San Francisco, CA – The Bayanihan Equity Center (BEC), announces its acquisition of a new building at 616 Minna Street, on the 25th Year Anniversary of the organization. Through the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD), the acquisition of 616 Minna Street will allow BEC to expand its South of Market (SoMa)-based programs and services for older adults and adults with disabilities, to the broader API community in San Francisco.
Since its founding over 25 years ago, BEC has been a cornerstone for San Francisco’s API community, originally established to serve Filipino WWII veterans and their families. BEC serves low-income and immigrant API residents citywide, with a majority of consumers residing in the SoMa and Tenderloin. With San Francisco’s older adult population expected to grow to 26% by 2030, the BEC will establish their own dedicated center at 616 Minna Street, located within the SOMA Pilipinas Cultural Heritage District.
The acquisition of 616 Minna Street was made possible by the API Equity Fund, which was championed in 2022 by Supervisor Connie Chan, Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, and then-Supervisor Gordon Mar. The API Equity Fund was created to help community organizations avoid displacement and build culturally reflective spaces where direct services are needed. The API Equity Fund provided $30 million of grant funding for organizations to acquire property or make capital improvements (source: API Council).
With a multilingual capacity, BEC provides a myriad of accessible, low-barrier programs and services for surviving Filipino WWII veterans, seniors, adults with disabilities, and families. BEC services are formed in response to community needs, which address social isolation, affordable housing needs, and food insecurity– through programs such as recreational activities, case management, and weekly food distribution through a long-standing partnership with the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. The new facility will allow BEC to extend its impact to meet the increasing needs of the community.
In celebration of this milestone acquisition, BEC’s 25th Year Anniversary, and in conjunction with Filipino American History Month (FAHM), BEC will hosted an open house and press conference on Tuesday, October 22, 2024 at 616 Minna Street, San Francisco, CA 94103, with community leaders and elected officials. Hear from Mayor London Breed, BEC Executive Director Luisa M. Antonio, and community members.
“There was a time when it would seem impossible for small nonprofits to acquire a space for their services. Today, we have a strong partner with our local government that understands that stable nonprofits are better positioned to sustain their programs and services especially to the growing population of seniors in San Francisco. BEC has been a proud contractor for the City for a quarter of a century, and thrilled to move into our new home to serve the community for decades to come,” Luisa M. Antonio, BEC Founding Member & Executive Director.
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