San Jose group targets small businesses to uplift neighborhood

As East San Jose’s Mayfair neighborhood struggles with poverty, gentrification and divestment, one group is creating a plan to uplift people economically.

Last year, workers with nonprofit Amigos de Guadalupe knocked on doors in Mayfair to learn about what residents need most. Residents said they want a way to make more income and have more affordable housing, according to Jose Murillo, director of place-based initiatives. The group put together a 10-year plan called the Neighborhood Prosperity Project to tackle poverty in underinvested areas, starting with Mayfair and branching out to other neighborhoods.

As part of that project, Amigos launched its business mentorship program Hecho en Mayfair in April. The program, which translates to Made in Mayfair, aims to help small business owners