Maria Lopez was pushing a stroller in front of MEDA’s Plaza Adelante, located at 19th Street’s connection to the Mission Street corridor, the main commercial strip of the Mission. When asked if she ever heads one block over to Valencia, the young mother of two laughed nervously and stated, “That street’s not for us.” When…
by Director of Community Real Estate Karoleen Feng Contributed to by Community Engagement Manager Dairo Romero The worldwide Women’s March the day after the inauguration showcased the power of community organizing to unify people’s voices, plus efficiently disseminate pertinent information. As we position for a future where sanctuary cities, such as San Francisco, will possibly…
Julio Alvarado chose San Francisco’s Mission as his adopted home when he emigrated from Guatemala back in 2000. He felt immediately welcomed in his new community, so much so that when he married and had two kids, the family planted roots in the neighborhood. That comforting sense of place became tenuous when Alvarado and his…
Today is the 11th annual “Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Day” — an important date at MEDA, where most of our historically underresourced tax clients qualify for this credit that lets them keep more of their annual income so they can better afford basic necessities. In the 2016 calendar year, there were 4,518 tax returns…
Luz Bourne-Ruiz is an energetic, single mother of 7-year-old Nathan, who attends Alvarado Elementary School in San Francisco. The immigrant from Mexico operates her own business, the New Alternatives Cafe, a cozy, neighborhood eatery serving breakfast and lunch on Guerrero near 28th. Featuring a convivial environment, there’s even a piano, guitar and congas for musically…
There are numerous theories as to how the oddly named San Francisco neighborhood of Dogpatch got its name. Some say it’s named after the middle-of-nowhere, fictional setting of the satirical comic strip Li’l Abner (since Dogpatch was for decades deemed an out-of-the-way spot). A grislier theory is that the neighborhood is named after the roving…
We’ve all heard of Yelp, the tech giant that offers a popular platform to discover local businesses, with everything at your fingertips from finding the best nearby burrito joint to locating a well-respected plumber in your neighborhood. With 115 million reviews to date, Yelp is a platform on which every small business needs to make…
MEDA plans to serve at least 4,500 clients this year via what has quickly become the largest free tax preparation service in San Francisco. The below tax tips are important items to keep in mind when coming to Plaza Adelante (2301 Mission Street @ 19th, Room 203) and its three other VITA sites in San Francisco,…
Graduates: 138 out of 154 (a 90 percent rate). Working in tech jobs: 74. Gone on to post-secondary education: 49. Those are the powerful numbers of MEDA’s free Mission Techies program since its pilot just three years ago. It’s a program positioned to scale up. MEDA initially received a grant from San Francisco’s Office of…
MEDA is investing in people lives. Director of Asset Building Programs Lucy Arellano gives the community much-needed information about program enhancements and changes for the upcoming year. MEDA: First off, will all MEDA programs remain free to low-income clients in 2017? LA: All MEDA programs continue to be free with the exception of the First…
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