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.