“We want to thank MEDA’s Housing Opportunities team from the bottom of our hearts for helping our family achieve this unforgettable accomplishment of becoming first-time homebuyers. We can’t believe it’s true, and are still in shock that our dreams have become a reality and that we finally have a home to call our own. “Never…
“I initially learned about MEDA and the Bank Teller program through a brief presentation in my Accounting class last semester. I was automatically interested due to the flexibility MEDA’s Olivia Quinoñez, who runs the program, showed to student schedules. Upon attending the program, we learned about the bank field and different vocabulary, regulations and customer…
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…
Back in Antigua, Guatemala, Sofia Lopez had a small business selling items like pocketbooks, belts and wallets on the vibrant main square. She had always wanted to run such a venture and was achieving success … until violence compelled her to leave her homeland a decade ago. Now residing in San Francisco’s Bayview, Lopez initially…
San Francisco native Priscilla Cedillos, the daughter of immigrants from El Salvador, was a pharmacy technician on the fast track to success. Cedillos had quickly worked her way up to a supervisory position and her career was burgeoning. Yet something felt off. Cedillos needed to be true to her passion, which was design and fashion….
“Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined I’d be living in Twin Peaks when I was growing up in the predominantly black Fillmore or, as it’s now called, the Western Addition,” says 60-something Ernest Herndon, who is blessed with a definite gift of gab. It was a long road to travel the few…
Most Americans have sampled hummus, that creamy blend of garbanzo beans, tahini, garlic, lemon and olive oil that is the perfect complement for vegetables and crackers. Well, the Bay Area is now excitedly trying new items like musakhan: baked pita bread topped with seasoned caramelized onions, roasted almonds and sumac. That’s due to Mama Lamees’…
The MEDA free tax preparation team had quite the three-month season from mid-January to mid-April 2016. Over 4,000 returns were filed, translating to $5.8 million in refunds. This is just one way MEDA builds community capital for the historically underresourced community of the Mission District. MEDA’s indefatigable tax team, run by staff and supported by over…
“My dream is that a high-quality education should be accessible for everyone, from when children are very young through adulthood,” explains Esperanza Estrada of her mission as teacher-owner of Estrada’s Family Preschool in San Francisco. Esperanza has been a MEDA Business Development client, coached by Teresa García. There were many business aspects to be learned –…
from Executive Director Luis Granados Last year was a game-changer at MEDA. While our asset-building services empowered nearly 7,000 low- to moderate-income clients — the most in our 42-year history — our organization ventured into new territory. MEDA is barely recognizable as the organization it was just a few years ago: our nonprofit is now…
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