Felton Institute

Artist Bill Bruckner led a small workshop yesterday at Ruth's Table for some sweet employees from the Felton Institute. Take a look! Bill is a featured artist in our current exhibition “Radical Resilience” and a resident at Bethany Center Senior Housing. Read more about our commitment to accessibility here: www.ruthstable.org/access Interested in booking a staff retreat in San Francisco? Feildtrip? Don’t hesitate to reach out. Ruth’s Table is a creative engagement program of Front Porch Communities & Services.

Reflecting on our ribbon-cutting event last month — a pivotal milestone that marked the beginning of the Integrated Health and Resource Team (IHART) collaboration with the Vallejo Police Department. Gratitude abounds for our exceptional team, whose unwavering commitment enriches the fabric of Vallejo's community. Here's to moving forward together, towards a healthier, more connected future! #IHARTLaunch #CommunityEngagement #VallejoPride

On Wednesday, Related California, Mercy Housing and community leaders celebrated the "topping out” of the two newest affordable communities in the multi-phase Sunnydale HOPE SF revitalization. Formerly known as Block 3A and 3B, Amani and Nia will provide 170 apartment homes for low-income families and 24,000 of ground floor retail and community serving space including a childcare center (Felton Institute) and a health and wellness center. The Sunnydale HOPE SF revitalization effort is led by Related California and Mercy Housing California, in collaboration with the San Francisco Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) and Housing Authority of the City and County of San Francisco (SFHA), to transform the 50-acre Sunnydale-Velasco public housing community into a vibrant mixed-income neighborhood with 1,700 new affordable and market rate homes. Thank you to our funding partners for helping us reach this milestone: the California Department of Housing & Community Development (HCD), California Strategic Growth Council, City and County of San Francisco, California Housing Finance Agency, California Debt Limit Allocation Committee (CDLAC) and California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC), Wells Fargo, Citi, Nibbi Brothers General Contractors, and David Baker Architects. Pictured below: Related California Chairman William Witte, Related California NorCal Affordable and Northwest Divisions CEO Ann Silverberg, Senator Scott Wiener, CDLAC/TCAC Executive Director Marina Wiant, HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez, California Strategic Growth Council Executive Director Lynn von Koch-Liebert, MOHCD Director Daniel Adams, SFHA CEO Dr. Tonia Lediju, Ph.D., SFHA Commissioner Joaquin Torres, Mercy Housing President Doug Shoemaker, Mercy Housing Director of Community Life Ashlei Baker Hurst

As part of the panel representing Felton Institute, it's truly inspiring to witness the incredible work being done in San Francisco through initiatives like Mission Economic Development Agency’s Mission Promise Neighborhood. The collaboration and collective impact approach between the city, San Francisco Unified School District, community based organizations, and families exemplifies a holistic approach to tackling pressing issues such as the housing and childcare crises, educational attainment, and economic development. Expanding this model into three new neighborhoods in San Francisco, is a significant step towards creating inclusive and equitable communities. By building upon these success stories and implementing similar strategies elsewhere, we can pave the way for a brighter future for all residents, regardless of their background or circumstances. We should continue to learn from these initiatives and strive towards building Promise Cities nationwide.

Like many post-pandemic cities, San Francisco is facing some big challenges, but there are also awesome success stories rising to the surface. We shared one of these success stories with Superintendents and education leaders visiting from around the country. They came to our city to see how Mission Promise Neighborhood created a structure for the City, school district, community agencies, and neighborhood families to come together to address the housing and childcare crises, improve kinder-readiness and graduation rates, and spur small business development. We are now developing plans to expand this holistic approach into three new neighborhoods — all formerly redlined — to create a Promise City. Local leaders who represented our story and our vision: Superintendent Matt Wayne, School Board Commissioner Jenny Lam, Mayor’s Advisor Hong Mei Pang, Joni Chiu from Community Youth Center of San Francisco (CYC), Breonna Frierson from HOPE SF, Yohana I. Quiróz, Ed.D. from Felton Institute, Jillian Spindle from MEDA, Nelly Sapinski from Jamestown Community Center and Chris Tsukida from SFUSD. Huge thank you to Christian Rhodes, Arti Doshi, and Rob Watson for organizing the visit and sharing their expertise as national field builders. Also thank you to Juan Diego Castro and Mayra Alfaro Martinez for handling the logistics on our end! Mission Economic Development Agency Harlem Children's Zone The EdRedesign Lab San Francisco Department of Children, Youth and Their Families (DCYF) San Francisco Unified School District #promisecity

