San Quentin, CA. Prison populations across the U.S. have been hit hard by COVID-19. At San Quentin State Prison, the Prison University Project is trying to provide material and emotional support. The Prison University Project is a nonprofit working to expand access to higher education inside the California prison system. Due to COVID-19, all programming that is considered non-essential has been suspended, this includes the college classes offered by Prison University Project. However, the organization is taking on other projects to support the San Quentin prison community.
In recent weeks, the Prison University Project has coordinated the installation of mobile showers for corrections staff to help mitigate the possible spread of COVID-19.
The Prison University Project also provides food trucks that allow staff to grab something to eat before or after their shifts.
Efforts to assist staff during the pandemic is just one of the initiatives the Prison University Project has taken on. The organization’s outreach notes, “Most notably, we coordinated the successful deliveries of care packages to the entire populations of San Quentin and Avenal State Prisons. […] San Quentin’s leadership has also allowed us to send magazines, textbooks, art supplies, hand-crank radios, and digital content (via closed-circuit television) to people on death row and other areas of the prison outside of the general population areas.”
Prison University Project unloads care packages. (Photo credit, Lt. Sam Robinson)
Prison University Project student and Senior Editor of the San Quentin News, Juan Moreno Haines (pictured above) has emerged as a voice of the incarcerated during the COVID-19 crisis.
Juan Moreno Haines’ published pieces with information about what’s happening inside San Quentin during the COVID-19 pandemic can be seen at this link: https://theappeal.org/authors/juan-moreno-haines/
From the Prison University Project:
Here’s how to help incarcerated individuals at the moment. Increasing visibility of both formerly and currently incarcerated individuals by sharing and supporting their “advocacy efforts and publications widely” is one way in which people on the outside can help. Donations to the Prison University Project’s general operations and to its Covid-19 Care Package Initiative, both of which are linked here, are also useful. Additionally, donations to organizations such as Bonafide are appreciated. Bonafide helps individuals inside prepare for release and supports them when they leave the prison by providing essential supplies including cell phones and clothing.
The mission of the Prison University Project is to provide an intellectually rigorous, inclusive Associate of Arts degree program and College Preparatory Program, free of charge, to people at San Quentin State Prison; to expand access to quality higher education for incarcerated people; and to foster the values of equity, civic engagement, independence of thought, and freedom of expression.
San Francisco, CA. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mission Education Projects Inc. (MEPI) is still trying to provide its usual academic support and enrichment activities. This nonprofit, based in the Mission district is pictured above. MEPI provides tutoring, homework help, and other educational activities to students and their families in the community. Although the organization was unable to host onsite programming after the shelter in place order began, the staff continued to communicate with students and families through methods including Facetime, phone calls, emails, and texts. MEPI also began group Zoom sessions with students focused on homework and tutoring.
Lana Alviar, the Program Director at MEPI, discribes the daily Zoom sessions as a time where, “everyone – students, parents and other family members (the toddlers from the family) along with staff get together” and can “chat, hang out, have dance battles, play games, and share our feelings and fears about COVID-19.”
The nonprofit has also adjusted its annual End of School Year celebration. This year the 2020 End of School Year celebration took place as a Zoom party. Lana describes the event: “Prior to the party students received a goody bag with party favors and snacks for the party. We acknowledged our graduates from Kindergarten, 5th grade, and 8th grade who each received a cap and tassel, a class of 2020 sash, and a 2020 graduation medal. Students, parents, guests, and staff all joined in to honor our graduates. Our celebration included presentations, songs, riddles, and goody bags and ended with everyone sharing what they were grateful for.”
Kindergarten grad books for the End of School Year Party.
For MEPI’s summer program, the students received arts and crafts kits which included everything needed to complete the projects. Lana notes how “These projects are educational, fun, and stress relieving.”
During the pandemic, Mission Education Projects Inc. is helping students and families with supplies as well. Lana reports how during one of their Zoom sessions she asked students what they needed and was “surprised by the simple request they had – they needed paper, pencils, crayons, markers – things they could use to make drawings or write stories on as well as make origami and paper airplanes.” With the help of some friends, Lana was able to gather the requested supplies and drop them off to the families. A picture of staff packing up the supplies is pictured below. “We were also able to get food boxes dropped off to the families which included fruits, vegetables, eggs, chicken, and pasta.”
MEPI staff members pack supplies for kids and their families.
