County Supervisor Nathen Fletcher Promotes Bayside's Tiny Gardens

Wednesday, April 14, 2021 County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher visited Bayside Community Center’s weekly distribution of emergency food and fresh produce to promote the Tiny Gardens program and encourage environmentally sustainable solutions to food insecurity in the region.

“All you need is the bag and you can grow some of your own produce. Its good for your family, you have good, healthy, locally grown produce, but its also incredibly good for the environment when you look at the greenhouse gas emissions associated with transporting produce and the movement of food,” Fletcher comments.

Adam Osorio, Associate Director of Communications at Bayside adds, “Our Tiny Gardens program is really important, especially in food deserts like Linda Vista, because we’re doing more than just giving food away. We’re teaching residents how to grow and produce their own food right at home and with minimal porch or yard space.”

Bayside Community Center will conclude their first cohort of the Tiny Gardens program in November 2021. The second cohort is expected to launch in December 2021.

Champions for Health CARE TB Partner

March 24 is World Tuberculosis Day. Kim Heinle and Tram Le of Bayside Community Center spoke with the Union-Tribune about what this means in Linda Vista (watch the full interview here).

Bayside Community Center is a Champions for Health CARE TB partner and works to empower community residents to become their own healthcare advocates. Some of the ways Bayside helps empower others is as a TB education hub where residents learn the skills and knowledge needed to provide input concerning the healthcare needs in their community. Bayside also helps residents overcome language barriers within the healthcare system in addition to serving as a health survey distribution and collection point in Linda Vista.

When asked about this work, Le responds, “It’s important to break down the language barriers that might exist among our Vietnamese clients, providing translation and interpretation around critical topics like TB. We have a direct connection to, and the trust of, the community members who are at the foundation of CARE TB’s work.” For more information about this partnership or how to get involved please call (858) 278-0771.

Providing Fresh Produce in a Food Desert

Bayside Community Center is coordinating with local residents and partners to provide tons of fresh produce in Linda Vista, a federally defined food desert. During the month of July over 7,000 pounds of fresh produce was harvested, recovered, and distributed to nearly 2,500 local residents. Read The Linda Vista Update’s full article about this work here.

Linda Vista Residents Lead the Way to an Accurate and Complete Census Count

After only 3 months, 66% to 69.6% percent of Linda Vista residents have responded to the 2020 Census. On average, this is ahead of national and state response rates which are 61.9% and 63.1% respectively. In some areas, Linda Vista's response rates have increased by as much as 7.1% compared to 2010 Census data. Read the Union-Tribune article and learn more about Census 2020 progress and challenges facing our region here.

San Diego Union Tribune Recognizes local Bayside as Frontline Hero

Anyone who has walked through Bayside’s doors in the last 44 years has probably met Director of Social Services, Rose Ceballos. When asked about the impact that she has had both on the Linda Vista community and on the community center, Executive Director, Corey Pahanish commented, “Rose has both played an active role in addressing significant struggles and celebrated the beautiful diversity of various communities. I have had the distinct honor of working alongside Rose and remain in awe of the way she balances what comes with our work. We love her so much!”

Director of Social Services, Rose Ceballos

Associate Director of Communications, Adam Osorio, who has been with Bayside since 2006 adds, “Rose has helped me learn and grow in every single role that I’ve had the privilege of playing at Bayside. She’s really nurtured all of us on the staff and keeps our work grounded and focused on the people that we serve.”

Associate Director of Development, Kim Heinle comments, “The level of respect a community icon like Rose commands in our neighborhood is unparalleled. You simply can’t quantify or articulate the profound impact she has had on literally generations of families in the community. I am humbled to work alongside someone who leads a life of service with the dignity, grace, and dedication that Rose embodies.”

It was, therefore, no surprise when the Union-Tribune chose to recognize Rose as a Frontline Hero. When asked about Bayside’s work Rose commented, “Our clients are more than case files; they matter to us.” Read all of Rose’s comments here.

Foreign-born Residents in San Diego County May Raise Over $1.2B in Census Related Funding

There are few places in the United States with a foreign-born population like San Diego County with the potential to raise over $1 billion in census related funding. Recently, our staff was invited by the San Diego Union Tribue to co-author an article on the subject along with the Nile Sister’s, another San Diego non-profit agency working to promote a complete and accurate census 2020 count in San Diego. Read the full article here.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly a quarter of all San Diego residents were born outside of the United States. Additionally, the National States Geographic Information Council reports that each person who responds to the census contributes approximately $1,500 in public funding toward their neighborhood. According to these projections, the more than 830,000 foreign-born residents living in San Diego County would collectively generate over $1.2 billion in census related funding for the region.

To put this amount in perspective, $1.2 billion is roughly the amount of money it costs to operate the San Diego Unified School District, California’s second-largest school district, for one year. Alternatively, $1.2 billion would off-set the recently proposed 10% cut to the city of San Diego’s budget three times over.

Furthermore, seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are apportioned based on state populations, which is determined by the census data. Any shifts in political representation at this level may produce effects that are felt nationwide for many years to come. This fact is particularly noteworthy in California, which includes 12 of the nation’s 25 cities with the highest percentage of foreign-born residents.

To be sure, every person in San Diego, in California, and across the nation have much at stake when it comes to ensuring every foreign-born resident is counted during the current 2020 census.

Bayside Reaches Hard-to-Count Census Populations

Federal Census data is updated every ten years and impacts nearly every sector of society. Public funding for critical services like healthcare, education, and public safety are either increased or decreased based on this data. Political representation at the congressional level is also determined by census data. Yet, a significant portion of the population remains uncounted each census.

