If it weren’t for a knock on the door last July, Yen Nguyen believes, her 4-year-old son, Tony, would not be able to speak, her children would not have received dental care, and her family wouldn't have enjoyed a free turkey and toys during the holiday season.

The two Vietnamese-speaking visitors from the Franklin-McKinley Education Foundation connected her with people and places that could help the struggling family with these needs and others.

Tony got into a special education program and is now saying a few words and singing, Nguyen said. He and his brother, Danny, were also able to visit the Tooth Mobile that came to the area, and last fall she found out about a food and toy giveaway for needy families at the Santee neighborhood center. In addition, her husband, Buu, has been referred to an ESL class, and Danny might play soccer this summer.

“I feel very good,” Yen Nguyen said. “I have benefited from this program, and I tell my neighbors about this program, too.”

Working in neighborhoods near Franklin-McKinley district schools, foundation employees have visited hundreds of low-income families, listening to their problems and finding solutions. “In helping families, they help children succeed in school,” executive director Muhammed Chaudrhy said.

The foundation has also raised $2.7 million to fund efforts with the Tully-Senter Strong Neighborhoods Initiative and is working with the city to create a multi-service center for families.

For its accomplishments the past five years, the foundation, in Council District 7, is getting a Good Neighbor Award at the State of the City event on Wednesday. Nine more awards will be given to individuals or groups in the other council districts.

The State of the City address will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Center for Performing Arts, 255 Almaden Blvd. Parking at the McEnery Convention Center is free for this event. To get free tickets, call (408) 554-2800.

The other winners are:
• District 1: Bob Crutchfield, who has organized community cleanups, tree plantings, curb stenciling and a tree-trimming project that improved street safety. He is a leader in the Winchester Strong Neighborhood Initiative and is president of the Westside Property and Homeowners Association.

• District 2: Grocery owner Roberto Luna, who helped police solve a series of robberies in the Edenvale Shopping Center and organized a crime-prevention program and business owners' group to boost the economy of the Edenvale/Great Oaks Strong Neighborhood Initiative area.

• District 3: Hablemos (We Speak), a Gardner Academy parent group that has sponsored teacher and staff breakfasts, fundraisers and school beautification projects. It spearheaded Gardner's $4 million renovation, much of which was destroyed in a November fire.

• District 4: Ken Ford, who led a 10-year campaign to improve Alum Rock Park's trails through a volunteer group he founded. From March to November, 100 volunteers help to restore the environment, prevent erosion and keep five miles of trail free of weeds.

• District 5: The Cassell Neighborhood Association, which organized a cleanup that filled 20 dumpsters, planted 28 trees and works with traffic-calming and safety programs. The group has been a leader in the East Valley/680 Communities Strong Neighborhood Initiative.

• District 6: The 2-year-old Cory Neighborhood Association, which has rekindled community activism by organizing a massive tree-trimming program, a holiday decorating contest, cleanups and traffic-calming projects, and has forged a relationship with Westfield Shoppingtown Valley Fair.

• District 8: Ike White, an Air Force retiree and former Lockheed employee who is devoted to youth safety issues and represents the Mount Pleasant area on the Project Diversity Screening Committee, the District 8 Community Roundtable and the Evergreen Visioning Project Task Force.

• District 9: The 15 senior volunteers who have given more than 2,000 hours to serve more than 6,000 visitors to the Kirk Senior Center, providing hot healthy meals in a friendly setting. The Kirk Senior Center Nutrition Volunteers are key in keeping the program going.

• District 10: The Almaden Valley Women's Club, which has raised nearly $600,000 for non-profit organizations that help youth through its Almaden Valley Art and Wine Festival. The 100-member club, formed in 1965, helped to raise funds for the Almaden Valley Youth Counseling Center.

San Jose Mercury News (CA)
January 25, 2004

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