Winter 2017

We extend a sincere thank you to everyone who shared their time with our Bayside family in 2017. Many heart-warming advances were made possible this fall and winter by the generous philanthropic support of Bayside’s volunteers and donors. Simply put, our work and mission to empower one of San Diego’s most diverse communities would not be possible without the investment from our supporters.

Such contributions to Bayside continue to pay social dividends that are reflected in our progress made in Linda Vista. These were exemplified this holiday season when selfless and generous supporters mobilized to address hunger in Linda Vista. By volunteering for Bayside’s food distribution program and/or providing direct donations to our 40 Days of Giving fundraiser and Senior Holiday Party, our community raised nearly $10,000 during the holidays! These impact of these efforts cannot be understated in a neighborhood that is federally defined as a “food desert” and in which 40% of residents live below the poverty line. Not only did Bayside address hunger in the short term for over 300 families through holiday food distributions, but we also empowered our community in the long term to take common action toward creating a future without hunger.

Bayside Volunteers prepare bags of food as holiday meal assistance

Complementing the individuals and communities that have given to support, Bayside also celebrates the philanthropy of the Travis Manion Foundation (TMF) and the 80-plus military veterans, ROTC members, and community volunteers who invested their time to refresh and invigorate our new space, an even more impressive gesture considering their act of service was on Veterans Day. TMF is also providing critical support to Bayside’s second Youth Resident Leadership Academy (RLA), an academy funded by Arboreta Group LLC that empowers high school students to grow in their leadership and confidence while working to improve the community. This will be Bayside’s seventh RLA and the first to be facilitated by an RLA graduate, Nadia Arambula, which demonstrates the impressive power of our leadership academies. Since graduating from Bayside’s first RLA in 2013, Nadia has continued her training and passion for community building in Linda Vista. We could not have asked for a better facilitator for this year’s Youth RLA kicking off January 25!

As we move into 2018, we invite you to get involved with Bayside this year through the many new and exciting opportunities unfolding at our center. These include:

• Bayside’s 4 th Annual Vietnamese New Year Celebration! The event will be held on March 10, 2018 from 5:00-9:00pm at the University of San Diego. Sponsor a table, buy tickets, or volunteer at the event. More information is available here.
• The 3rd Annual One Linda Vista Conference! To be held in May 2018, the conference will focus on the diversity in Linda Vista, specifically the philanthropic diversity that drives this community. More information is available here. Be sure to also check out the first two episodes of the OLV: Documentary Series featuring local community leaders in Episode 1 and the women of Linda Vista in Episode 2.
• The Grand Opening of Bayside’s and Thrive Public School’s joint use center! The brand new, state-of- the-art facility opening in August 2018 will house Bayside offices and Thrive’s K-8 public charter school for 500 students. Stay tuned for more information on the Grand Opening and accompanying educational events.

Until then, the Bayside family wishes you the very best in 2018!

Fall 2017

With the holiday season fast approaching, we recognize that this can be a busy time of the year. We thus invite you to pause and reflect on the many things for which you are grateful. At Bayside Community Center, we have countless examples of the people, activities, and experiences in Linda Vista that we are grateful for, including our community's kind acts, warm gestures, and kindred spirit we are graced with each day.

We are also grateful for the opportunities that continue to come to fruition at Bayside and in Linda Vista, as we empower our diverse community to improve its quality of life through services, education, and advocacy. Examples of these exciting developments include;

• the 2017 Holiday Food Distribution

• Healthy Start Parent Workshops

• the 2nd Linda Vista Youth Resident Leadership Academy

• and our first intersection mural

Nov. 17 at 1:00pm Bayside will empty its pantry and serve hundreds of Linda Vista residents by providing staple items to fill their cabinets as we enter the holiday season. The first step of empowerment often begins with helping to meet basic needs and address community identified priorities. As a direct result of these types of services several of Bayside's constituents have become some of Linda Vista's strongest grassroots leaders.

This Fall also saw the launch of Bayside's new Healthy Start Parent Workshop series at Kit Carson Elementary. Parents have learned the value of balanced nutritional meals as well as how to prepare cost-efficient and delicious meals through our new interactive curriculum. Workshop attendees also were invited to reserve free garden space in one of Linda Vista's growing community gardens in addition to having their CalFresh questions answered. We are eagerly anticipating the launch of our exciting new workshop curriculum at Linda Vista Elementary in the coming weeks!

Bayside is preparing to host its seventh RLA since 2013. With support from the Travis Manion Foundation and Nadia Arambula, long-time Linda Vista community leader and graduate of Bayside's first Resident Leadership Academy, the 2nd Youth Resident Leadership Program will launch in January 2018. Next year's Youth RLA will emphasize character building and community improvement.

This Fall also saw the installation of a beautiful intersection mural outside one of our cherished local schools, Montgomery Middle. On Oct. 28, nearly 100 community members and supporters installed an important traffic-calming mechanism in a dangerous intersection as a means to keep families and children safe as they walk, bike, and drive to school each day. The mural also beautifies the community, bringing the street to life through vibrant colors and art in an image designed by the community for the community. This accomplishment serves as a reminder of how powerful our grassroots leaders can be as we unite to address community-identified priorities.

For these reasons and more, Bayside extends a special thank you to donors at every level who empower our organization to continue its work in serving the Linda Vista community. And most importantly, we thank you for your continued support and commitment to our beautiful neighborhood!

Summer 2017

Over the past year Bayside Community Center has developed many new and meaningful community partnerships. One partner that we are particularly excited to be working with is Thrive Public Schools. Our relationship with Thrive took a significant step forward on June 23, 2017 with the official ground breaking of a new state-of-the-art, joint use community center and charter school. Located at 2202 Comstock St., this facility will open in August 2018. In addition to this important development, Bayside has also cultivated a relationship with Miller Hull Partnership LLP; an architecture firm renowned for their community-led approach to design. As a result, Linda Vista residents are taking the lead in planning and designing Bayside’s new expanded location at 6882 Linda Vista Rd. We are so proud to be working alongside all of our partners and local grassroots leaders as we build and beautify the heart of our Linda Vista neighborhood!

Bayside Community Center’s growth and expansion will also include various micro-enterprise opportunities. We are especially looking forward to the Fall 2017 launch of our 100% solar powered mobile coffee cart. In addition to providing refreshments and healthy snacks, this cart will provide valuable training and practical hands-on business experience for young and emerging community leaders. Similarly, graduates of Bayside’s Resident Leadership Academy have already begun the planning stages of introducing Boss Boba, a new Vietnamese-inspired Boba shop and lounge within our 6882 Linda Vista Rd. location. This new venue will feature a fresh menu as well as an appealing design to our facilities north end offering abundant natural light and a beautiful view of our neighborhood to be enjoyed by all. We are honored to welcome the creators of Boss Boba and Resident Leadership Academy graduates as the latest micro-enterprise entrepreneurs to launch from Bayside. It is truly a privilege for Bayside to prepare for the future and serve alongside the empowered community of Linda Vista!