SOMOS Mayfair supports children, organizes families, and connects neighbors to uplift the dreams, power, and leadership of community and address systemic inequities. Beginning in 1997, the residents of Mayfair and regional leaders worked together to address chronic issues of poverty and hopelessness in the Mayfair neighborhood. We began with making changes in areas that we could see: hiring crossing guards and adding new traffic lights; improving sidewalks; replacing graffiti with community murals; recovering Silver Creek, and replanting the oldest community garden in San José. During our first ten years we succeeded in increasing worker’s skills by enrolling 500 adults in literacy, ESL and high school/GED classes, enrolling over 1,000 children in health insurance, and launching a neighborhood-wide, school readiness initiative targeting children ages 0-5. Knowing that no one organization could do everything needed to change a community, we took it upon ourselves to build relationships with others. We built coalitions and continue to work closely with many allies including non-profit social and human service agencies, housing developers, mental health practitioners, cultural workers, community colleges, adult educators, community organizers, and hospitals and community health providers to bring critical programs, services and new resources to our community.
