OUR STORY
Manzanita Works
"The Manzanita is an indigenous evergreen plant whose many species offer an important connecting layer within the Californian chaparral. Growing in clusters low to the ground with twisting red branches and edible flowers and berries,
it sustains local life in abundance. "
- The Manzanita Report & Alternatives Analysis, December 2019
Bay Area Forward
Manzanita Works grew out of a community organization called Bay Area Forward which was founded in 2014. For about five years, it supported a network of "good growth" groups engaged in the creation of local housing and transportation options in their respective communities. Collectively, we built capacity among residents with diverse perspectives in the public process and cultivated participation.
On December 14th, 2016, over 150 people gathered for a community conversation on how we might be able to collaborate to build a more inclusive Bay Area. Elected officials from Mountain View, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Redwood City, East Palo Alto and San Jose, along with policy experts and essential working neighbors shared the nuanced issues they wrestled with and the ideas they had for improving our region.
Teacher Town Halls
During 2018 and 2019, Bay Area Forward and two collaborators, Support Teacher Housing and Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian, organized a series of “Teacher Town Halls” to lift up the lived experience of educators and their support staff who struggled with housing availability, affordability and “super-commuting,” traveling more than 90 minutes to and from work each day.
Held at school sites from Redwood City to San Jose, these town halls helped garner support from local public school districts. The County successfully financed the development of 110 affordable rental apartments for teachers, school employees, and their families. Construction is underway in Palo Alto.
Teacher Town Halls
During 2018 and 2019, Bay Area Forward and two collaborators, Support Teacher Housing and Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian, organized a series of “Teacher Town Halls” to lift up the lived experience of educators and their support staff who struggled with housing availability, affordability and “super-commuting,” traveling more than 90 minutes to and from work each day.
Held at school sites from Redwood City to San Jose, these town halls helped garner support from local public school districts. The County successfully financed the development of 110 affordable rental apartments for teachers, school employees, and their families. Construction is underway in Palo Alto.
Manzanita Talks
In 2019, under the branch of a Manzanita in a Bay Area house of faith, private industry and public stakeholders gathered around a series of multi-lateral talks "to explore how the region’s public transit pipelines could connect commuters to job centers in a nuanced way using existing transportation infrastructure."
Moderated by Joint Venture Silicon Valley and utilizing the planning expertise of Good City Company,
Bay Area Forward transformed into Manzanita Works
and helped negotiate the creation of best practices
for transportation management association formation, published by Joint Venture Silicon Valley
Manzanita Coalition
On February 8th, 2020, five voluntary civic institutions came together to form the Manzanita Coalition. Initially interested in accessing commute options, the group's size would nearly triple to 14 institutions in the coming months.
They dedicated themselves to meeting weekly for two hour video calls for an entire year, developing numerous subcommittees to share their lived experience, provide mutual support, leadership development, and brainstorm shared action.
Manzanita Coalition
On February 8th, 2020, five voluntary civic institutions came together to form the Manzanita Coalition. Initially interested in accessing commute options, the group's size would nearly triple to 14 institutions in the coming months. They dedicated themselves to meeting weekly for two hour video calls for an entire year, developing numerous subcommittees
to share their lived experience, provide mutual support, leadership development, and brainstorm shared action.
Manzanita Conference
On March 20th, 2020, the Manzanita Conference convened local thought leaders on some of the pressing issues faced by the region's working families: transit, housing, education and the future of work in collaboration with Joint Venture Silicon Valley and California Urban Partnership. Richard Rothstein, author of The Color of Law was the keynote speaker.
As the COVID-19 global pandemic unfolded, the setting for the conference shifted from the UCSF Mission Bay Convention Center to an online format with pre-recorded sessions. We were filming on March 16th as the Governor of California announced the shelter-in-place order. Still, videos of all the discussions were made widely available and offered insights for multi-disciplinary approaches to workforce needs.
Ravenswood Consortiums
Even as the Bay Area commute evaporated overnight for all but essential workers, Manzanita Works received numerous letters of intent from local and regional employers to join a transit consortium. In May 2020, the Ravenswood Transit Consortium was ratified with the Ravenswood Family Health Network and Google as two of the founding members.
Six months later, three hospitals and a school District ratified the Ravenswood Family Consortium for the purpose of exploring the creation of more childcare options for workers.
Ravenswood Consortiums
Even as the Bay Area commute evaporated overnight for all but essential workers, Manzanita Works received numerous letters of intent from local and regional employers to join a transit consortium. In May 2020, the Ravenswood Transit Consortium was ratified with the Ravenswood Family Health Network and Google as two of the founding members.
Six months later, three hospitals and a school District ratified the Ravenswood Family Consortium for the purpose of exploring the creation of more childcare options for workers.
In Service of Essential Workers
The COVID-19 pandemic had the Manzanita Coalition and the Manzanita Works team rolling up our sleeves!
Here's what we accomplished:
- Distributed 5,000 face shields
- Brokered access to long-haul private shuttles
- Helped host workshops on eviction prevention
- Hosted a vaccine dialogue among community stakeholders
- Expanded access to vaccines through pop-ups
- Brokered childcare and youth enrichment options
- Secured laptops for youth of essential workers
- Compiled best practices for COVID-19 testing logistics with local emergency response teams
- Hosted a series of talks between teachers and parents about the return to in-person learning
- Volunteered group service at soup kitchens
- Mentored a youth campaign for essential working heroes
- Provided a safe space for community members to share their lived experiences
Program Development
In 2021, Manzanita Works emerged with a series of initiatives and six program areas. We've designed a novel method and model for collective purchasing and community benefit creation over a decade of community-led initiatives and five years of deep research and iterative work.
We are fortunate to steward and champion these efforts with the leadership of voluntary civic society, our collaborating institutions in the public, private and nonprofit sectors,
and the workers we serve.
Program Development
In 2021, Manzanita Works emerged with a series of initiatives and six program areas. We've designed a novel method and model for collective purchasing and community benefit creation over a decade of community-led initiatives and five years of deep research and iterative work.
We are fortunate to steward and champion these efforts with the leadership of voluntary civic society, our collaborating institutions in the public, private and nonprofit sectors,
and the workers we serve.
Setting Seats at the Table
Today, we are honored to serve voluntary civic society by handling the following:
- Consortium creation and management;
- Program development and implementation;
- Coalition facilitation;
- Local distribution networks for shared resources; and
- Provisions of community benefits.
Like the Manzanita plant itself, we are resilient. In service of workers, we adapt to local conditions, and our efforts play an important role in connecting public infrastructure with enlightened, collaborative private interests.
San Mateo Daily Journal Op Ed:
Finding better commute solutions - together
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