May 23: Bayview Brings the Magic to City Hall

Dear Mayor Newsom, Please Say "Yes"!

Bayview Magic, a collaborative of community agencies in Bayview/Hunter's Point, delivered their card to the Mayor's Office, with pictures of community events that couldn't have happened without city money- an effort to remind the Mayor of the importance of investing in children, youth and families.

For more information or questions about Coleman Advocates' Family Budget Coalition, please contact Chelsea Boilard: (415) 239-0161 x19 or cboilard@colemanadvocates.org.

May 22: Empancipated Youth Say Yes

Dear Mayor Newsom, Please Say "Yes"!

This morning the Emancipated Youth Advisory Board, a project of HEY: Honoring Empancipated Youth, went through a City Budget 101 workshop and then created a card with their own message to the Mayor. We hope he's listening...!

For more information or questions about Coleman Advocates' Family Budget Coalition, please contact Chelsea Boilard: (415) 239-0161 x19 or cboilard@colemanadvocates.org.

May 21: Coming from Within City Hall

Dear Mayor Newsom, Please Say "Yes"!

Today the SF Youth Commission, located on the third floor of City Hall, delivered their card to the Mayor asking him to support the young people of San Francisco and commit to a fair city budget.

For more information or questions about Coleman Advocates' Family Budget Coalition, please contact Chelsea Boilard: (415) 239-0161 x19 or cboilard@colemanadvocates.org.

May 20: Mayor Newsom, Children Need You!

Dear Mayor Newsom, Please Say "Yes"!

The card to the Mayor today came from the Childcare Planning and Advisory Council (CPAC) and the Children's Council of San Francisco. Representing child care in San Francisco, the 2 groups urge Mayor Newsom to prioritize children and families in his budget for FY 08-09!

For more information or questions about Coleman Advocates' Family Budget Coalition, please contact Chelsea Boilard: (415) 239-0161 x19 or cboilard@colemanadvocates.org.

May 19: Dear Mayor Newsom, Please Say Yes!

Dear Mayor Newsom, Please Say "Yes"!

Today, California Youth Connection delivered their card to the Mayor, asking that he commit to a fair budget for struggling youth and families in San Francisco. As the deadline for his budget submission creeps closer and the budget continues to evolve, we hope that he is listening to our message!

For more information or questions about Coleman Advocates' Family Budget Coalition, please contact Chelsea Boilard: (415) 239-0161 x19 or cboilard@colemanadvocates.org.

May 16: Only Two More Weeks!

Dear Mayor Newsom, Please Say "Yes"!

Today, JVS (Jewish Vocational Services) delivered their card to the Mayor, skyline and all! Mayor Newsom, we hope you're listening...

For more information or questions about Coleman Advocates' Family Budget Coalition, please contact Chelsea Boilard: (415) 239-0161 x19 or cboilard@colemanadvocates.org.

May 15: Special Deliveries Continue!

Dear Mayor Newsom, Please Say "Yes"!

Today, the special delivery for Mayor Newsom comes from the parents, children and providers at the South of Market Family Resource Center. We hope he takes this message to heart!

For more information or questions about Coleman Advocates' Family Budget Coalition, please contact Chelsea Boilard: (415) 239-0161 x19 or cboilard@colemanadvocates.org.

May 14: Mayor's Delivery Delayed!

Dear Mayor Newsom, Please Say "Yes"!

Four young people from LYRIC traveled to City Hall this afternoon to deliver their card to the Mayor, only to be stopped at the doors due to a suspected bomb threat. So unfortunately, their card will come one day late but we want the Mayor to know that the card was there! "We want the Mayor to reconsider cutting the budget," says Omega, one of the youth from LYRIC. "It's really important that there's a space for LGBTQ youth to hang out... and spaces for other people too."

For more information or questions about Coleman Advocates' Family Budget Coalition, please contact Chelsea Boilard: (415) 239-0161 x19 or cboilard@colemanadvocates.org.

May 13: The Deliveries to the Mayor Continue!

Dear Mayor Newsom, "Please Say Yes"!

Today, La Voz Latina, a project of the Tenderloin Housing Project, delivered their card to Mayor Newsom, asking him to support families and not cut services.

For more information or questions about Coleman Advocates' Family Budget Coalition, please contact Chelsea Boilard:(415) 239-0161 x19cboilard@colemanadvocates.org

May 12: Third Week of Special Deliveries to the Mayor!

Dear Mayor Newsom, Please "Say Yes"!

The special delivery today to Room 200 came from H.O.M.E.Y.: Homies Organizing the Mission To Empower Youth. We hope the Mayor can commit to prioritizing the funding of youth and family services!

For more information or questions about Coleman Advocates' Family Budget Coalition, please contact Chelsea Boilard:(415) 239-0161 x19cboilard@colemanadvocates.org

May 9: Parent Voices Delivers Their Card

Dear Mayor Newsom, Please "Say Yes"!

Today, Parent Voices delivers their card, created by parents on their way to Sacramento to fight the budget cuts! We hope that the Governor AND Mayor are both listening...

For more information or questions about Coleman Advocates' Family Budget Coalition, please contact Chelsea Boilard:(415) 239-0161 x19cboilard@colemanadvocates.org

May 8: Day Six of Deliveries to the Mayor!

Dear Mayor Newsom, Please "Say Yes"!

