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“It’s about doing something larger than yourself. It’s about serving this world, helping others,” by Walter Isaacson

November 16, 2021

Dear Neighbors,

East Sacramento Preservation (ESP) was created in 2003 as a grassroots response to the proposed second expansion of Mercy Hospital that would eventually take out a half dozen craftsman homes and mature trees on 39^th Street, between H and J Streets, Sacramento.  A few concerned neighbors began to reach out, educate and mobilize others, spearheading the effort to stop the loss of houses and heritage trees from the destructive expansion project.

As we evolved and incorporated, ESP articulated and put into action our mission:

Preservation is a letter to the future.  We in East Sacramento Preservation help the community protect historic structures and classic parks.  For more than 12 years, we have pushed for a safe and healthy environment in the community.  We volunteer, advocate, speak out, write and inform. We are ESP.

About 2007, ESP stepped into action in another looming project, the development of McKinley Village. Major concerns were raised about air quality for the new residents, impacts of increased traffic to existing neighborhoods, methane gas migration from the old land fill, and an overload to the antiquated sewer/drain systems in East Sacramento.

In 2016, ESP joined other neighbors in trying to stop the sewer/drain vault in McKinley Park. ESP recognized the need for the City of Sacramento to upgrade to a “split sewage system” and not waste resources on the City of Sacramento’s band-aid, water vault approach. Again, ESP educated and organized neighbors, held community education events, and distributed leaflets informing community residents of the concerns.

ESP member, and former president, Ellen Cochrane knows there’s always more to do. “We work hard to mitigate ill-conceived construction projects, but our service is also quiet and steady.” Cochrane notes that ESP awards thousands of dollars in scholarships to East Sacramento’s Kit Carson High School students, co-hosts informational political forums with the League of Women’s Voters, holds annual National Night Out events, runs a successful Speaker Series, volunteers at Pops, and supports adjunct projects such as McKinley Pond clean-up and natural history work and the community litter pick-up program. “ESP returns phone calls, shows up, and helps people. That’s what we’re all about.” 

ESP’s scholarship program for graduating high school students was developed by the suggestion of our student board member, Emiliano Gomez.  The scholarship effort focuses on East Sacramento’s designated high school:  Kit Carson International Baccalaureate.  More than $10,000 has been awarded to graduating students over the past six years.

East Sacramento Preservation has been, and continues to be, a critical voice for neighbors, but we need your support.  Please consider being a corporate sponsor of ESP.  For a donation of $200 or more, you can have your logo placed on our website/blog demonstrating solidarity in your neighborhood. 

Also, you can contribute directly to the scholarship program. Generous supporters will challenge-match donations up to $7000.  Your gift of $500 will be worth $1,000 and will help graduates of our public high school. 

To DONATE: Please mail your contribution to ESP, PO BOX 191763, Sacramento, CA  95819. You can also click the donate button on the right hand side of the East Sacramento Preservation web page and donate via PayPal.

For more information about ESP, please visit our website at eastsacpreservation.org

We are always welcoming new members and new ideas.  So let’s go!  Join, be active, and donate! By the way, Giving Tuesday is November 30, 2021, and just days away.

Thank you,

Will Green, Treasurer

916-202-7956

wgreen@surewest.net

Martin Palomar, President

916-202-8607