leaders who turn ideas into successful programs like the Canal Welcome Center in San Rafael, the North Fair Oaks Youth Initiative, and the Tenderloin Neighborhood Scholarship Fund.

The potential in Jackson Triangle and Harder/Tennyson is further strengthened by multiple initiatives in the neighborhood like the Hayward Promise Neighborhood Initiative, investing in schools, community health, and the future of our youth.” This year’s Koshland Civic Unity Awards Jackson Triangle and Harder/Tennyson Fellows are:

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- Jason Enrique Arenas, Parent and Community Engagement Specialist for the Alameda County Office of Education

- Sonnye Broherton, Vice-President of the Site Council at her son's school, Harder Elementary School

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- Emily Chow, Service Learning Outreach Coordinator, Hayward Promise Neighborhood at California State University, East Bay (CSUEB)

- Luis Covarrubias, English Learners District Level Specialist, Hayward Unified School District; Coordinator for the District English Learners Advisory Committee, Hayward’s longest running parent-centered advisory committee.

-Carla Dardon, Site Director, Hayward Day Labor Center

- Patty Garcia, Liason, CAFE (Club de Aprendizaje para Una Familia Estable) a Parent Engagement Program for Tiburcio Vazquez Health Center Inc., and the Hayward Unified School District

- Gabriel Hernandez, Founder, Hayward Day Labor Center

- Teresa Johnson, Post Award Team Lead for the Contracts and Grants Unit at University of California, Office of the President, Research Grants Program Department; Secretary for the Athletic Boosters Club; and Advisory Board Member for the Hayward Promise Neighborhood Initiative

- Sandra Morales, Community Liaison at the Parent Center at Eldridge Elementary School. •Jasmine Nakagawa, Program Coordinator for the FACES for the Future program at St. Rose Hospital

- Sandra Navarro, Teacher Leader in the Community MultiMedia Academy (CMMA)

- Denize Sanchez, Youth Educator for La Familia Counseling Service

Over the next five years, public and private funders are investing deeply in these two neighborhoods through programs including the Promise Neighborhood Grant to Jackson Triangle. One of five recipients, this federal grant of $25 million over the next five years will give students in this low-income area academic, social, and community support to succeed in school. "We are grateful to the Koshland Committee for selecting the Jackson Triangle/Harder Tennyson communities for this award that will strengthen our work in the Hayward Promise Neighborhood (HPN) community," said Melinda Hall, Executive Director of HPN. "This award also supports our sustainability efforts to extend this work beyond the five year HPN initiative."

The 2014 Koshland Fellows Award Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, July 16 from 5:30-8:00pm at The Golden Peacock, 24989 Santa Clara St, Hayward, CA 94544. For more information about the Koshland Civic Unity Program, please visit sff.org/koshland.

About The San Francisco Foundation

The San Francisco Foundation (TSFF) is the community foundation serving the Bay Area since 1948, granting more than $808 million over the past ten years. Through the generosity and vision of our donors, both past and present, TSFF granted $86.8 million in fiscal year 2013. TSFF brings together donors and builds on community assets through grantmaking, leveraging, public policy, advocacy, and leadership development to make a greater impact in our community. By focusing on people, organizations, neighborhoods, and policy, advocacy and organizing, the Foundation addresses community needs in the areas of community health, education, arts and culture, community development, and the environment. In response to the economic downturn, TSFF is also focusing funding on safety net partners, job creation and training, and mortgage foreclosure relief and neighborhood preservation. sff.org

About Hayward Promise Neighborhood

Inspired by the success of the Harlem Children’s Zone, President Obama started the federal Promise Neighborhood initiative in 2010. Hayward became one of the first five cities in the nation to receive a $25 million grant from the US Department of Education. Led by California State University, East Bay, HPN is a broad partnership of local educators, government agencies, businesses, and nonprofits collaborating to fully support residents within the Jackson Triangle and students that attend six schools within the Hayward Unified School District. Through a continuum of cradle-to-college-to-career solutions, HPN strives to ensure its students will have access to effective schools and strong systems of family and community support. haywardpromise.org

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