New Home, New Beginnings for Jamestown

On March 1st, 2019, Jamestown Community Center officially relocated offices to 2929 19th Street. Nestled between Alabama St and Florida St on 19th Street, a sign stands out on the front of the colossal building:

“Centro Social Obrero - Unidos Venceremos,” “Laborer Center- United we will win,”

Inside, the vast new space has meeting rooms, a kitchen area, and an open work space, surrounded by large windows expanding almost from floor to ceiling.

The new space is a huge improvement compared to the previous small office location in a Victorian building on 26th Street. Team members, such as Office Manager Katie Garcia, are excited about the new office.

“It’s amazing,” said Garcia. “Our organization is expanding, and so we needed something bigger. The community feels like we and the organizations we work with support them.”

With the expansion of our programs (such as the recent Loco Bloco merger and the new Beacon sites), the new location allows Jamestown, who is recognized for working with partner organizations, to continue to grow and solidify as a pillar in the community.

Our new home also holds historic roots that aligns with our mission for education, growth and social justice. In 2016, the building was dedicated and named The Rosario Anaya Education Center / El Centro Educacional de Rosario Anaya, honoring the distinguished Rosario Anaya. Among many achievements in her life as an education advocate, such as being the first Latin American woman elected to public office in the City’s history, Anaya was also the MLVS Executive Director from 1973-2015.

The environment of unity and support created in Jamestown goes beyond our own staff and four walls. The new office location also houses other nonprofits, all partners of Jamestown; Instituto Familiar de la Raza’s Roadmap to Peace, Mission Language Vocational School (MLVS), and Five Keys.

“(The space) is more welcoming for families, meetings, registration fairs, and family activities,” said Human Resources and Operations Manager Santiago Lopez, who has been with Jamestown for 8 years. “The staff (is) not divided by walls.”

The new work space is intentionally mapped to promote Jamestown’s work and mission inside and outside. Having access to the talent of a full culinary school certainly sweetens the spot as well. Melgar says that MLVS culinary school hosts “the BEST Friday lunches. Everyone in Mission comes.” The organizations and community are continuously coming together in this new space to support each other in various ways.

All of Jamestown looks forward to what the future holds for us in the new office space. We look forward to seeing you in our new, bright, beautiful offices!