Bayside Addresses Critical Needs During COVID-19 Crisis

Bayside Community Center is on the frontlines of addressing critical needs in Linda Vista amid the current COVID-19 pandemic. The center’s team was recently interviewed by Telemundo about its on-the-ground work.

In accordance with local, state, and federal health guidelines many Linda Vista residents over the age of 60 are remaining indoors due to increased health risks. “We know that the current pandemic is affecting some populations more than others,” said Adam Osorio, Bayside’s Associate Director of Communications.

“This pandemic has really deepened the state of crisis that many of our residents had already been experiencing for years,” Osorio continued.

“Whether it was living in a federally defined ‘food desert’ where fresh produce is scarcely available, or lacking access to basic essential services due to language barriers, or dealing with housing insecurity, many people in Linda Vista were already living at crisis level before COVID-19. Now the needs are even greater,” Osorio concluded.

In response, Bayside Community Center has adjusted various programs to adapt and meet the community’s needs. One such example is their senior lunch program. “Many senior citizens in our neighborhood need a little extra help when it comes to having a nutritious meals,” said Rose Ceballos, Bayside’s Director of Social Services. Ceballos added, “That’s why we knew we had to figure out another way to safely get healthy food to our seniors.”

Beginning in April, 2020, Bayside Community Center will expand its partnership with Co-Harvest Foundation, a local non-profit, to also deliver ‘grow bags’ to seniors in need. “Today we were able to harvest 250 pounds of produce from our network of home gardens and we’ll be distributing a couple dozen ‘grow bags’ to seniors in Linda Vista,” commented Avery Cramer, founder and lead urban farmer at Co-Harvest Foundation. “Providing this kind of support on the frontlines of this crisis is so important and one of the reasons we partnered up with Bayside Community Center.”

In addition to delivering these critically needed food supplies, Bayside Community Center is working to address important underlying issues facing the neighborhood. “Linda Vista needs more support than our center can provide on our own,” remarks Osorio. “That’s one reason why our staff have been explaining how important it is for everyone in our community to participate in the current Census. Making sure that everyone is counted is an important step toward making sure Linda Vista residents will have access to critical resources needed to address the larger problems that come with living in one of San Diego’s most distressed, most socioeconomically lopsided neighborhoods.”

Bayside Community Center staff is available by phone to answer questions and provide assistance with completing Census 2020 forms in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Phone extensions have been provided to assist in each language:

English (858)278-0771

Spanish (858)278-0771 x101

Vietnamese (858)278-0771 x109

For information about other critical resources available please contact Bayside Community Center. For information about Co-Harvest Foundation visit www.sdcoharvest.com. To see Bayside’s interview with Telemundo, click here.