Our Impact in 2021
/We are excited to share a few of our amazing accomplishments in 2021. Check out our short recap video and keep reading to learn about the big impact we had last year.
SERVICES
Our team reconized how it important it was to meet the immediate needs of our diverse community. That’s why we continued to serve hundreds of families through our emergency food distribution programs. We also hosted multiple vaccine clinics throughout the year in collaboration with the County and City of San Diego, so that the most vulnerable among us and those without regular access to medical care could get the care they needed.
30,140 pounds of produce
harvested throughout San Diego County and distributed through Bayside to the community in Linda Vista, a federally-defined food desert.
14,922 emergency food boxes
were distributed through our weekly walk-up and drive-through food distributions.
797 home deliveries
of emergency food boxes and meals were made to homebound seniors and others who face significant mobility challenges.
After months of hybrid work, we reopened our offices to the public in July 2021. Since then, we have not experienced a single case of transmission or outbreak of COVID-19 while providing our services and programs. This is in large part due to the proactive adjustments to our activities to prioritize the health and well being of our staff, volunteers, partners, clients, and community. We felt that these changes were especially important because of the exceptionally vulnerable populations that we work with including elderly adults and youth.
Additionally, we have hosted three vaccine clinics that helped over 100 individuals to further protect themselves during this pandemic.
“I am incredibly proud of the flexibility and determination of our whole team to ensure that every person who works with Bayside remains safe and healthy.”
EDUCATION
Additionally, we created new educational opportunities for more students and more families. This included the expansion of our after-school literacy support program to a third school site and the creation of two new garden-based programs. We also graduated two Resident Leadership Academy cohorts, working with 19 graduates to address community-identified challenges.
339 hours of student instruction
across three school sites including a four-week summer intercession program.
25% reduction in literacy gaps
among the 89 students enrolled in our after-school literacy support program, the Academic Club.
214 students
from 33 different schools across San Diego County were provided with backpacks and school supplies during the summer.
Education extends beyond school. In January, we kicked off our first cohort of Tiny Gardens; an interactive, 10 month, training program that equiped and tought families how to grow their own produce at home using minimal porch or yard space.
“Before growing our own vegetables, my kids would not eat them. Now that we grow our own lettuce, cucumbers, and other vegetables, my kids love to eat them.”
And in the summer, we introduced our Garden Therapy program at Montgomery Middle School in partnership with San Diego Unified School District to teach students how to benefit from the restorative practices of gardening and mindfulness. We look forward to continuing both of these educational programs in 2022 in support of students and residents of all ages.
ADVOCACY
Our mission to empower our diverse community to improve its quality of life would not be complete with advocating for and alongside San Diego residents. That’s why our team worked at both grassroots and institutional levels to help create needed changes.
$12,000 dollars
raised by Bayside to support the development of a community garden in Linda Vista including a generous $5,000 investment by the Linda Vista Town Council.
Over 1,800 pounds
of litter and debris were removed from our city’s streets by over 200 volunteers as a result of our monthly community clean-ups.
19 resident leaders
were trained through our Resident Leadership Program including 8 students from the University of San Diego’s Nursing Program.
CELEBRATING 90 YEARS
In 2022, we will not only continue to expand our work but we are excited to celebrate our 90th anniversary as an organization. We hope that you will join us in honoring nine decades of empowering our diverse San Diego community!
Founded in 1932 to meet the immediate needs of immigrant fisherman and their families in Little Italy, Bayside has a long and rich history of empowering our city’s diverse community. For the last 90 years, Bayside has remained committed to its mission and has adapted to the dynamic needs of the region and its population as the organization expanded to other neighborhoods beyond Little Italy.
We hope that you will join us for a variety of celebrations in 2022 as we honor nine decades of service to our diverse San Diego community.
All of the amazing work that we accomplished in 2021 would not have been possible without the financial support from donors, sponsors, partners, and stakeholders like you. Thank you for all of your wonderful support!
Because of contributions like yours we are able to meet the immediate needs of those who require our services when and where they needed it most. In addition, your donations allowed our team to expand programs that have had a proven impact across our diverse San Diego community, as well as to develop new programs that teach critical skills.
This dynamic and flexible approach to addressing the challenges of 2021 will continue to empower our diverse community to improve its quality of life in 2022. Thank you for all that you do. We look forward to celebrating our 90th anniversary with you soon!