Corey Pahanish, Ph.D. , Executive Director of Bayside Community Center speaks with KUSI about Census 2020

Corey Pahanish, Ph.D., Executive Director at Bayside Community Center, recently spoke with KUSI about hard-to-count populations. “The problem goes deeper than just losing out on critically needed resources,” Pahanish says. “When we take a closer look at who is often missing from the census count; immigrants, children, those already most vulnerable in our society, we see that the problem of missing anyone in the census really deepens the systemic challenges that distressed communities have already been enduring.”

Bayside is a member of the Count Me 2020 Census Outreach Coalition, a group of over 150 civic and community-based organizations in San Diego and Imperial counties committed to a complete and accurate census count. As such, it is using innovative strategies to reach hard-to-count populations. Rose Ceballos, Bayside’s Director of Social Services, comments, “Since many of these hard-to-count families are the same families that are experiencing food insecurity, we’re taking the opportunity to talk with them about the census when we deliver emergency food to their homes. We want to help them understand that participating in the census is one of the safest and easiest ways to ensure that their voice is heard and that our community is not ignored when it comes to making important decisions over the next ten years.”

Kim Heinle, one of Bayside’s Community Advocates, adds, “We know that word-of-mouth is one of the best and often most trusted means of communication within immigrant populations. So our goal is to not only answer the questions residents might have about the census but also to equip them with the facts, tools, and understanding they need to reach out to their friends and family about this important issue.”

Ensuring a complete and accurate census count is especially important in neighborhoods like Linda Vista. Dr. Pahanish notes, “The stakes are even higher in communities like ours where overlooking vulnerable populations in the census can give the idea that our distressed community is better-off than it actually is. The real economic and social needs of the neighborhood easily becomes overshadowed by wealthy institutions like local universities and the overall effect is that vulnerable populations suffer while cycles of poverty get worse.”

For more information about Census 2020 please contact Bayside Community Center by phone or email at (858)278-0771 or baysideinfo@baysidecc.org. For information about the Count Me 2020 Census Outreach Coalition please visit www.countme2020.org and to watch Bayside’s interview with KUSI click here.

Bayside Addresses Critical Needs During COVID-19 Crisis

Bayside Community Center is on the frontlines of addressing critical needs in Linda Vista amid the current COVID-19 pandemic. The center’s team was recently interviewed by Telemundo about its on-the-ground work.

In accordance with local, state, and federal health guidelines many Linda Vista residents over the age of 60 are remaining indoors due to increased health risks. “We know that the current pandemic is affecting some populations more than others,” said Adam Osorio, Bayside’s Associate Director of Communications.

“This pandemic has really deepened the state of crisis that many of our residents had already been experiencing for years,” Osorio continued.

“Whether it was living in a federally defined ‘food desert’ where fresh produce is scarcely available, or lacking access to basic essential services due to language barriers, or dealing with housing insecurity, many people in Linda Vista were already living at crisis level before COVID-19. Now the needs are even greater,” Osorio concluded.

In response, Bayside Community Center has adjusted various programs to adapt and meet the community’s needs. One such example is their senior lunch program. “Many senior citizens in our neighborhood need a little extra help when it comes to having a nutritious meals,” said Rose Ceballos, Bayside’s Director of Social Services. Ceballos added, “That’s why we knew we had to figure out another way to safely get healthy food to our seniors.”

Beginning in April, 2020, Bayside Community Center will expand its partnership with Co-Harvest Foundation, a local non-profit, to also deliver ‘grow bags’ to seniors in need. “Today we were able to harvest 250 pounds of produce from our network of home gardens and we’ll be distributing a couple dozen ‘grow bags’ to seniors in Linda Vista,” commented Avery Cramer, founder and lead urban farmer at Co-Harvest Foundation. “Providing this kind of support on the frontlines of this crisis is so important and one of the reasons we partnered up with Bayside Community Center.”

In addition to delivering these critically needed food supplies, Bayside Community Center is working to address important underlying issues facing the neighborhood. “Linda Vista needs more support than our center can provide on our own,” remarks Osorio. “That’s one reason why our staff have been explaining how important it is for everyone in our community to participate in the current Census. Making sure that everyone is counted is an important step toward making sure Linda Vista residents will have access to critical resources needed to address the larger problems that come with living in one of San Diego’s most distressed, most socioeconomically lopsided neighborhoods.”

Bayside Community Center staff is available by phone to answer questions and provide assistance with completing Census 2020 forms in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Phone extensions have been provided to assist in each language:

English (858)278-0771

Spanish (858)278-0771 x101

Vietnamese (858)278-0771 x109

For information about other critical resources available please contact Bayside Community Center. For information about Co-Harvest Foundation visit www.sdcoharvest.com. To see Bayside’s interview with Telemundo, click here.

Bayside Works to Build Community Bridges to Linda Vista

Linda Vista is a treasure-trove of diversity in San Diego! With over 27 languages spoken throughout the neighborhood and a rich history of veterans, immigrants, and native born San Diegans it’s no wonder that Linda Vista has something for everyone. Recently, Bayside Community Center has brought more attention to the tremendous cultural value of Linda Vista and its residents as well as the important challenges that face the neighborhood. Click the videos below for the full interviews with KUSI and VNTV. Click here to read the full Union Tribune article.

Reserve your tickets here today!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bayside-community-centers-2nd-annual-building-community-bridges-tickets-72538353167

Symptoms of Poverty Effect Linda Vista Entrepreneur

Linda Vista is home to one of San Diego’s six most socio-economically distressed blocks. As a result, various symptoms of poverty are having an adverse effect on local residents and business owners. Click the link to read how one Linda Vista entrepreneur has been adversely affected: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/public-safety/story/2019-07-19/taco-truck-owner-robbed-at-gunpoint-in-linda-vista-police-say

Click the picture to find out what we’re doing about it.