NEEDS, MISSION CHANGE
In early March, the School of Arts and Culture was gearing up for its annual César Chávez celebration — a beloved San Jose party that typically draws 1,500 people for dancing and performances.
Then the coronavirus pandemic hit, bringing plans to a screeching halt and forcing the group to pivot. The nonprofit could no longer fulfill its main mission of hosting cultural events and classes at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in East San Jose’s Mayfair neighborhood.
But neither could it stand idly by as the virus spread through its largely Latinx community and put scores of people out of work. So the organization quickly turned its focus to two of the things its people needed most — food aid and COVID-19 testing.
“Our community, which is working-class, has been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic,” said executive director Jessica Paz-cedillos. “They may not be earning a living wage. They may lack health insurance. They’re living in multi-generational households — usually three to four families in a house. It makes sense why the pandemic would have a great impact on this community.”
“At La Plaza, we know that. We see that,” she added. In partnership with Second Harvest of Silicon Valley food bank, the School of Arts and Culture started handing out boxes of free food twice a month at the plaza. Then in August, the nonprofit launched a weekly COVID testing program with Gardner Health Services and Santa Clara County.
On a recent Wednesday, María Teresa Esquivel lined up for COVID tests with her six children, the youngest in a stroller. Esquivel had already caught the virus and recovered earlier this year, but she wanted to make sure her kids were safe.
Everyone got tested, including the baby, and Esquivel said the process was fast and made her feel “calm and safe.”