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The NEW Anchor Institution Blog
 Portola Family Connections has been honored to be selected an Anchor Institution in San Francisco. After 8 months of extensive planning meetings, focus groups, surveys, writing, and final analysis, we are pleased to present a very authentic and detailed plan for realizing our full potential as an Anchor Institution in the Portola neighborhood. The planning process was truly an informative and enlightening journey. With our new plan in hand; we are embarking on a process for working closer with the Portola community as partner to actualize our full potential as an agent for positive social change.
We have learned from this planning process how proud Portola residents are with their neighborhood primarily because of the parks, schools, cultural diversity, and family support services that are offered. At the same time our neighbors are concerned about a range of safety issues, traffic, the public education systems and more opportunities and space for youth. Subsequently, survey and focus group respondents wanted to see Family Connections address their safety concerns, help to create more recreational services, after school services and summer programs.
I am grateful to DCYF's amazing vision, Family Connections Board of Directors, staff, and community residents that helped us to visualize a healthy, productive community that has the resources needed to thrive. It was wonderful to be affirmed as the "go to place" in the neighborhood that could make these dreams come true. I am pleased to be part of this process of learning, growing and eventually becoming a true anchor in the Portola community.
If you are interested in getting involved in the Portola Anchor Institution Initiative, or would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact us at 415-715-6746. Maryann Fleming Executive Director Please click here to download a copy of our Anchor Institution Newsletter
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ANCHOR INSTITUTION
The Anchor Institution Initiative is a new citywide program of San Francisco’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) to support 5 community-based organizations that were selected through a highly competitive process to be community Anchor Institutions – organizations that are recognized in the community as leaders in helping to determine community needs and working with their communities to address these needs. These include: Portola Family Connections, Bayview Hunters Point YMCA, Cameron House, Jamestown Community Center, and Richmond Neighborhood Center.
Through the Anchor Institution Initiative, DCYF has made the commitment to help support each of the five community-based Anchor Institutions learn more about the needs of our communities, develop a Community Plan to address these needs, and take the steps to make our vision a reality.
Since our inception Family Connections has been an evolving Anchor Institution in the Portola neighborhood. It has established itself as a gathering place that provides Family Support services, resources, and a vision for social change. With a fifteen-year presence in the community, our institution has been an agent in catalyzing community activism around issues including immigrant empowerment, education, neighborhood safety, revitalization, and recreational center improvements. Many of our staff members are also very dedicated community participants and long-time residents in the Portola District, which has organically established Family Connections as an anchor institution. Our facility is located in the center of the business district and has consistently opened its door to the ideas, needs and diverse voices of our community.
Family Connections goals through the Anchor Institution Initiative are to:
- Strengthen Family Connections’ infrastructure to fully realize our social justice agenda through which our staff and community can develop and implement new forms of community leadership, advocacy, and movement building,
- Build the capacity of community members to fully understand and participate in local advocacy and policy making that directly affects their unmet needs through education and training and direct community organizing.
- Network residents, neighborhood organizers, and city planners to build partnerships to implement a comprehensive, community-based plan for the Portola neighborhood.
- Work collaboratively with partner organizations to systemically promote a community defined framework of equitable development for the Portola neighborhood.
- Strengthen Family Connections’ role as a change agent that helps to ensure that the Portola Neighborhood has the community capital and resources to thrive and provide the best support possible for all its diverse families/community members
Family Connections’ vision of the impact of this Initiative on our community:
- A solid social justice agenda through which our staff and community can develop and implement new forms of community leadership, advocacy, and movement building.
- Community members will have the tools to fully understand and participate in local advocacy and policy making that directly affects their unmet needs through education and training and direct community organizing;
- Residents, neighborhood organizers, and city planners are networked and have the tools to implement a comprehensive, community-based plan for the Portola neighborhood.
- The Portola community is systemically promoting a community-defined framework for equitable development.
- The Portola neighborhood has the community capital and resources to thrive and provide the best support possible for all its diverse families/ community members.
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