About Coastside Hope

Coastside Hope is chartered by San Mateo County to be the primary core human services agency for the mid-coast. We are located at 99 Avenue Alhambra, El Granada, CA. Our mailing address is P.O. Box 1089, El Granada, CA 94018. Contact us by phone at 650-726-9071. Our Federal Identification Number is 51-0199747. We thank you for visiting our site and invite you to join us in our mission to provide hope to our neighbors on the Coastside.

Coastside Hope was established in 1976 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit human services agency to benefit the residents of the San Mateo County Coastside. The agency was previously known as the Coastside Opportunity Center but changed our name in 2006 to better reflect what we bring to our clients … hope for a better life and a more secure future.

Download our 2021-2022 Audited Financials

Our Mission

Coastside Hope’s mission is to provide necessities to enhance quality of life for all our neighbors. Our guiding principle is “Necessities for today, Opportunities for tomorrow.” We provide: Necessities in the form of food, clothing, housing assistance, online application for government benefits, referrals, and other support when neighbors need it most; Opportunities in the form of free citizenship classes, free tax preparation services, and connections to  programs and services of other organizations so that neighbors have the chance to achieve more. We strengthen families and our community at large through our direct services and our partnerships with local agencies, businesses, schools, civic organizations, and faith groups.

All services are provided on a non-discriminatory basis, and we do not charge a fee for any of our safety net programs.

Each year we touch the lives of About 14% of the people in our service area, serving over 3,000 people including more than 1,000 children.

Coastside Hope is governed by a volunteer Board that represents a cross-section of the Coastside community.

  • President: Nancy Marsh
  • Vice President: Michael Klass
  • Treasurer: Anna Mieritz
  • Secretary: Sandra Adams
  • Members: Betty Cortes, Steve Hurlbut, Michael Montgelas, Judy O’Leary, Jotham Stein
  • Honorary members: David Pasternak, Jeff Pearls, Bob Reilly, Dell Williams, Rose Serdy, and Dianne Baker

Almost 1/3 of our funding is provided by Coastsiders who choose to help their neighbors through Coastside Hope. Over 90% of every dollar given goes directly to goods and services for those in need. The agency receives funding from foundation grants, County funds, limited immigration client fees and the generous contributions of citizens of the Coastside. The agency is efficiently run by an experienced, full-time staff of eight (seven bilingual) with the assistance of many volunteers. Our volunteers give over 5,000 hours of service every year. Every month at least 40 Coastsiders give us the gift of their time. Without them, we simply could not help so many.

Our Vision

Coastside Hope’s vision is a strong community where neighbors prosper together.

Our Values

Coastside Hope believes hope belongs to everyone. We listen and communicate to build a strong, prosperous community.

  • We engage with empathy, compassion, and generosity.
  • We honor each person’s privacy and journey.
  • We trust everyone to be fair, honest, and respectful.

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