People Organizing to Demand Environmental & Economic Rights

Neighborhoods from Chinatown, SOMA, Western Addition, the Mission, Excelsior/OMI, and Bayview are really feelin’ the pain during this economic crisis. After surviving years of disinvestment, community residents are aching for responsive government and community based planning. Our barrios are ready for long lasting solutions that strengthen our workforce, develop our local economy equitably, create affordable housing, upgrade our community infrastructure, and empower our communities.

San Francisco’s Office of Community Development will invest up to $2 billion in working class communities over the next five years. This Thursday, the Board of Supervisors will consider appointments to the Citizens’ Committee on Community Development, including our very own PODER! This Committee’s work has to lead to a real community process … and push for the city to invest in the vision and solutions that are coming up from our barrios. Check out a recent SF Examiner article that reports on recent Board of Supervisors legislation to empower the Citizen's Committee on Community Development.

Check out the great quote from Gloria Vasquez in the latest El Tecolote article from last weeks community meeting @ Marshall..  And grab a paper copy because our very own members Mercy Jimenez & Ivan Villalobos are on the cover!

From Grey To Green: A Neighborhood Vision Takes Root
Share your ideas and let your voice be heard as we transform the city-owned parking lot in the Mission District on 17 & Folsom into a community center where working families can live, work and play. The City's Planning Department together with Recreation and Parks needs you to advise them on the sorts of structures, activities and programs that are needed on this site. With their support, community members are working on transforming this car lot into a healthy, culturally rich, affordable & environmentally sustainable green space w/ family affordable housing.

Join us for a fun and exciting design fair
Saturday, February 6
11am-2pm @ 17th St. btwn Folsom & Shotwell
Snacks, childcare and Spanish translation will be provided
(stop anytime between the scheduled hours)




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De Gris a Verde: La Vision Del Pueblo Hecha Raíces
Lanzen sus voces e ideas para juntos transformar el lote de estacionamento publico (ubicado en la calle 17 y Folsom) en un lugar donde familias pueden vivir, trabajar y jugar. La Ciudad quiere saber qué tipo de estructuras, actividades y programas son necesarias para desarrollar este lote. Con el apoyo de la Ciudad, miembros de la comunidad estan trabajando para convertir el lote en un parque con viviendas accesibles que son saludables, en harmonia con nuestro medio ambiente y que reflejan nuestras culturas. 

Sabado, 6 de Febrero
11AM-2PM en la Calle 17 entre Folsom y Shotwell
Bocadillos, cuidado de niños, y traducción sera proporcionado
(Venga al cualquier tiempo durante el horario)

We need your help in designing a brand new park and community space in the Northeast Mission on 17th & Folsom.
 
The City's Planning Department wants to know what types of activities and programs are needed in the neighborhood. Together with the neighborhood organization PODER, the City is working on converting this parking lot to a neighborhood park with family affordable housing (community meetings on the housing will take place in the future).

Join friends, family, and neighbors for a fun and exciting community gathering...
Saturday, January 23,
11AM @ Marshall Elementary School, 1575 15th St @ Capp St.
Snacks, childcare, and Spanish translation will be provided

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¡Necesitamos tu ayuda para diseñar un nuevo parque en la esquina de las Calles 17 y Folsom en el barrio de la Misión!

La Ciudad quiere saber de ustedes qué tipo de actividades y programas son necesario para desarrollar un parque comunitario. Junto con la organizacion PODER, la cuidad está trabajando en convertir este espacio en un parque con viviendas accesibles para familias.

Divirtiese con sus amigos, familia, y vecinos...
Sabado, 23 de Enero
11AM en la Escuela Marshall, 1575 Calle 15 (acerca la Calle Capp)
Bocadillos, cuidado de niños, y traducción sera proporcionado.

