This tale of an attempted home break-in was posted this morning on the Bernalsafe mailing list. It’s a reminder about the importance of vigilance, and keeping an eye out for one another in our glamorous little neighborhood. Let’s be careful out there! (Reposted by permission.)

Sunday, Jan 2nd two young males attempted to break-in to our house in the middle of the day. It was around 1pm and my neighbor saw two males lingering on our corner, checking in the windows and touching the door-knob.

She watched them prepare, make sure no one was home, move their car into our driveway, pick up a knife and prepare to go in the window. Thankfully she was extra-alert (as all good neighbors are) and called 911. She remained on the phone with the police until they arrived and apprehended the two young men.

This is especially concerning since it happened in the middle of the day on a fairly busy street. Our house is on the corner of Anderson and Eugenia, so fairly exposed.

We were so thankful that no one was hurt and no property was damaged, but obviously still shaken by the attempt. Just wanted all neighbors to know and remember to take whatever precautions you can.

Photo: Burgled from the Internets

Last weekend on the Huffington Post, Toan Lam, the founder of GoInspireGo.com, published an article and video about Herman Travis, an unemployed construction worker who delivers food to 60 elderly Bernal Heights residents who live along the west side of Holly Park:

Travis partnered up with the S.F. Food Bank to make this do-good deed possible. For the past three years, a truck has dropped off 1,300 pounds of food at the Holly Courts low-income housing complex where he lives. A handful of volunteers help Travis sort and pack brown paper grocery bags. He loads his cart and off he goes, on his three-hour mission to feed his neighbors.

“I don’t know how we would express it, except for saying that we would be completely lost without him,” Bebe Castaine, 81, said.

But besides feeding their stomachs, he also feeds their spirits. Everyone who answers the door beams with excitement, the smiles overflow.

“He spoils me rotten by coming to my door. And he’s always positive, he’s always got something nice to say. So I enjoy him,” said 93-year-old Millie Sheehy, who smiles wide and giggles like a schoolgirl when her “No. 1” drops by.

Here’s the video:

They’re on the hunt to find a new ED at BHNC.

Even if you don’t plan to apply, the job description provides an interesting peek inside the organization:

Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center (“BHNC”) is a membership-based nonprofit organization founded in 1978. BHNC works to preserve and enhance the ethnic, cultural, and economic diversity of Bernal Heights and surrounding neighborhoods. It promotes community action to build a just and equitable community for all. BHNC focuses on the needs of people with low and moderate incomes. The organization works to accomplish its mission by developing affordable housing throughout San Francisco; providing linguistically and culturally responsive services to the community’s most vulnerable adults, seniors, youth, and their families, and developing leaders; organizing and empowering our tenants, clients, members, and allies to advocate for their needs and for the needs of the community.

BNHC’s annual operating budget is approximately $2.5 million, and its affiliated housing corporations have an aggregate operating budget of $5 million, in addition to the BHNC operating budget. The organizations have combined assets of approximately $48 million, and operating reserves of approximately $460,000. Funding for BHNC comes from a variety of sources including approximately:

• 35% from government sources;
• 30% from foundations and corporations;
• 4% from membership and individuals;
• 4% from special events; and
• 27% from earned income and other sources, including a significant amount of in-kind contributions, primarily from volunteer hours.

Photo: Dennis Yang