2023 Mini-Grants Support Staff, Boost Community Outreach
San Francisco Neighborhood Centers Together is pleased to announce the recipients of our 2023 Mini-Grants. This model of “Mini-Grants” is meant to provide low-barrier funding sources to our centers that can be deployed quickly to meet timely needs. These grants were made possible thanks to generous funding from Metta Fund and work to support their mission of equity in aging and fighting social isolation for older adults.
Grants were awarded in one of two priority areas:
1.) Supporting Staff Wellness: The past few years have been difficult on many, including the 300+ staff across our network. Many of our centers never closed during the pandemic and staff became essential workers tasked with keeping communities safe, fed, and vaccinated. As a result, years of long hours and trauma are taking a toll on staff wellbeing and mental health. Our Mini-Grant will respond to this by funding programs which support staff wellness with workshops, trainings, and resources.
2.) Reaching Isolated Community Members: Older adults are the fastest growing age group in San Francisco. Older Adults in San Francisco are also a diverse group, with 54% speaking a primary language other than English. This means we must do more to overcome barriers that might prevent our centers from reaching residents who are in need of our services. To reach community members that are isolated or have unmet needs, our Mini-Grant will prioritize cross-cultural outreach and community events to make new community members aware of our neighborhood centers and their services.
Seven grants in total were awarded across our centers.
Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center - A series of staff programs and activities to promote wellness and offer support resources.
Cameron House - Supporting a staff position to coordinate the Chinese Cancer Support Program.
Good Samaritan Family Resource Center - Hosting a multicultural event geared towards low-income aging adults at their El Centro Bayview family resource center to showcase music, dance, food, and art from the various cultures represented in San Francisco.
I.T. Bookman Community Center - Staff wellness series to examine common challenges such as grief, managing stress, burnout, effective communication, and client relationships.
Potrero Hill Neighborhood House - Establishing new senior wellness programs including a new movie night.
Richmond Neighborhood Center - Supporting a Community Resource Fair to connect older adults to health, safety, and social resources.
TEL HI Neighborhood Center - A series of community events to attract new clients from throughout the Chinatown and North Beach neighborhoods.
Read on to see highlights from a few of the programs that were made possible thanks to this Mini-Grant.
Featured Mini-Grants:
I.T. Bookman Community Center
I.T. Bookman offered a five-week Wellness Series for employees. They partnered with TendWell Collective to design classes on topics ranging from “The 8 Stages of Grief” to “The Art of Self-Care.” These ten sessions were offered both in-person and virtually and included compensation for anyone attending outside of work hours.
TEL HI Neighborhood Center
TEL HI utilized the Mini-Grant for a combination of temporary staff hours and a series of community events aimed at engaging older adults across the North Beach and Chinatown neighborhoods. One of these events, the Senior Resource Fair (pictured), attracted more than 120 participants and 22 partners to showcase organizations and resources that support older adults.
Cameron House
Cameron House recently celebrated the 29th year of their Chinese Cancer Support Group. After 3 years of meeting over Zoom during the pandemic, the in-person gathering was much needed. The group shared homemade foods, won raffle prizes, and took home commemorative chopsticks signifying longevity and happiness! Cameron House utilized this Mini-Grant to support the Chinese Cancer Support Program and Events Coordinator position.