President’s Update: July 2019
Mark D McHale
What’s Shaking These Days in the Valley?
It’s summer, and school is out- and Karl is making the days chilly and windy this year! We’ve had a few of those perfect days though, you know, the ones where the breeze is warm and promising, the trees are sporting their new leaves, and the sidewalks are clear and clean… those days that remind my of why I moved here in the first place!
IMPORTANT REMINDER: Our general meeting location is changed this time to the upstairs multi-purpose room at the Eureka Valley Rec Center...100 Collingwood Street on Wednesday, July 24th, 2019, doors open at 6:45pm and meeting goes till 8:30pm.
We’ve got some good stuff to cover in the meeting- Our D-8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman will update us on the latest SF Budget which passed earlier this month, and includes extra funding for some issues that are very important to EVNA. You can get his latest newsletter by clicking here for a sneak peak. Find out if funds were approved for additional beds, mental illness and rehab services that have been on everyone’s list of high-priority demands this year.
As you know, we are featuring one new candidate for District Attorney each meeting. Last meeting, we heard from Lief Dautch, and this month we’ll hear from Suzy Loftus. Ms. Loftus will introduce herself and tell us a little about her career experience and her aspirations if elected to the post.
Hats off to our board members and volunteer crew for assembling this quarter’s Castro Welcome Packets for delivery to all our new neighbors moving into the Eureka Valley since April. The crew prepped almost 400 bags, and we’ve got teams signing up to make the deliveries. If you haven’t helped yet, just know this is absolutely fun. Welcoming new folks is central to our core values as a welcoming community. Deliveries are scheduled to go on from July 20th to August 10th...when we have a party to meet everyone face to face!
Our second new neighbor’s mixer is coming up and also being combined with our member’s mixer- save the date! Saturday, August 10, 2019 from 10:00am to 11:30am...located again at the Spark Arts Gallery at 4229 18th Street. Join us for coffee and pastries, see a cool art exhibit, and meet some old and new friends!
Elections for the Board are Coming up in November- we’ve got a great group, and we’ve got room for more good souls to share the fun and work with us- we keep EVNA running and relevant! Of particular interest are candidates who can bring new voices to the conversation: if you’re non-male, of any age but certainly between 21-50, and any non-white ethnicity, let’s talk. This year we’ll be focusing more on community events, and would appreciate skills in marketing, PR/Events, communications, advertising and social media.
Hope you’ll make it to the general meeting on Wednesday, July 24 starting at 7pm and going till 8:30pm. Doors open at 6:45, come early!
Eureka Valley Rec Center (100 Collingwood Street x 18th), Upstairs
In the meantime, I hope to see you around the neighborhood!
Join your neighbors for a little fun and frivolity! Sarah Palin once said, "I can taste Spain from Eureka Valley!" as she enjoyed an array of tapas prepared by our own local wonder, Chef Mat Schuster! And this time, she was RIGHT!
EVNA is hosting Happy Hour(s) for it's members and admirers on Sunday, April 28 from 3-5pm with a variety of tapas and a cash bar!
Eat, drink and be neighborly, and you too will be saying "Buen Provecho!"
Ever think about what it would be like to actually meet your neighbors and spend some time talking with them and getting to know them (and not just typing at them on Facebook or NextDoor)?
We're inviting you to get out of the house and be a part of welcoming our newest neighbors to the Castro/Eureka Valley. Every quarter, starting in April.
EVNA (your neighborhood group) is launching the Castro Welcome Pack... think "welcome wagon"... we've committed to welcoming every new neighbor in the hood with a little gift and a human "hello"... would you be interested in joining us?
Share some of our history, tell 'em your fave restaurants, point to the library, the museum, show 'em the flag...share with them some of the excitement and passion for why we love our neighborhood so much!
We're going to have our first volunteer orientation meeting on March 30th at 10:00am- location tbd. We'll introduce you to our cool new Welcome Pack, go over the contents, review talking points and nail down logistics. This is an authentic and genuine welcome, and not a sales pitch.
(The Welcome Pack is a Castro branded wine tote with coupons and discounts from local Castro Merchants to encourage residents to support, shop, and dine locally).
It's a great way to welcome new residents, help them feel connected and engaged from the get-go, and for you to make some lasting friendships!
Who's in? Email me: mark.mchale@evna.org
We had over 50 neighbors in attendance over the course of the afternoon. Poesia created a delicious buffet paid for by EVNA.
Below are a few photos from the event. Check back here for our next neighborhood Meet & Greet!
On Saturday, February 9th, EVNA hosted a neighborhood Meet & Greet at Poesia Restaurant on 18th Street.
