Hello GU Family!
Since 2007, we have sought diligently to be a light and blessing to the community. We are forever grateful for the incredible community of families, volunteers, donors, and community members who have been a part of our lives. Thank you for the support and love throughout many years, it takes many hands and hearts to do this work.
As we head into the time we will vacate our beloved Academic Enrichment Center on 2nd Avenue, I have many reflections. Since being advised of our displacement a few days before Christmas, we have met with several Stanford representatives. We learned about what transpired when they began setting their sights on North Fair Oaks (NFO) and it’s been incredibly disheartening to witness such disregard for the people of this community. It’s a different time now and finding an adequate location has been challenging. Little did we know that gentrification would touch us this profoundly. We have done our best to express our great concern to Stanford. We met with multiple individuals and believed that perhaps if we shared with them ways they could be good neighbors to the predominantly Hispanic families in our community, maybe they’d listen, or at a minimum, consider options on how to best create a sense that they were willing to provide access given how much of the community is being ravaged by their expansion. It seems to have fallen on deaf ears. We hope that change will come in another way and with another organization.
We will re-launch the AEC at the Salvation Army at 660 Veterans Blvd., Redwood City and if you are available to help us unpack and get organized, we’d love for you to join us on Thursday, 9/26 and Friday, 9/27 from 11 am until we wrap up! it’s a much bigger space and we are excited for the 2024-2025 school year! This year, students will be picked up by van from school and returned to NFO by 6 pm.
Please plan on signing up to volunteer to read with a student, do math, or just be a friend.
I’m hoping to meet with you in the days to come!