NorCalUrban

One of our partners in San Francisco recently opened a new branch in partnership with Patelco Credit Union. Big congratulations to Salvador, Libby, Anita and their staff!  PATELCO AND MISSION SF FORM PARTNERSHIP TO ASSIST MISSION RESIDENTS Prominent Location Helps Expand Services to Unbanked and Youth Patelco Credit Union and Mission SF Federal Credit Union (formerly Mission Area Federal Credit Union) teamed up recently to open a new shared branch in San Francisco. The new office, which is located on the main cultural and commercial corridor of the Mission District, will house Mission SF FCU, its non-profit affiliate Mission SF Community Financial Center (formerly Mission Community Financial Assistance), and its Youth Credit Union Program. “This new office makes us more visible to the community so we can reach more people and help them with their financial situations. That is our mission—to help people,” said Salvador Durán, the Manager and CEO of Mission SF Federal Credit Union, an $...

Veteran Christian musician and artist Larry Norman passed away last Sunday. There is a short memorial on him on NPR.com. I can honestly say that along with the Bob Dylan Larry had a defining impact on me. As a child I remember listening to "The Great American Novel" (see the video below) and trying to make sense of the words. I can say that song has a direct connection to what I'm doing right now. It got me thinking about about justice and the state of things. The words of the song seem even more poignent today.   His last public statement from larrynorman.com states: I feel like a prize in a box of cracker jacks with God's hand reaching down to pick me up. I have been under medical care for months. My wounds are getting bigger. I have trouble breathing. I am ready to fly home. My brother Charles is right, I won't be here much longer. I can't do anything about it. My heart is too weak. I want to say goodbye to everyone. In the past you have generously suppor...

Up late. Came home from the  One East Palo Alto board meeting a little wound up from the great discussions. Baseball season is starting! Whoo Hoo! Great news from the Yankee camp! The young pitchers are looking good! I love the start of baseball season - it's like all things are new again! Check out the great  Yankees blog, "Blogging the Bombers. by Daily News reporter Mark Feindsand It's great stuff!

San Francisco Chronicle reports: Immigrants in California are far less likely to land in prison than their U.S.-born counterparts, a finding that defies the perception that immigration and crime are connected, according to a study released Monday. Foreign-born residents make up 35 percent of the state's overall population, but only 17 percent of the adult prison population, according to the Public Policy Institute of California, which conducted the research. Noncitizen men from Mexico between the ages of 18 and 40, which the study indicated were more likely to be in the country illegally, were eight times less likely to be in a "correctional setting," the study found. The study did not address the visa status of those included among the foreign-born, which would include citizens and noncitizens, including those in the country legally and illegally. Nonetheless, these results have implications for the current debates over immigration policy, said Kristin Butcher, co-a...

I finally joined Kiva.org. I've been impressed with what they are doing - and the practical way they are getting micro enterprise funds out to developing nations. I'm excited to get some funds out to folks! Check this out also: Kiva's co-founder's blog. We're still planning / praying / researching on how we can adapt this model for use domestically. I hope to have a pilot project up and running in '09.

Boston Globe reports today the recent Pew study on  how  More Americans are Changing Religious Denominations. The report states: A sweeping new study of religious affiliation in the United States finds a country in which Protestants are becoming a minority, Catholicism is becoming heavily Hispanic, and the number of people who say they are not affiliated with any religion is growing. The study, which is the most comprehensive such examination in at least a half century, finds the United States to be in a period of unprecedented religious fluidity, in which 44 percent of American adults have left the denomination of their childhood for another denomination, another faith, or no faith at all. "Americans are not only changing jobs, changing locations, changing spouses, but they're also changing religions on a regular basis,'' said Luis E. Lugo, the director of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, which conducted the study. "We have nearly half the American pub...

Time reports on "Exposing the Credit Card Fine Print" To credit-card companies, it's not sufficient that customers pay their bills on time every month; they must also avoid a daunting array of borrowing habits that lenders deem risky. Like borrowing. Katie Groves, 42, learned this firsthand when the annual interest rate on her Chase Visa bill jumped to 29.99%—from the previous 12%. Although she had never missed a payment and owed only $500, she was told that her rate had increased because Chase had checked her credit report. Most consumers are unaware that the banks constantly monitor all their borrowing behavior. Even if you just get too close to your borrowing limit (a figure you probably don't know) on your cards and mortgages, as Groves did, you can trigger what the industry calls universal default. Interesting article. There seems to be little or no relief coming to our country. With the low income class being stretched by a lack of health insurance, falling wage...

NY Times asks the question did Hillary concede? Here's what she had to say...

OK - so it's small. Here's the details: Community Trust Credit Union Grand Opening Celebration Saturday March 15th 12:00 to 2:30 Ribbon Cutting at 1:00 PM Please come and join us!