Today, the Filipino Community Center delivered their hand-made card to the Mayor, urging him to support struggling families by committing to preserving our services! This card was created by FCC volunteer Allegra Pulido and FCC/ALAY youth Tino Illustrisimo.

For more information or questions about Coleman Advocates' Family Budget Coalition, please contact Chelsea Boilard:
(415) 239-0161 x19
cboilard@colemanadvocates.org

May 7: Deliveries Continue!

Dear Mayor Newsom, Please "Say Yes!"

Today, the card to the Mayor came from Bernal Preschool, urging the Mayor to commit to preserving children and family services and strengthening the safety net for SF struggling families!

For more information or questions about Coleman Advocates' Family Budget Coalition, please contact Chelsea Boilard:

(415) 239-0161 x19

cboilard@colemanadvocates.org

May 6: Fourth Day of Deliveries to the Mayor!

Dear Mayor Newsom, Please "Say Yes!"

Today, the Arts Providers Alliance dropped off their card to the Mayor... we are consistently and creatively getting him our message and hope that he hears the importance of preserving children and family services!

For more information or questions about Coleman Advocates' Family Budget Coalition, please contact:
Chelsea Boilard
(415) 239-0161 x19
cboilard@colemanadvocates.org

May 5: The Mayor Gets His 3rd Card

Dear Mayor Newsom, Please "Say Yes"!

Today, the San Francisco Family Support Network, a partnership of providers in the family support field, delivers their card to the Mayor!

For more information or questions about Coleman Advocates' Family Budget Coalition, please contact Chelsea Boilard:(415) 239-0161 x19cboilard@colemanadvocates.org

May 2: Deliveries to the Mayor Continue!

Dear Mayor Newsom, Please "Say Yes"!

May 2 marks the second day of our deliveries to Mayor Gavin Newsom... As he and his Budget Office work diligently to create his proposed budget, we urge them to prioritize the needs of children, youth and families and not leave us out in the cold!

Coleman Advocates' Youth Making A Change (Y-MAC) sent the card to the Mayor today (please see pictures).

For more information or questions about Coleman Advocates' Family Budget Coalition, please contact:
Chelsea Boilard
(415) 239-0161 x19
cboilard@colemanadvocates.org

May 1: Deliveries to the Mayor Begin Today!

Dear Mayor Newsom, Please "Say Yes"!

Today, May 1, Coleman Advocates and the Family Budget Coalition began a month of daily deliveries to Mayor Gavin Newsom, asking him to "Say Yes" to a fair city budget for struggling children, youth and families in San Francisco! Each day from today until June 1 (when the Mayor submits his budget to the Board of Supervisors), the Family Budget Coalition will deliver a hand-made card to the Mayor's office from the youth, families and providers in the coalition. And each day, we will post a new blog with a picture of the card- please stay tuned for developments!

The Adolescent Health Working Group sent the card to the Mayor today (please see pictures).

For more information or questions about Coleman Advocates' Family Budget Coalition, please contact:
Chelsea Boilard
(415) 239-0161 x19
cboilard@colemanadvocates.org

Our Budget Agenda: Stand With Families!

Make a Choice: Stand With Families
Budget Agenda for FY 08-09

May 1, 2008

Dear Mayor Newsom and the Board of Supervisors, PLEASE SAY YES. Say “yes” to standing with families and finding alternatives to balancing the budget on the backs of San Francisco children, youth and families. The Family Budget Coalition consists of a broad range of over 50 agencies and networks in San Francisco, spanning neighborhoods, race, culture and language. Our coalition represents thousands of San Francisco’s low-income families who are in crisis, struggling to meet their basic needs on a day-to-day basis. And in this economy, with local and state projected budget cuts, life for the city’s families is only going to get harder. In the current budget climate, we have four priorities.

1. Stop the cuts and don’t balance the budget on the backs of kids. Preserve the city’s current investment in services and resources for children, youth and families in the city – the $103 million ‘true’ baseline, including all FY07-08 add-backs to children’s services.
   
2. Invest in long-term city budget solutions. Commit to working with city, community and business leaders to find solutions to the budget crisis, including new sources of revenue.
   
3. Strengthen the safety net for San Francisco’s poor and low-income families. Strengthen critical services for the almost 40,000 families in San Francisco who are challenged to meet their basic needs, by investing $5.5 million in: Rental subsidies- $900,000; Eviction prevention services- $225,000; Re-entry services- $500,000; Medical and behavioral health services for youth- $275,000; Child care workers’ wages- $2,000,000; and School readiness services- $1,600,000
4. Address gaps in essential services left by state cuts. Consider back-filling the holes in essential services for children, youth and families left by the state budget cuts.

The Family Budget Coalition understands that we are facing an extremely tough budget year, and we do not pretend to have all the answers. We also understand that a city’s budget reflects a city’s priorities. If this city can afford to invest in increased raises for our deserving civil servants, then the city can make a choice to stand with families to ensure that poor and low-income families struggling to survive in San Francisco have a strengthened safety net. For a complete copy of Coleman Advocates’ Family Budget Coalition FY08-09 Budget Agenda, go to www.colemanadvocates.org

For more information or questions about Coleman Advocates' Family Budget Coalition, please contact:
Chelsea Boilard
(415) 239-0161 x19
cboilard@colemanadvocates.org