Today, we came together to celebrate a monumental achievement with developers Mercy Housing and Related California in the topping out ceremony of Sunnydale HOPE SF 3A & 3B! This marks a giant leap forward in providing 170 affordable apartment homes for current Sunnydale residents and other San Francisco families. At Felton Institute, we're deeply honored to be one the CBO partners playing a part in this transformational work, and we're inspired by the community's vision and transformation. As a partner in this remarkable project, we're thrilled that we'll be providing co-located Early Childhood Education (ECE) services in Sunnydale Block 3A, lovingly named Amani by the residents. Amani, located on the southwest corner of Sunnydale Avenue and Hahn Street, will serve as the welcoming gateway to the revitalized Sunnydale HOPE SF community. With 80 apartments and 20,000 square feet of retail and neighborhood services, including a grocery retail space, food hall, and health and a wellness and early childhood center. Thank you to all who have been intentional and committed to transforming this community. Amani is poised to make a profound impact on lives of the resident who live in t is community!!! Today, we celebrate progress and the promise of a brighter future! #CommunityCelebration #Rehabilitation #SunnydaleRevitalization #Co-locatedECE #affordablehousing #earlychildhood #community #investments #fullfillingthepromise

On April 30th, Alameda County Probation Department (ACPD)'s Community Reentry & Outreach Team celebrated Second Chance Month by honoring both dedicated providers and resilient individuals navigating the path to reentry. Corrine Lee, Division Director of Community Re-Entry & Outreach, proudly presented the 'Work of Heart' awards to Felton's SMI/M2M and CORE programs. Through the SMI/M2M and CORE programs, our mission is clear: to extend a helping hand to all justice-impacted individuals. We guide and empower clients through the transition of care. Ultimately, our aim is to elevate client outcomes, curbing recidivism rates, and nurturing self-efficacy for a brighter future. felton.org/justice #ACPD #SecondChances #PathToReEntry #JusticeImpactedIndividuals #AlamedaCounty

What began as an abstract idea, a distant dream, a conceptual design scribbled on pieces of paper, has now blossomed into a fully functioning program with real children, families, and staff nestled inside of it. Witnessing this evolution is so gratifying. I am really proud of this program and all the people who have built it from the ground up! Come join our growing and passionate team, plus get the opportunity to receive training and certification in the Early Start Denver Model by a certified trainer!

We’re thrilled to share some amazing news coverage of one of our Felton Institute programs, AQCRT (Angelo Quinto Community Response Team), “AQCRT provides a 24/7 community response to low-level, non-life-threatening 911 calls. In collaboration with the City of Antioch, the Antioch Police Department, and local community-based organizations, our trained staff provide community members with mental health support, service linkage, and lifesaving skills.” Under the visionary leadership of our President and CEO, Albert Gilbert, CFOO Marvin D., led by Justice Services Division Director Curtis Penn, and team, at AQCRT, we’re all about providing immediate, on-site interventions to address mental health and community challenges head-on. Our range of services includes de-escalation, mediation, conflict resolution, and linking individuals with essential social services. But that’s not all – we go above and beyond with solution-focused prevention strategies, crisis prevention trainings, and even community engagement event planning! Rooted in the belief that everyone deserves access to respect, support and resources, our mission is clear: to transform lives and communities for the better. Thank you to everyone who supports our mission and contributes to the positive impact we’re making in Antioch and beyond. Together, we’re transforming communities! #FeltonInstitute #AQCRT #CommunityEmpowerment #TransformingLives Learn more on our impact here:

Shining bright for Mental Health Awareness Month! Yesterday, we partnered with Salesforce and Jim Campbell to illuminate the Salesforce tower in vibrant green, symbolizing our commitment to raising awareness and support for mental health. Thanks to everyone who came out and enjoyed the viewing! #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth #TreasureIsland #SalesforceTower