In the heart of the Mission District, the holiday spirit shone brightly as the Mission Promise Neighborhood (MPN) collaborative hosted its 10th annual book giveaway at Cesar Chavez Elementary. Despite the rain and overcast skies, the event was filled with festive energy as 300 children and families gathered to select from a diverse collection of nearly 1,000 books, enjoy art activities, and take pictures with Santa.

Since 2014, MPN has remained committed to providing every child with the opportunity to read, learn, and grow. This year’s book giveaway gave students from elementary through high school the chance to choose books that sparked their imaginations and nurtured healthy reading habits.

True to MPN’s commitment to inclusivity, the collective impact initiative continued its tradition of offering Spanish-language books, allowing immigrant families to share the joy of reading and nurture bilingualism at home.

In addition to the books, MPN organized creative art activities that included bookmark crafting, Christmas cutouts, DIY piggy banks, and even a comic book station. These activities allowed the children and youth to express their creativity while making lasting memories.

The giveaway was more than just books—it was an opportunity to bring the community together and ignite a lifelong love of reading.

Gratitude goes to Jamestown Community Center for their invaluable role in coordinating students and their partnership in making this event a success for families.

Special thanks to the following organizations for their generous contributions:

• Cesar Chavez Elementary School for providing the space to host the event
• Children’s Book Project and San Francisco Public Library for donating books
• San Francisco’s Kindergarten to College (K2C) program for contributing school supplies
• San Jose Sharks for their Mental Health Kits for elementary students
• California’s Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications (OCPSC) for ensuring families receive information about free mental health tools, including the Brightlight and Soluna apps.

These cross-sector collaboration and partnerships are critical to ensuring that Mission children, youth, and their families have the essential tools for academic success and a bright future ahead.

If you are passionate about supporting MEDA’s in advancing equity, creating opportunities for San Francisco families, and making meaningful and lasting change, reach out to development@medasf.org for more information about how you can get involved.