In this issue:
	Hometown Heroes
	Bayside Elderly Apartments
	Helios Corner
	Funder Spotlight: Citi
	News Notes

Hometown Heroes

Three Richmond Mothers Give Back to Their Communities

Three Richmond mothers, all motivated by pressing needs in their communities, are embarking on new careers in community development. Monica Boyd, Maria Garcia and Tana Monteiro are all participating in LISC's AmeriCorps program by serving with organizations that work in their hometown of Richmond. "It makes me feel really good to help out, to see change in our community," says Monica.

Monica is a community organizer with NURVE, a broad revitalization effort in the Nystrom neighborhood. Tana is serving with the Richmond Children's Foundation as a parent organizer at a charter school in Nystrom. Maria is serving with the Richmond Main Street Initiative a few blocks away, working to revitalize downtown's McDonald Avenue corridor.

As residents of the neighborhood and mothers of children in neighborhood schools, each woman feels a special investment in her work. "For the past three years," says Tana, "I have lived in the part of Richmond known as the Iron Triangle, an area with a high crime and murder rate, but through all my experiences living and raising my [four] children here, I have only been inspired and challenged to be a help and an advocate for my neighbors and the schools."

"The best thing about my service," adds Maria, "is that I will be able to see the change first hand. I'm excited to be working to realize a better future not only for the community, but for my own family."

Nationwide, AmeriCorps places over 70,000 members in local, state, and national service programs every year. Over the last fourteen years, Bay Area LISC has placed hundreds of men and women with nonprofit organizations in Richmond and other local communities. Members bring a diversity of backgrounds and experiences to their work, but share a common sense of purpose. For Monica, Maria, and Tana, that purpose hits especially close to home. Joining AmeriCorps is not a one-shot deal, they say. It's part of a much broader commitment to their communities. "My perspective as a resident makes [this] more than just a year of service," says Tana. "My heart is with my friends and neighbors in Richmond and the families at this school."

The women recognize that the work ahead will not be easy, but they look forward to drawing strength from one another. "Three strands of a chord make a rope stronger," says Maria. "Having three members in the same city with the same hope, vision and purpose will be great support. We can give that encouragement to one another to keep moving forward."

RFP for Summer 2008 and year-long 2008-09 positions coming soon.

With a Little Help from Friends

Bayside Elderly Apartments Gets a Green Face-Lift

As National Philanthropy Day was recognized across the country on November 15, a unique partnership between companies, nonprofits, and volunteers came together to brighten up the community rooms and patio at Bayside Elderly Apartments, a home for low-income seniors in the heart of San Francisco's Chinatown. The entire renovation-including new carpet, paint, window shades, and planter boxes-was done with environmentally friendly materials that are safe for Bayside's elderly residents.

"We're so happy to be able to help brighten the lives of low-income seniors in Chinatown for National Philanthropy Day," said Michael Catalano of The Home Depot, which donated $3,000 worth of supplies for the renovation and provided fifteen volunteers.

With donated paint from ICI/Glidden, flowers from Color Spot, the dedication of Home Depot volunteers, and the help of artist Holly Thompson, the Bayside community room was transformed. Bay Area LISC coordinated the renovation through its Green Connection program, which works to bring healthy and environmentally sustainable design, practices, and materials into affordable housing and community facilities.

Bayside provides 30 affordable apartments to low-income seniors. The residents and neighborhood groups use the community space for meetings, classes, social activities, and community events. "We're so grateful to Bay Area LISC, Home Depot, ICI Glidden and Color Spot for undertaking this community improvement project to enhance the lives of low-income seniors in Chinatown," said Gordon Chin, Executive Director of the Chinatown Community Development Center, which owns and operates the building. "We're particularly happy that all the improvements made were environmentally friendly as quite often, low-income folks are the last to experience greening in their neighborhoods."

