The Second Annual Love Your Mission Day
Rain Can't Damper this Kind of Love
Lori Dueck
February 16, 2007
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Children's Day school kicked off the event by painting the Plaza with sidewalk chalk. |
Autumn Express staff helped community members make Valentine's Day Cards. |
Members of the Good Samaritan Family Resource Center Teen Program's "Jambory" brought down the rain with their percussive beats. |
San Francisco, CA—Braving dark clouds, and eventually rain, performers, artists, and community members showed their love for the Mission District this past Monday at Plaza 16, the 16 th Street BART Station. A free community event, the Second Annual Love Your Mission Day showcased and engaged community members of all ages and walks of life.
The event kicked off early with art students from Children’s Day School breaking out their chalk and filling the Plaza with bright pictures, from city skylines to hearts. Their artwork was infectious and community members, from Catherine Marroquin of the Safety Network, to a small child and her mother, joined in the fun.
Autumn Express provided love to keep the artistic juices flowing, with rubber stamps, glitter and glue used to decorate red and pink heart-shaped Valentines. Members of Columbia Park Boys and Girls Club also set up shop with Love your Mission activity books and lanyards.
“Ladies Night,” a series of portraits by artist Kari Orvik, was unveiled. The exhibit showcases women from Ladies Night, a weekly drop-in made possible through the collaboration of Mission Neighborhood Resource Center, San Francisco Needle Exchange, Women’s Community Clinic, Care Through Touch Institute and the Street Outreach Services. Ladies Night is a safe, women-only space where ladies can get support to make life on the streets more bearable and make positive changes. Julie Leadbetter and Veronica Majano of Mission Neighborhood Resource Center, were on the scene, along with information and resources from Mission Neighborhood Health Center, Community Music Center, and Friends of the Urban Forest.
Good Samaritan Family Resource Center Teen Program’s “Jambory,” lead by Barbara Heredia, circled round with rhythms to get your toes tapping. They were just getting the crowd warmed up as the rain came down to turn toes from tapping to running. With Valentines in hand, everyone took cover from the rain until next year.