The sprawling, intricate and powerful “MaestraPeace” mural that covers two sides of the historic Women’s Building in the Mission District is immediately striking. Created in 1984 by seven muralistas, it’s numerous shades of blue produce a calming and settling reaction at first glance, while a closer inspection reveals detailed depictions of the community support and empowerment that the iconic building has helped to foster and promote for more than four decades.
The mural has held up remarkably over the years, but the windows of the Women’s Building, now more than a century old, have not fared as well. However, help may now be on the way.
The Women’s Building—which sits on 18th Street between Valencia and Guerrero streets and houses nine different nonprofits that specialize in everything from public school support to environmental preservation—is competing for a grant to retrofit it’s windows.
“It’s very hard to find the money for a project like this,” said Women’s Building Executive Director Teresa Mejía, explaining why she is excited by the opportunity to receive a grant through the Partners in Preservation initiative. “It’s a unique opportunity.”
Andy Grabel, associate director of public affairs for the National Trust for Historic Preservation which awards the grant, explained that one of 20 selected organizations would receive $150,000, with the rest of the grant to be distributed down the line to the other 19 organizations.
“There is $2 million in total grant funds that will be dispersed. Each of the 20 participants received a $20,000 grant to support marketing, event planning and participation in the program. The remaining $1.6 million will be dispersed to the top vote getters at www.voteyourmainstreet.org,” he said.
“We are a historic building so we were invited to apply to participate in this contest to win this grant,” said Noemi Zulberti, the facilities director of the building.
Zulberti explained that the building was retrofitted back in 1999, but the windows were left out because of costs. She and the rest of the staff felt this grant would be an excellent opportunity to update the building.
“We would love to have the same look because we want to respect the look of our building. We want to modernize our windows but have nobody notice. We have beautiful arch windows,” she said.
Zulberti also explained that the grant would provide some security for the building and staff.
“Right now many of our windows don’t close and don’t lock … if somebody wants to, they could easily crack open one of those windows. So there are a few aspects [to consider],” Zulberti said.
The security and beauty aspects are obstacles that both Zulberti touched on, but both agreed that the financial aspect may be the biggest impediment. Projects of this nature are high cost and take valuable time that the Women’s Building could spend fostering and supporting nonprofits.
Both Mejía and Zulberti discussed the importance of bilingual services in an ever changing neighborhood like the Mission.
“I can tell you personally when I moved here from Puerto Rico 20-something years ago, my English was terrible,” Mejía said. “I had to look for a room to live and I didn’t know how to say available. When I’d make calls I’d have to practice the world available because I didn’t know how to pronounce it and I came to the Women’s Building for help. I needed a job and a house and it was very comforting for me to find these services in Spanish and English.”
Zulberti also stressed the importance of bilingual services for immigrants and their families looking for stability and comfort.
“More than ever immigrants have families in need of help,” Zulberti said. “We are not the only services at the Women’s Building but we are the site of nine other nonprofit organizations. We are a pool of organizations in the same building and we all benefit the community and the windows will benefit our clients.”
She went on to discuss the benefits not just for the organizations but for the families that come there to celebrate, the yoga class attendees and everyone else who uses their building.
To cast your vote for the Women’s Building (and up to four other organizations) go to VoteYourMainStreet.org. Votes can be cast once each day until Friday, Oct. 26. The winner will be announced Monday, Oct. 29.