Above: Rosalinda (SOMCAN resident leader) speaks in front of City Hall about the impact of bad planning on neighborhoods. Right: Jason (SOMCAN resident leader) collects signatures.
Empowering all SoMa residents to have their voices heard.
For many residents in SoMa, the quest to participate actively in the civic, political and social issues of San Francisco is often a struggle. Thirty-three percent of the SoMa community speaks little to no English, and twenty-five percent of residents in SoMa did not graduate from high school. To break down the barriers that many low-income, people of color, immigrant and working-class communities in SoMa face, SOMCAN's mission is to build and support a strong, organized community that takes collective action to achieve social justice and equity through organizing, leadership development and community planning.
By providing political education, community organizing and educational community meetings around critical issues such as land use, SOMCAN aims to empower those who are most disenfranchised to change existing conditions and to have the community's voices heard on the issues that affect them most.
“SOMCAN is always there for me in times of need. They are totally supportive and accommodating.”
—Alicia, Filipina, SoMa parent