For more than 125 years, MNC Inspiring Success has been doing the quiet, essential work of keeping San Francisco families afloat.Â
Founded in 1897 as a girls’ club by Eva and Rachel Wolfson, MNC has grown into one of the city’s most consequential community organizations, operating 21 campuses across the Bayview, Excelsior, Mission Bay, Inner Richmond, and Mission neighborhoods and serving everyone from infants to seniors in 16 languages.
Beiling Gonzalez, MNC’s Deputy CEO, put the mission plainly: “We serve as the bridge to hope and uplifting opportunities.”
That bridge, it turns out, runs directly through the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD).
A Partnership Built Over Decades
MNC and SFPD have been working together for decades, but Gonzalez said the relationship has deepened considerably in recent years. One of the most concrete expressions of that is MNC’s purchase of the former Valencia Street police station at 1240 Valencia and its conversion into an early care and education campus. When the building opened, former captains from the old station showed up at the open house.
“People just love to hear that,” Gonzalez said, “because it’s keeping that point, that community program going.”
Officers have since made a habit of showing up not for emergencies, but for community moments: attending graduation ceremonies for MNC’s parenting classes, dropping off donations, and, recently, delivering a brand-new bike.Â
“They’re not coming by necessarily to attend to a situation,” Gonzalez said, “but more to provide a community moment of we’re here to support and work with each other.”
Open Arms: What Rapid Response Really Looks Like
The most significant recent collaboration between MNC and SFPD is Open Arms, a rapid-assistance program designed to deliver basic necessities to people within 24 to 48 hours. Clothing, hygiene products, food, and other immediate supports, no weeks-long wait for a city contract to process.
Lieutenant Christina Serrano, who also serves on MNC’s board of directors, worked directly with the station captain to launch an Open Arms clothing drive. SFPD staff across multiple units, including the 911 office and CSI, collected, washed, and personally delivered clothing in every size, from infants to teenagers.
“Not only is the contribution impactful and much needed,” Gonzalez said, “but the act and the willingness to do that and contribute back in a different way, these moments are also really special.”
Prevention as Public Safety
MNC’s approach to public safety goes beyond crisis response. The organization’s Nurturing Couples parenting series brings partners together to build communication skills, reduce household conflict, and strengthen family stability. Officers have attended the sessions, with MNC hoping they’ll refer families they encounter on the job.
“When the couples get along, they talk to each other, they learn how to communicate, everyone benefits,” Gonzalez said. “The children benefit, and we can avoid potential issues in the future.”
It’s the kind of upstream work that doesn’t make headlines but changes outcomes.
Where the Foundation Fits
Gonzalez sees the San Francisco Police Community Foundation as a connector, someone who can convene MNC, SFPD, and other neighborhood organizations around the same table.
“A lot of it really stems from in-person contact over refreshments,” she said. “It goes a long way.”
MNC’s doors are open. For more on their programs, campuses, and upcoming events, visit mncsf.org. To support the work that makes partnerships like this one possible, visit sfpolicecommunity.org/donate.
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