MNC Inspiring Success

On Thursday November 20th, 65 MNC board members, staff, friends, and supporters celebrated MNC Inspiring success and MNC CEO Richard Ybarra receiving the Ohtli Award 2025 (Nahautl for opening pathways) which recognizes individuals who have dedicated their life and work to empowering the Mexican and Latin American community abroad, leadership, and cultural pride. Mexican Consul General Marco Antonio Mena Rodriguez presented the OHTLI medal to Richard, plus a pin and a special plaque. Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Carlos Moreno performed to Adelita and one other Mexican Revolution era song. Special guests in attendance were Elmy Bermejo, MNC Board Members Connie Guerrero, Tony Fazio and James Bryant and Redwood City Major Jeff Gee. “I am extremely humbled to receive this award from Consul General Marco Antonio Mena Rodriguez, on behalf of MNC Inspiring Success and in memory of my late grandfather Juan Gonzalez and my mother, Sofia Erminia Minnie Gonzalez Ybarra. At age 21 year, I pledged to serve the Latino community and have done so all my life.” -Richard Ybarra, CEO of MNC Thank you to the Mexican Consulate for this once in a lifetime opportunity and to my supportive family, and the MNC family who came to support, honor, and celebrate our community impact and service to immigrant families. #MNC #sanfrancisco #Congratulations #AwardWinning #teamworkmakesthedreamwork #mexicanconsulate

Congratulations to Richard Ybarra and the MNC Team! This award is proof of MNC Inspiring Success’s impact and love for the community!

MNC’s Helen Fabela Chavez Campus celebrates the fall season with a live pumpkin patch! Families came to have a nice time by taking pictures, enjoying the hands-on activities and sharing a meal. We had 30 families attend which meant 30 children got the live experience of enjoying a pumpkin patch. We invited the MNC Wolfsohn Family Resource Center to table and promote their services. Activities included blowing bubbles, putting the tail on the donkey, chess, tennis, air hockey, and of course taking home your own pumpkin. Check out this story and more in our most recent Issue of Informes: https://conta.cc/4ibcCRx #MNC #sanfrancisco #pumpkinpatch #kidsactivities #EarlyChildhoodEducation #familyservices #CommunityStrong

In October MNC Admissions & Family Services Team participated in 20 recruitment efforts! 11 events & eight ongoing, one individual referral & one neighborhood canvassing outing for our MNC Valencia Open House. Our events this month were invites from our partners, Valencia Garden Housing - Community Meeting, St. Peters School Bike Fair, Mexican Consulate's Education Fair for Inauguration week- where we were given a Certificate of Recognition for our support and participation, Mission Preparatory Elementary's- STEAM Day, La Fenix's Resident - Community Meeting , Marshall Elementary- Hosted a MNC Community Resource Presentation with colleagues from FRC & HHP to join us, Alemany Harvest Festival, Bernal Dwellings SF Housing Development Community Meeting & Mission Housing Development at 490 Avanza Building- for their Halloween Event for residents & St. Peters School Halloweens Event! Lastly, we completed two Informal Community Partnerships Agreements between our partners at Latino Task Force & District 10 Community Market- where our families at MNC Bayview Campus are referred to their food bank service! 19 Partnerships completed this year. Thank you to the MNC Admissions & Family Services Team for your outstanding recruitment events in October! Check out this story and more in our most recent Issue of Informes: https://conta.cc/4ibcCRx #MNC #sanfrancisco #recruitment #AdmissionsTeam #familyservices #CommunityStrong #partnership

MNC congratulates Efrain Sandoval as a Certified Nurturing Fathers’ Trainer! This is a special recognition of his leadership and dedication in creating life-changing learning spaces for families, especially fathers! He is a beacon in inspiring and lifting ALL our amazing father warriors who are vital role models in their families and our community! “This recognition is a true honor and a meaningful step in my professional journey. More importantly, it represents an opportunity to give back—to continue strengthening fathers, families, and supporting the MNC community that has believed in me from the beginning! Throughout these sessions, I’ve witnessed the incredible impact positive fatherhood, empathy, and healthy communication has on children, couples, and family relationships. I am deeply grateful to MNC for trusting me, encouraging my growth, and allowing me to contribute to our shared mission of inspiring success through family engagement and leadership.” - Efrain Sandoval, Fatherhood and Family Engagement Coordinator Check out this story and more in our most recent Issue of Informes: https://conta.cc/3Jku75b #MNC #sanfrancisco #leadership #CommunityStrong #fatherhood #parenthood #certified #healthyrelationships #Congratulations

