(SAN FRANCISCO) – Tuesday, September 20, 2011 – Five Bay Area leaders are being honored for their outstanding impact in our Bay Area communities. On Tuesday, September 27, 2011, The San Francisco Foundation’s 2011 Community Leadership Award winners—Bishop Yvette A. Flunder, Gonzalo Rucobo, John Santos, Jordan Simmons, and Ravenswood Family Health Center–will be honored for their outstanding contributions to the Bay Area community at the Herbst Theatre, in the War Memorial Veterans Building in San Francisco. The four individual winners will receive $10,000 each, and the organizational winner will receive $20,000. During this celebration, the 2011 Koshland Young Leader Awards will also be presented to eight college-bound San Francisco public high school students. Each will receive an award of $7,000 in recognition of their outstanding academic achievement and overcoming incredible odds.
2011 Community Leadership Awards Honorees:
Bishop Yvette A. Flunder, founder and director of Ark of Refuge, for courageously addressing the issues of HIV/AIDS prevention, response, and care within the African American faith community. As a pastor, scholar, teacher, and activist, she has united gospel and social ministries to create unique programs that improve the quality of life of some of the most marginalized in our community.
Gonzalo Rucobo, co-founder and executive director of Bay Area Peacekeepers, for helping former gang members reach their potential and successfully contribute to society. By intervening with gang-affiliated communities in the East Bay, he helps channel grief and anger into activism, creating positive alternatives to violence.
John Santos, musician and cultural activist, for making music that transcends cultural barriers and serves as a tool for social justice. As an educator, scholar, performer, and composer, he celebrates and promotes Latin music and understands that art has the power to inform and nurture.
Jordan Simmons, artistic director of the East Bay Center for Performing Arts, for building a better future for young adults through music and cultural programs. As a musician and arts administrator, he has changed the lives of thousands of people in Richmond’s Iron Triangle through rigorous artistic training, school-based outreach, and performances of traditional and original work.
Ravenswood Family Health Center, for providing high quality, cost-effective healthcare to southeast San Mateo County, and for advocating for the need to address health disparities and inequities. Through its innovative health education programs and Health Navigators outreach, Ravenswood serves as a model for tackling complex community health issues locally and nationally.
Koshland Young Leader Awardees:
Makda Beyene, Mission High School
Antonio Cruz, Ruth Asawa School of the Arts
Daynelita Dulalas, Metropolitan Arts and Technology High School
Maria Figueroa, Mission High School
Sintia Henriquez, June Jordan School for Equity
Dina Lemus, June Jordan School for Equity
Christopher Quinteros, Mission High School
Huimin Yang, Balboa High School
Awards Celebration
Please join us for an evening of inspiration, fun, and food at The San Francisco Foundation 2011 Community Leadership Awards Celebration.
WHEN: Tuesday, September 27, 2011
6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
John Santos and the John Santos Sextet will perform from 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Awards ceremony begins promptly at 6:30 p.m., followed by a reception at 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Herbst Theatre
San Francisco War Memorial Veterans Building
401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco
Press RSVP to publicaffairs@sff.org or 415.733.8588.
For photo opportunities before, during, and after the event, call 415.733.8588.
About The San Francisco Foundation Community Leadership Awards
We celebrate people who are rolling up their sleeves, taking initiative, and solving problems in their neighborhoods and communities. The San Francisco Foundation Community Leadership Awards recognize individuals and organizations whose leadership has made a significant impact in their particular Bay Area communities. This work may confront societal or civic issues, address health or environmental concerns, or promote arts and humanities. The Community Leadership Awards showcase individual or organizational excellence in leadership as demonstrated by outstanding initiative, impact of work, and inspiration of others. With each award, The San Francisco Foundation publicly affirms present achievements, seeks to encourage further work on the part of the recipients, and hopes to motivate others to follow their lead in service to Bay Area communities.
About the Koshland Young Leader Awards
The Koshland Young Leader Awards recognize the next generation of leadership in our community. These impressive high school seniors from San Francisco public schools are strongly motivated to achieve in spite of the added challenge of responsibilities to their families. The San Francisco Foundation applauds the Koshland Young Leader Awardees for their commitment to achieving their goals, succeeding academically, and pursuing their career ambitions. The students are nominated by their teachers and counselors during their junior year for this $7,000 award.