June 14, 2011

$300,000 Grant to San Pablo Community

Local Leaders Win Koshland Civic Unity Awards

(SAN FRANCISCO) – Tuesday, June 14, 2011 – The San Francisco Foundation announced today that 15 leaders of the San Pablo community of Contra Costa County are the winners of the 2011 Daniel E. Koshland Civic Unity Awards, and will become Koshland Community Fellows.

The awards launch a $300,000 five-year initiative in the San Pablo community to enhance civic unity by promoting mutual respect and collaboration among diverse communities to resolve neighborhood problems. The Koshland Community Fellows, along with their neighborhood colleagues, will distribute an average of $75,000 per year through 2016. The initiative will focus on leadership development, promoting civic unity, and celebrating unsung heroes.

The Fellows will be honored for their outstanding efforts in the vibrant and diverse San Pablo community. Please join us for the awards celebration:

What:       2011 Daniel E. Koshland Civic Unity Awards Ceremony
When:      Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Time:        5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Where:     Maple Hall
                 Alvarado Square
                 13831 San Pablo Ave. #4
                 San Pablo, CA 94806

2011 Daniel E. Koshland Civic Unity Award Winners

•    Humberto Alvarez, Sergeant, San Pablo Police Department
•    Joseph Camacho, ASU President, Contra Costa College
•    Gladys Garza, Patient Advocate, Brookside Community Health Center
•    LaZena Jones, Community School Director, Walter T. Helms Middle School
•    Khammany Mathavongsy, Nonprofit Consultant
•    Mayra Padilla, Director, METAS
•    Lisa Raffel, Immigration Integration Division Officer, Catholic Charities of the East Bay
•    Maria Resendiz, Healthy Start Coordinator, Ford Elementary School
•    Alexina Rojas, Director, First 5 Family Center West Contra Costa
•    Gonzalo Rucobo, Executive Director, Bay Area Peacekeepers Inc.
•    James Solis, Program Coordinator, Project FOCUS
•    Nancy Thome, Youth Services Program Manager, City of San Pablo
•    Robert Turner, Executive Director, 21st Century Mentors Foundation
•    Norma Valdez-Jimenez, Puente Counselor, Contra Costa College
•    Meuy Yong Saephan, Hand to Hand Program Coordinator, Lao Family Community Development Inc.

The San Francisco Foundation is the community foundation serving the Bay Area since 1948, granting more than $800 million over the past ten years. Through the generosity and vision of our donors, both past and present, The San Francisco Foundation awarded grants totaling $76 million in fiscal year 2010. By focusing on policy, advocacy, community organizing, and systems change, the Foundation addresses community needs in the areas of community health, education, arts and culture, community development, and the environment. In response to the economic downturn, The San Francisco Foundation is focusing funding on safety net partners, job creation and training, and foreclosure response and neighborhood preservation for the next two years. www.sff.org