We Are the City Spotlight on Mission Education Projects Inc.
By Lana Alviar, Executive Director
Mission Education Projects Inc. (MEPI) students, staff and families are truly our family members. Most of our students have been with us since they started school, with some being a part of the MEPI family since birth, because their older siblings were/are MEPI participants! Our high school staffers were all MEPI participants, so we all have been working together for a very long time. Fortunately, that has made the transition from the Shelter-In-Place period brought about by the pandemic to the ‘new normal’ go rather smoothly.
Our older participants have always looked out for the younger ones, but because of the pandemic our sense of community/family is stronger. We check in with each other everyday with the simple question: “How was your day?” With that question, we really listen with not only our ears but with our body language, and most definitely with our hearts. We hear and we support one another through words and deeds.
During the most difficult time of the pandemic, MEPI, unfortunately, had to leave our long-time home: our building in the Mission District. We were struggling, children and parents were fearful of getting sick, parents lost their jobs or had their hours reduced, and kids felt “trapped in their homes” — they missed their friends, and they missed school. On top of all of the trauma from the pandemic, they lost their “home away from home.” MEPI needed to find a new home, and one of our parents saw a place that was empty. He took the time to find the owner’s name and phone number and gave it to me. I called the number, and the owner was very kind and explained that it wasn’t for rent. I then explained to him who we are as an organization, our history in the community, and our current situation, and he invited me to meet with him in person. After a conversation, he agreed to let MEPI move in. With the devastation of the pandemic and the sense of helplessness, finally, there was a light at the end of the tunnel.
The experience of transitioning from Shelter-In-Place to in-person learning, and finding a new location with more usable space — including a kitchen area and separate spaces for various grades — could have been far worse had we not had the support of our families and community members. Our parents and families came through for us, as always. This support continues to show us, at MEPI, that we are a family who always look out for each other.
As a native San Franciscan who grew up here and is fortunate enough to still live here, I can say that San Francisco is a wonderful place to grow up. There is an abundance of activities for children, as well as resources, services, and support for them and their families. Throughout the pandemic, it became clear that San Franciscans care for children and their families. Words were put into action, whether it was providing food for families, helping find medical resources if a family member contracted COVID, or providing funds to families who were struggling because of a job loss or cut back hours. Everyday San Franciscans, as well as leaders both civic and community, came through with goods, funds, and emotional support.
At MEPI, academic support has always been at the forefront of the services we provide, and during the pandemic our kids, like most kids, regressed. Instead of a “Summer Slide,” students experienced a “Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter Slide.” San Francisco can help children, youth, and their families thrive by providing more funding to CBOs whose main focus is academic support, homework assistance, and tutoring. The children who fell behind academically during the pandemic continue to struggle with in-person learning due to a lack of permanent teachers. Many children and youth are also in need of emotional support because of the isolation experienced during the shelter in place. They now have to get accustomed to socializing again, sharing and collaborating. Some are also in need of additional support to help them adjust to the “new normal” of face masks and social distancing.
The holiday season is here, and is the time most associated with recognizing gratitude. Please share a story that exemplifies gratitude to you.
In addition to our regular activities for the month of November, students wrote letters of gratitude to someone in their lives that they wanted to express thanks to. As each student turned in their letters there was a sense of pride, not only because the task was completed, but because they were able to express thanks to their loved ones. Each of us is thankful for someone in our lives, but we don’t always take the time to say the simple words, “thank you,” or “I am happy you are in my life.” This assignment gave them the opportunity to think about all the great things they have in their lives, and the awesome loved ones who provide for them. As I read the letters, I could feel the love and the admiration the kids had for their moms, dads, grandparents, and others.
