Jamestown Continues To Meet Community Needs During Pandemic
Familia, we all know this past year has been challenging beyond measure. Our world and our communities have dealt with an incredible amount of hardship. Despite these setbacks, we have seen the Mission District rise up in the face of adversity and work together to meet our collective needs. At Jamestown, we have been busy keeping our students engaged throughout the pandemic through virtual learning and other family support programs.
As we return to in-person learning at our Buena Vista Horace Mann K-8 (BVHM) and Longfellow program sites, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on all the powerful work our talented staff has been able to accomplish during this pandemic. Below are just a few examples of how Jamestown has been able to effectively address the needs of our community:
Community Hubs
In person learning for our most vulnerable youth: Community Learning Hubs alongside the San Francisco Department of Health have been highlighted in the Wall Street Journal and KQED. Our Community Learning Hubs have provided our most vulnerable students with in-person learning opportunities, in a safe and healthy environment.
Meaningful Collaborations: We have also fostered meaningful collaborations between our dedicated staff members on site and partnering agencies who allow us to continue providing high quality programming for our Mission District familia.
Family support+ relief funds
Weekly food boxes: In addition to providing quality programming we have worked diligently to distribute 180 food boxes weekly to our Mission District families.
Relief funds: Over 125 Jamestown families have received financial relief funds totaling $113,000. We saw the economic impact of the pandemic and are working continuously to ensure families receive the help they need.
Celebrating + Honoring our Community (from afar)
Black History Month- Our team at James Lick Middle School was able to rally and put together an incredible virtual Black History Month celebration in conjunction with Mayor London Breed’s office.
Youth Social Justice + Cultural Pride- As part of Telemundo’s tribute to Afro-Latinxs in the Bay Area, our Office Manager and Samba star, Salma, was profiled for a feature about Jamestown’s focus on youth social justice and cultural pride! We also want to acknowledge Selma's Dance Instructor and Fogo na Roupa’s Artistic Director Metzi Henriquez who has helped in the development of many women of color in the Mission District.
These are just a few of the highlights from the past few months. As schools begin to slowly reopen and with summer programs on the horizon, we look forward to navigating the new reality in community with our Mission District students and families. We know the transition back to in-person learning will have its challenges and we are prepared for whatever lies ahead. We are still here, we are still fighting and we are still working to create a more equitable and compassionate world. Stay tuned for more updates, our work is far from over. Huge thank you to all our supporters in the community who allow us to continue our work.