Gotta give it up for Bruce Springsteen - his latest release 'Magic' is a great record! It certainly appeals to the 'Jersey boy' in me (yes folks, I was born in the Garden State - and proud of it!). Jeremy, NYC may have the Yankees, CBGB's and the Garden, but Jersey has 'The Boss', the Shore, the Sopranos, and the greatest tomatos on earth and, arguably, better pizza and Italian food than the City.  It's a bummer the Nets have lost Jason Kidd... This could be his best in a long time, but in reality he's been pretty consistent. Check out 'Your Own Worst Enemy' or ' Girls in Their Summer Clothes' that have shades of the Beach Boys / Phil Spector. Those tracks are certainly different takes for Bruce. ' Gypsy Biker' sounds like a old school Bruce song. 'Radio Nowhere' is an outstanding opening track, 'I'll Work for Your Love' is great.  Buy it here or at your favorite music source. I know many of my folk...

Someone asked me about this figure this week - now I know. EPA has the highest unemployment rate in the county, says the  Palo Alto Daily News. "With an unemployment rate of 9.8 percent, East Palo Alto has the highest proportion of jobless residents of any city in San Mateo County, according to the state Employment Development Department. That's pretty high, considering the county owns the second-lowest unemployment rate - 4.0 percent - of the state's 58 counties."

Here is a 'hot off the presses' report on California housing affordablility from the State Department of Housing and Community Development. While I need to study the report further - there are some stark figures. The sub-prime crisis is (rightfully so) getting a lot of press right now. I've been watching the trends in East Palo Alto. There are currently about 130 houses on the market in EPA - in about 2.5 square miles. A significant number of them are bank owned (about 1/3). As we've investigated some properties, there are individuals who are purchasing them with cash. This tells me that investors are jumping on the opportunities. The outcome, I fear, will be played out with affordability issues in the coming years. I think, and this is soley my opinion, that we are seeing a temporary dip in housing prices that will pave the way for accelerated gentrification of East Palo Alto. The report states:  "Over four out of ten of all California households are renters, and...

I enjoyed this article from Menlo Park Presbyterian's pastor John Ortberg on Christianity Today's website. John brings up some great points about the need for leaders to cast hope in the face of challenges. As I read and reflected on this article I thought about the Obama campaign and his current momentum. I've looked at the platforms of both candidates on the Democratic side specifically, I see little real difference between the candidates on the major issues. However, I feel a clearer message of hope coming from Obama more than Clinton and certainly more than McCain. I'm not trying to make a statement here on what candidate I endorse or oppose, I just sense a general optimistic spirit around Obama. I don't think it's an accident - especially when you consider the stellar team of speech writers Obama has including the young upstart, 27 year old Jon Favreau and the legendary Kennedy speech writer Ted Sorensen who is bent on resurrecting Camelot. It struck me ...

15 things Bob Sutton believes about management: 1. Sometimes the best management is no management at all -- first do no harm! 2. Indifference is as important as passion. 3. In organizational life, you can have influence over others or you can have freedom from others, but you can't have both at the same time. 4. Saying smart things and giving smart answers are important. Learning to listen to others and to ask smart questions is more important. 5. Learn how to fight as if you are right and listen as if you are wrong: It helps you develop strong opinions that are weakly held. 6. You get what you expect from people. This is especially true when it comes to selfish behavior; unvarnished self-interest is a learned social norm, not an unwavering feature of human behavior. 7. Getting a little power can turn you into an insensitive self-centered jerk. 8. Avoid pompous jerks whenever possible. They not only can make you feel bad about yourself, chances are that you will eventually start a...

OK - so I might be the only one in the world but I was rather uninterested in the Super Bowl. I know... it was the greatest one ever. But I've decided I really have room only for one sport in my life - and that would be baseball. Instead, Melissa, Sam and I went to see U2-3D. It's actually Jeremy's Del Rio's fault. He and JJ went to see it and texted me when they came out of the theatre. But - when he heard I ditched the super bowl for this I recieved stereo-typical New York ridicule from a Giants fan. However, I'm thrilled that the New York team got revenge for the Yankees recent troubles with the Red Sox. But, oh man, go see this IMAX flick. We had the privledge to see U2 live on the Vertigo tour, so we remember the concert well. But I have never seen anything like this. The 3D effect was stunning. It made us feel like we were right on top of the band. VERY worth the money. If it's showing in a theatre near you, go... However, at times I think Bono is a Chri...

Here is a little known area of San Francisco, or one that no one takes about. Many people think that the Bay Area has no urban issues due to the high cost of living and general reputation of our region. Once when family was visiting we took a tour of San Francisco. The tour guide proudly proclaimed that SF has no poverty, as he avoided the Tenderloin, Sunnydale, Bayview and the Mission. Here is an article in the The Chronicle about the area around the Cow Palace, the Sunnydale district. Our COGIC district superintendant is planting a church in this area. Please pray for his ministry in this distressed area. On a typical day in San Francisco's largest housing project, teens ditch school to take the bus to a funeral. A woman wanders into the liquor store to buy Cheetos for her young grandson and a 20-ounce beer for herself. Two 3-year-old boys ride their tricycles down a steep hill patched with trash and broken glass. Such is life in Sunnydale, quite possibly the most dangerous, de...