"This is a perfect example of good corporate philanthropy," said Stephanie Forbes, Executive Director of Bay Area LISC. "It brings together civic engagement, volunteerism, resources, and great partners to bring not only a new look to Bayside, but also a healthy environment that will bring cheer to these seniors' lives and help build community."

Ray of Light

Helios Corner Brings Joy to Seniors in Berkeley

On a bright October day, Satellite Housing officially opened the doors to Helios Corner, a green solar-powered building in Berkeley with 80 affordable homes for seniors, community gathering areas, Salvation Army services, and a brand new office for Satellite. LISC provided a $1.865-million acquisition loan with LIIF and NCCLF to help Satellite buy the property.

"Prominent, transit-oriented development opportunities like the Helios Corner site are very rare in the Bay Area," says Ryan Chao, Satellite's Executive Director. "We would not have been able to build, much less acquire, the land for Helios Corner if it weren't for LISC's nimbleness and creativity."

In the few months since they've moved in, Satellite's residents have already found much to like. Gary Wilson has lived in a number of cities around the area, but says that for him and the building's other senior residents, the location can't be beat. "The surrounding neighborhood is terrific," says Wilson. "There's access to transportation, places to shop, and entertainment all within a few blocks." With the North Berkeley BART station just blocks away and AC Transit buses on the doorstep doorstep, Helios Corner is a prime example of how transit-oriented affordable housing is a win-win for the environment and residents alike.

In addition to the location, other residents cite extensive programming, upbeat staff, and great common spaces as favorite aspects of their new home. "The location, the affordable rent, the beautiful building, the wonderful staff-everything is fantastic. I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be."

As another resident says, "This is a place for the living."

Funder Spotlight:

Citi and the Citi Foundation are key partners of LISC's and major supporters of low-income families, entrepreneurs, and communities in the Bay Area. Every day, Citi works to help create social and economic opportunity for underserved populations in the region. Citi and its Foundation support hundreds of nonprofit organizations in California and beyond.

Citi's Jonathan Klein sits down with two HDTI participants.

Since 2004, the Citi Foundation has been the leading underwriter of LISC's Housing Development Training Institute (HDTI) and finance-focused Advanced HDTI, a 17-year-old pair of programs that have trained an entire generation of California's affordable housing developers. With a recent three-year $750,000 grant to LISC's California programs (Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Rural), the Citi Foundation is investing in the future, making sure that new project managers entering the field have the skills and knowledge they need to successfully build affordable housing and community-serving facilities.

"Citi has worked with LISC for years to address the critical need we have in this state for more and better affordable housing," says Cheryl Evans, Community Relations Director for Citi's Western region. "One of our most important goals is to help prevent homelessness and to provide safe, comfortable places to live to families and individuals throughout California."

The HDTI Class of 2005.

The Citi Foundation is also a major supporter of Bay Area LISC's Commercial Corridor Revitalization & Stabilization program. In Bay Area neighborhoods like the Fruitvale, Bayview, and Downtown Richmond, Citi works with LISC to support comprehensive revitalization efforts empowering residents, small business owners, and other stakeholders to bring pride and investment into the commercial corridors at the heart of these communities.

News Notes

• Bay Area LISC welcomes Jessica Waggoner
  Bay Area LISC is pleased to welcome Jessica Waggoner as the new Assistant Program Officer for our Green Connection program. Jessica, a Bay Area native, has a Green MBA from Dominican University and a BA from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
• 2008 Urban Forum, April 28-30
  LISC's Commercial Markets Advisory Services will host its annual Urban Forum in Indianapolis April 28-30. Gather with well over four hundred decision-makers from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, and share your diverse and unique perspectives on community development.
• New Market Tax Credits bring a new supermarket to the Bayview
  LISC's New Market Tax Credits made possible Fresh & Easy's arrival as the first new supermarket in San Francisco's Bayview district in years.
• Coming soon: new green guide for multifamily rental properties
  Look out for an e-Announcement from our Green Connection program about the upcoming release of our new Green Rehabilitation of Multifamily Rental Properties: A Resource Guide.