 

• too many parking lots that are aching to be filled up with people, neighborhood services, and community activities
• too little new housing that is affordable to working families, elders, or homeless people.
• few spaces to sit down, tell stories, hang out and share our cultures and traditions
• few plazas, recreational spaces, and family entertainment, or green spaces where we can grow fruits and vegetables to eat and share
• few community programs and services, such as job training centers, senior centers, childcare facilities, youth programs, and affordable clinics
• lack of ways for people to make a decent living with healthy and safe job opportunities, and there are empty storefronts with many homegrown entrepreneurs that would love to rent the spaces but cannot afford them.

What our neighborhood lacks in infrastructure, we possess in community talent. Inspired by our barrio planning along Mission Street, PODER held a Movie Night under the Stars at the Ocean Persia triangle in October where we showcased videos by neighborhood youth and provided family friendly movie entertainment. For 2010, we look forward to engaging with our leaders and organizing alongside our community for local, neighborhood scale projects that build our community assets and infrastructure and create a healthy community and local economy.

  

The Economy Through the Voices of Community Members
(this is one of many special features by Sam Brown on building a resilient economy) In an attempt to understand the scope of the economic crisis and explore alternatives for job growth for many affected by this crisis, an interview survey was conducted by PODER recently here in the city of San Francisco primarily with residents that work in the Mission and Excelsior district neighborhoods. Participants were asked a series of questions about how the economy has affected them and what the current conditions look like in this period in time.

Half of all the responses were unemployed while a fifth are part-time workers and a little less than one-third have a full time job. The survey revealed that of those that work most people work about 20 to 40 hours a week while about a quarter of those that are employed worked more than 40 hours a week. Additionally, a majority of participants (approximately 60 percent) reported that they do not make enough to make ends meet. Some of the reasons for lack of employment reveal that almost half of the people in the survey simply cannot find work while about a quarter are studying full time or take care of children. Also, an alarming number of people (three quarters) mentioned they have no savings funds that would help if they lost their job. Survey responses indicated that the most important characteristics for a job were: that a job provides decent wages, health care, and the ability to express a real voice over job and working conditions in addition to an environmentally safe and healthy workplace environment.

Since most of the participants have not participated in a job training programs there is a need to address the scarcity in jobs for many bilingual residents. The survey expressed a need for relevant programs to exist that are oriented to help people find the jobs that they value with characteristics that they find important. Alternatives around some of these issues are important due to the current climate of the job market, which indicates that these issues are not isolated from other services working families are struggling to provide in light of the economic circumstances

 

a lil' extra sabor to keep you satisfied... 

• 2009 review in pictures through the beautiful faces and heartfelt actions of our members, friends and family
• Orale Charlie! on the American Journal of Public Health's showcase on neighborhood leaders organizing for pollution-free streets

Tonight! Townhall Meeting on Immigration Reform
Friday, December 18, 6:00pm-7:30pm
@ Mission High School, 3750 18th St., San Francisco

Join the San Francisco Immigrant Legal and Education Network (SFILEN) on International Migrants Day for an educational event. Together we can raise our voices, share our stories and demands, and mobilize for change to advocate for just comprehensive immigration reform. Invited Congressional Representatives include: Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and Congressman Luis V. Gutierrez from Illinois

 

...then join us for RISE UP Holiday Market & Party

Friday, December 18, 5:00pm-11:00pm
@ SubMission (Formerly Balazo Gallery), 2183 Mission St, Mission District, San Francisco

• Vendors include Dignidad Rebelde, Luna Designs, NdnzGonWild, POOR Magazine, Indigenous Permaculture Books, Papalotl Designs, Esteva Family Food Cart...
• Music and performances by DJ Sake One, Machetero, Somos One (BRWN BFLO), El Vuh, Candeleria (cumbia/reggae), Ras K'DJ (of Audiopharmacy), BeatsMe, Stepwise, Lucha Grande, LuLu, Casanova
• Special Happy Hour Price: $5 from 5pm-8pm // after 8pm $10-$20 sliding scale // Student ID & PODER members $5 all night all ages // 21 w/id for bar

For updated artist lineup Facebook PODER SF