b'TOGETHERNESSIn solidarity with fellow organizations, funders and communitySan Francisco Latino Parity & Equity Coalition, the Latino Task members, the MEDA team creates partnerships locally, region- Force and our participation in weekly meetings so Mission- ally, statewide and nationally.based organizations could empathetically check-in. In the spirit of TOGETHERNESSand with so much unpre- The goal was to assure the City understoodand would meetdictability swirling in the Latino and immigrant communityitour communitys urgent needs. As part of this effort, MEDAs was necessary that MEDA make community members feel asPolicy & Advocacy team continued its work for sustainable safe and secure as possible in spite of the pandemic. We lookedchange. In-depth letters were penned, often with community to offer hope in a time when far too many families switched topartners, as neighborhood needs required immediate atten-focusing on surviving rather than working toward thriving.tion. The Policy Team convened multiple community advocacy Zoom calls so community members could talk directly with pol-MEDAs Community Real Estate team continued its Small Sitesicymakersmakingdecisionsaroundhealthandwell-being, Program, keeping in place low-income residents and venturesrental assistance and protections for small businesses.vulnerabletoeviction.Therewereseveralrent-controlledInternally,theMEDAManagementteamstrovetopromote apartment buildings purchased and preserved in 2020. Addi- togetherness and staff well-being for a now-distributed work-tionally,theteamfosteredcapacity-building,sharingtheforce. This included a monthly stipend toward internet and cell-model around Small Sites with neighborhood organizations inphones, more check-ins between a supervisor and their direct other parts of San Francisco, especially on the Westside. report, Wellness Fridays days off and Zoom all-staff meetings. In the ultimate sense of togetherness, MEDA stood in solidar- The latter included visits from mental health professionals offer-ity with Mission organizations and individuals who knew froming tips for dealing with the new reality created by a pandemic.their on-the-ground work that our community was being heav- While 2020 presented unprecedented challenges, it was our ily impacted by the pandemic. These partnerships included thespirit of togetherness that carried us through.12'