Lana speaks on how despite the difficulties COVID-19 has brought, the rewards of having a smaller program are shining through. All of MEPI’s Junior staff are former students themselves. “These students have grown up together and are very familiar with each other and with the staff” (Lana Alviar). Lana mentions how one of the best parts of the day is the end of day Zoom sessions with staff and students in which they’re able to check-in, talk about what they’re working on, and just hang out. “We have always been close with our students and their parents, but the COVID-19 pandemic has strengthened those relationships and brought us even closer and made us stronger as a group.”
From Mission Education Projects Inc:
If you’d like to support to Mission Education Projects Inc. the nonprofit could always use monetary donations. The nonprofits’ monetary donations have dwindled and MEPI is especially in need due to unexpected costs related to COVID-19.
“The mission of Mission Education Projects, Inc. is to provide at-risk youth & their families an equal opportunity to access a quality cultural sensitive & holistic educational and quality of the life experience involving every aspect of the child’s world of safe and empowering environment.”
San Francisco, CA. Even though Urban Sprouts heavily relies on in-person gatherings, this non-profit is still finding ways to serve the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. The nonprofit operates five community gardens in the San Francisco area with a focus on garden-based education, job readiness, cooking, and nutrition.
In response to how Urban Sprouts is fairing during the pandemic, Director of Operations, Marissa Alexander, states “We have had to make major modifications, but we find ourselves to be a vital resource and space.”
Urban Sprouts is planning to grow more food this season, with a goal of 400 pounds of produce. Marissa explains the reason behind this influx in produce: “When Shelter in Place started in March, we immediately recognized the need to get fresh produce into the hands of our communities who may have lost jobs or income, have more people home to cook for, or who may be unable or unsafe to go to a grocery store.”
Sprouting Leaders member displays harvested produce.
As food producers, Urban Sprouts was able to continue working and growing in their gardens. This was done with strict health and safety protocols in place which abided with the City orders and health directives. While complying with these protocols, Marissa notes that “Thanks to our proactive staff, early on, we were able to connect with other community organizations and gardens to partner on food distribution to those in need in SF.”
Urban Sprouts has also been able to modify and continue certain programs. Marissa references how “In March, we were running Sprout Out! which is our sort of flagship after-school job-training program for San Francisco high-school students, which is very hands-on. When Shelter in Place started, we followed the lead of SFUSD and started distance learning and the participants were all able to complete the program.”
Here’s a video about the program:
The Cooking & Nutrition program was also altered due to shelter in place, allowing for positive developments. “The shelter in place has really pushed us to develop more virtual tools that can hopefully improve our work even after shelter in place is lifted. Our cooking & nutrition program manager, Violeta Sandoval started to make amazing cooking videos to share with our online community because she missed her cooking classes! Her son, Alejandro even joined in to make kid-friendly, Spanish language recipe videos.”
Sprouting Leaders program members attend a Farmer’s Market to sell produce.
Urban Sprouts Sprouting Leaders program was also able to continue in a modified, socially distanced manner with permission from the City and funders. This allowed the organization to bring on 12 young adult cohorts in a six-week paid summer internship program.
Marissa and the rest of the team at Urban Sprouts are also investing in the infrastructure of their sites. They are planning to make additions such as more hand washing stations, solar-powered hot water, additional shade structures, wind barriers, and solar lighting. Marissa believes this is preparing Urban Sprouts “to be even more of an outdoor asset, especially as schools explore outdoor learning.”
Currently, due to shelter in place, Urban Sprouts is unable to host events, fundraisers, and classes which would typically help them earn income. Marissa comments that “Now more than ever, individual donors are so, so important to non-profits like us. These donations help us keep going and make sure we are able to respond to the ever-changing circumstances under which we operate.”
Sprouting Leaders member cooks in Urban Sprouts outdoor, off the grid, solar-powered kitchen.
The organization could also use volunteers to work on digital projects around data management, marketing, and graphic design. In regards to how readers can help, Marissa states: “If anyone lives in San Francisco and wants to help with garden maintenance, we do need help with basic garden care! It is not the most exciting work, but it feels good to be outside and getting your hands dirty.”
From Urban Sprouts:
“We build supportive learning communities in English, Spanish, and Cantonese, for people of all ages, genders, and races. We work with communities who have been systematically denied access to resources to remove barriers and create pathways to health and economic equity through garden-based education and experiences”
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