The San Francisco Foundation is excited to welcome Ms. Breeanna Decker to the HOPE SF team, stepping into her role as the Associate Director for the Partnership for HOPE SF Initiative. We sat down with Ms. Decker to learn more about what brought her to this position and share her hopes for the future. Welcome Breeanna! Can you tell us a little about yourself and your history in the Bay Area? “One of the things I enjoy most about being from the Bay is that I’m born, raised, and educated here. I am a 4th generation Oaklander with deep roots in Oakland and San Francisco. My mom, aunts, and uncles went to school with the Black Panthers. I have a host of cousins and extended family who live in Bayview Hunter’s Point. Every school I have ever attended, including undergrad and graduate school, is within 1 hour from my house. It is such an honor to be from here and serve my community, my home.” How has your experience prepared you for your new role on the HOPE SF team? “I have had the honor to serve community in a variety of different capacities. I have been a basketball coach, an educator, and […]
TAG : Four Communities
Fealofani Festival – Vonnie Kiliona “Youth participants gain workforce development experience, knowledge about choreographing and event coordination, but also gain “Fealofani” with one another,...
read more →
TAG : Stories: Residents and Partners
Initiated in 2009, the Partnership for HOPE SF aims to introduce mixed-income communities in four former public housing neighborhoods- Potrero Hill, Sunnydale, Alice Griffith, and Hunters View- without the displacement of legacy residents. HOPE SF neighborhoods are home to a residential community with 45% of residents identifying as African American/Black, and a median household income of $15,000. The most recent initiative aimed at supporting resident well-being and advancing community wealth is a pilot-to-policy program known as Place to Prosper. Led by the San Francisco Foundation, the Place to Prosper pilot began as a conversation rooted in community. Between October 2020 and March 2022, the HOPE SF Wealth Building and Planning Design Team met weekly to gather resident ideas and input on the focus of an upcoming pilot opportunity. Through discussion and collaboration, thirteen HOPE SF residents and community partners created the Wealth Building Framework and selected a direct cash transfer pilot as the foundation of the upcoming program. Grounded in the Wealth Building Framework, the Place to Prosper pilot centers Blackness, intentionally addressing anti-Blackness and recognizing economic disadvantage. The Place to Prosper pilot “puts Black people at the core of a vision for racial justice with the understanding that pulling […]
TAG : Four Communities
River of Code – Alice and Sidney Byrd “Recognizing the lack of BIPOC representation in the tech industry, we aim to bridge the gap by introducing STEM concepts to the youth in our community, ensuring they are prepared for future opportunities in...
read more →
TAG : Stories: Residents and Partners
San Francisco’s HOPE SF Initiative is the nation’s first large-scale reparative initiative aimed at transforming public housing into mixed-income communities without mass displacement. Designed to be completed in phases to prevent the displacement of legacy residents, the different phases of the initiative also include the development of parks and community-focused spaces surrounding residential neighborhoods. The Sunnydale neighborhood is currently in Phase 1A3, which includes the construction of a brand-new Community Hub. Anchored at the Southeast corner of John McLaren Park at the corner of Sunnydale Avenue and Hahn Street, the Sunnydale Community Hub will include a 35,000 sq. ft. campus of buildings and outdoor spaces that function as a gateway into the neighborhood and a space for community programs. Led by Mercy Housing California, the construction of the Sunnydale Community Hub is anchored by the development of two new mixed-use buildings with commercial spaces on the ground floor and high-quality affordable housing on the floors above. The two new buildings will be connected by a tree-lined pedestrian walkway, with seating and gathering spaces for Sunnydale residents. The planned ground-floor commercial spaces are dedicated to the goal of creating a space for Sunnydale residents to run errands, buy groceries, access inclusive […]
TAG : Stories: Residents and Partners
As the seasons changed from sunny fall days to longer winter nights, residents and families across HOPE SF gathered together to celebrate community and holiday festivities. October kicked off the holiday season, beginning with a celebration of autumn in the Sunnydale Pumpkin Patch. On a warm, sunny afternoon, residents of all ages gathered to celebrate the changing of the seasons. There were stacks of bright orange pumpkins dotting the field, with pumpkin carving stations for each person to create their own jack-o-lantern. Families spent the afternoon in the bright fall sunshine, playing games and enjoying fresh popcorn snacks. The spooky season arrived next, with pumpkins and festive decorations hung all around for a fun, frightening Halloween. At Hunters View, resident leaders and the Community Wellness Hub worked together to create a Haunted House, built into the Hunters View Community Center. Kids dressed in their favorite costumes and lined up down the block for their turn to brave the Haunted House. Resident leaders dressed in spooky costumes hid throughout, waiting to jump out and surprise eager participants ready for a scary good time. The day’s theme was “Boooo to Cavities!”, and families were given supportive tips in maintaining good oral health, […]
TAG : Four Communities
Applications are accepted on a quarterly basis. Submission deadlines are: August 31st, 2024 November 30th, 2024 All applicants must submit their application and project budget through Submittable. If approved, the grantee applicant will be notified of funding within 30 days of the submission deadline. Grant awards may take up to 6 weeks to process. Please plan the start of your program at least 2 months after the submission deadline to allow for the interview process, funding decisions, and fund processing. Grant...
read more → Doo Da Right Thing “We didn’t expect to get as much traction as it did, but at the end of the school year...
read more →
TAG : Stories: Residents and Partners
It’s that time of year when summer activities wind down, and school schedules begin to get started! While HOPE SF residents participated in many summer activities across HOPE SF sites, from the Hunters View Summer Luau Celebration to the Samoan Community Development Center’s summer programming and the Herz Playground reopening at Sunnydale, students of all ages are now saying goodbye to summer activities and getting their supplies and minds ready for the start of a brand-new school year. To offer support to HOPE SF youth and families during this seasonal time of transition, HOPE SF communities held Back to School events for incoming students before the first day of school. At Potrero Hill, tables decorated with signs welcomed incoming HOPE SF students back to a brand-new school year. HOPE SF families gathered to share in backpacks, school supplies, and delicious treats as parents and students talked about hopes for the upcoming academic year. At Hunters View, the Community Wellness Program and Resident Activities Coordinator threw an all-afternoon event celebrating Hunters View students and families with backpack giveaways, art supplies, an ice cream stand, and a taco bar. The San Francisco Public Library was tabling on-site, with inclusive books free for all […]
TAG : Four Communities
We strongly encourage all interested individuals to attend one of our How-to-Apply Workshops before applying for a small grant. Please see below for upcoming workshop dates. All interested applicants must apply through the Hope SF Small Grants Program Application Portal hosted by Submittable. If you have any issues with account creation or access, you can review Submittable’s instructions here. You can also email HopeSFSGP[at]gmail.com and/or hopesfsmallgrants[at]sff.org for assistance. Have documentation ready including the project budget (how you plan to spend the money) and a letter of agreement from your fiscal...
read more →
