The Tenderloin Community Benefit District is launching a new two-year fundraising campaign today, after receiving new funding for its programing at the Turk-Hyde Mini Park. 

The campaign kicks off with a park hop at the newly-renovated Helen Diller Civic Center playgrounds at 1:30pm before attendees visit Turk-Hyde Mini Park then wrap up at Boeddeker Park on Eddy and Jones streets.

Stephen Tennis helped lead much of the build-out of safety, cleaning, and other community programming at the green space on the corner of Turk and Hyde streets last year, and will return to expand upon his efforts.

TLCBD received a grant of $30,000 from the Saint Francis Foundation/ Tenderloin Health Improvement Partnership, an active partner in the work at the park, said Fernando Pujals, the district's director of communications.

The funding allows TLCBD to hire another committed Safe Passage corner captain to work with Tennis to activate the space for two-hour shifts Monday through Friday from 1–3pm, starting today.

The new funding will support programming through the end of 2018 and underwrite a two-year campaign called Invest Tenderloin that seeks to “deepen our programs, including creating a micro-neighborhood approach" to cleaning, improving safety, and identifying other ways to improve quality of life in the Tenderloin, Pujals said.

Demonstration Gardens is the “anchor activator partner,” and SF Rec and Park has helped with permitting, activation efforts, providing storage and other needs, Pujals said.

The Turk-Hyde Mini Park is scheduled for renovation by the city, but because work has been delayed, TLCBD is bringing back community engagement activities that were successful last year, Pujals said. Renovations will begin until after the district's permit expires on December 31, 2018.

TLCBD will again hold a micro-grant program that provides stipends to community members with new ideas for activating the space.

One such grant led to a monthly activity with Tenderloin resident Rita Whittaker, who leads her fellow Skywatchers and the community in dance, poetry, and music performances. 

There’s no timeline for the grants currently, Pujals said. Applicants are asked to submit proposals at least two weeks prior to the date they would like to hold their activity. Anyone interested in applying should contact the park project manager, Phouet Tak.

Turk-Hyde Mini Park Weekly Schedule:

• Monday: Healing WELL will lead gentle movement classes (chair yoga)
• Tuesday: Demonstration Gardens facilitating visual art activities
• Wednesday: Demonstration Gardens facilitating poetry and spoken word activities
• Thursday: Demonstration Gardens facilitating puppetry performances and Faithful Fools will host a listening post
• Friday: Salvation Army will be conducting Live Music sessions in the park, which is open for all to enjoy; Demonstration Gardens will facilitate performance production activities 

CounterPulse Theatre will host its monthly Block Fest in the park in June or July; and SF Food Bank is expected to host a produce pop-up sometime this summer, Pujals said. Other one-time activities are in the works and can be expected throughout the summer. 

Anyone interested in supporting the TLCBD’s efforts at the park financially or through volunteering is encouraged to contact Pujals or Tak.