The Parent Policy Council concluded its annual term in October, marking the end of a stage filled with learning, commitment, and growth. Throughout the year, members strengthened their leadership skills, deepened their understanding of the Early Care and Education program. They also connected with other families, shared ideas, and contributed valuable feedback that helps shape our services. During this term, we had about 12 dedicated parents who consistently attended each monthly session. Among them, Alli Neff, Denisse Miranda, Rosie Barrantes, Enrique Garcia, and Andrea Guerra graciously participated in approximately 15 interviews for candidates applying to the Early Care and Education Program. Their active involvement in this important governance role contributed to the successful hiring of 14 new team members. The closing ceremony was heartfelt and inspiring. Each member was honored with a certificate of recognition and a symbolic candle, accompanied by remarks from Verónica López, MNC Early Care and Education Admissions & Family Engagement Coordinator: “This candle is a symbol of the light you share as you guide yourself, your family, and your community toward a brighter future.” Check out this story and more in our most recent Issue of Informes: https://conta.cc/3Jku75b #MNC #sanfrancisco #parentpolicycouncil #parenthood #earlychildhoodeducation #earlycareandeducation #celebration

MNC’s HADS Program (Healthy Aging and Disability Services) had our last field trip of 2025 before taking a break for the winter months. We visited a pumpkin patch in Brentwood, California, called Smith Family Farm, with 50 participants from the HADS program. It was a wonderful fall day — the weather was perfect! We enjoyed a picnic-style lunch, live music, a walk through the pumpkin fields, and the highlight of the day was everyone getting to take home their own pumpkin. We look forward to more field trips in 2026 and hope to see new and familiar faces! Check out this story and more in our most recent Issue of Informes: https://conta.cc/3Jku75b #MNC #sanfrancisco #seniorservices #fieldtrip #pumpkinpatch #picnic #livemusic #teamworkmakesthedreamwork #smithfamilyfarm #disabilityservices #pumpkinseason

The MNC Housing and Homelessness Prevention Services Team organized a unique initiative aimed at assisting homeless families with dogs and cats, who frequently hesitate to seek shelter or help because they do not want to part with their pets. The team offered resources, blankets, and pet food. We toured shelters, walked through the streets of San Francisco, and provided support and advocacy for the animals that are integral members of these families. #MNC #sanfrancisco #homelessnessprevention #housingservices #PetsAreFamily #resources #animalshelter #SupportAndAdvocacy

MNC Inspiring Success and San Diego’s Children of the Rainbow have collaborated in a Best Practices Exchange Program for early care and education. This two-day program was a special opportunity for staff at Children of the Rainbow to learn about how MNC’s early care and education program works on a day-to-day basis, ask questions, talk to our staff, explore the classrooms and learn more about our organization. They enjoyed visiting the campuses and seeing how we do outdoor activities, manage data, what steps we take to advocate for families and much more! Disability and Mental Health Manager, Monique Nieto, gave a wonderful and informative presentation on supporting children with special needs through Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and how advocating for families and children to ensure their needs are met is most important. Early Education Director, Barbara Walden, also talked about the structure of MNC’s early care and education program and answered questions. For the second day, MNC Campus Supervisors came by and discussed a variety of topics with the Children of the Rainbow team including meal prep for the children and making sure everyone has access to healthy food and snacks. Overall, the Exchange Program was a success! We look forward to sending MNC staff to San Diego to learn more about early care and education from another organization who is passionate about uplifting families and providing children with positive learning experiences. Thank you Shilia Patton, Tomeka Williams, Ana Parra, and Patty Salazar for visiting MNC and we look forward to continuing this collaboration! Check out this story and more in our most recent Issue of Informes: https://conta.cc/3Jku75b #MNC #sanfrancisco #childrenoftherainbow #exchangeprogram #earlycareandeducation #earlychildhoodeducation #bestpracticesharing #bestpractices

The spooky season returns to MNC! We held a fun spirit week during the last week of October to celebrate with a different theme each day. We had Blast from the Past Day, Favorite Monster Day, Favorite Color Day, Hat or Hair Day and an “Anything Goes Day” for Halloween for their funniest and most creative costumes. Best team costume wins a monster munch team breakfast, and the best individual costume wins a treasure trove basket! Winners will be announced soon. Thank you MNC staff for participating in our annual Spirit Week! Check out this story and more in our most recent Issue of Informes: https://conta.cc/3Jku75b #MNC #sanfrancisco #halloween2025 #costumes #SpiritWeek #teamworkmakesthedreamwork #monstermash #october