Community Living Campaign

Cultivating connections to help seniors and people with disabilities age and thrive at home.

Cultivating connections to help seniors and people with disabilities age and thrive at home.

Marie Jobling

CLC and Other Organizations “Pivoted” To Meet the Challenge of the Pandemic

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Thanks to the Coalition of Agencies Serving the Elderly (CASE) and support from the Department of Disability and Aging Services, a series of articles that highlight how 8 organizations transformed to meet the needs of their participants once the Pandemic changed all our lives.   Judy Goddess was commissioned to interview each organization and write a short narrative with pictures to tell the story of how each organization “pivoted” their programming and their outreach during Covid. 

Read about CLC here as well as all of the organizations profiled.

 

Honoring Beverly Ann Taylor

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Ms. Taylor has been such a strong and committed leader to San Francisco, with a history of excellent work in other communities through out her life.   Ms. Taylor fought hard to stay with us, but her time on this plain ended. Her obituary  that includes her life of service and advocacy for justice here.

Not long ago, Judy Goddess did the interview with Beverly which is posted on the Senior Beat Website. 

And an interview from 2020 with Beverly where she talk about growing up at  https://vimeo.com/682932784

 

 

 

TURKEYS ONCE AGAIN “FLY” TO GOOD HOMES

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For yet another year, and perhaps a year when needed most, the communities gathered in the Bayview, OMI, and at the City College Parking lot to distribute more than 5,600 turkeys and bags of groceries to seniors and families across their communities.   The events in the OMI, Bayview, and Park Merced on December 8 were organized by the CLC Food Networks, lead by Deb Glen and Chester Williams, with great support for turkeys and fixing from Glide.   The CLC  teams have been meeting weekly throughout the pandemic without missing a beat to bring healthy food and staples to over 230 households with older adults and adults with disabilities.  The Feeding 5000 event at the City College parking lot was organized by the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) in partnership with the San Francisco African American Faith-Based Coalition and other local community-based organizations hosted a holiday giveaway event called “Feeding 5000” on December 11 via a drive-through service at City College of San Francisco with strict COVID-19 safety procedures in place.  

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, one in four San Francisco residents were at risk of hunger due to income shortage. With an increased number of residents out of work, the number of people struggling to afford enough nutritious food is also increasing and the City’s nonprofit partners have reported a surge in demand for food. In this effort, SFDPH is joined by the African American Faith Based Coalition, SF New Deal, and Together SF to bring these greatly needed services to the community.    The San Francisco African American Faith-Based Coalition is a health and wellness collaborative of  over 21 churches in San Francisco. The Coalition is committed to advocating for the needs of the underserved African American community city-wide. Collectively, the members of the Coalition represent over 6,000 African American residents.  The Coalition was launched in November of 2016, to address high priority health needs identified in the 2016 San Francisco Community Health Needs Assessment.   The SF African American Faith-Based Coalition leveraged partnerships with a variety of food providers (Arcadio’s, Dixson Catering, Earl’s Organics, Glide Memorial, Pacific Agri-Products Inc., SF New Deal, TogetherSF, and SF Marin-Food Bank) to obtain high quality, meals and groceries.

This collaborative effort includes: African American Arts and Cultural Center, A. Philip Randolph, B-Magic, Bayview Rotary, Bayview Senior Services, Bayview YMCA, Community Awareness Resources Entity, Community Living Campaign, Delta Sigma Theta, Department of Aging and Adult Services, Dream Keeper Initiative, Five-Point, Hirsch Philanthropy Partners, HOPESF, Imani Breast Cancer Group, Inner City Youth, Mother Browns, Office of Education and Workforce Development, Rafiki Coalition, Recology, Regional Pacific Islander, Related Management Company, Requity/Peace Parks, Salesforce, Samoan Community Development Center, The San Francisco Chapter of The Links Inc, San Francisco City College, San Francisco Rec & Park, San Francisco City College Police Department, San Francisco Fire Department, San Francisco Human Rights Commission, San Francisco Police Department, San Francisco Unified School District, Southwest Community Corp, Sojourner Truth Foster Family Services, Stand in Peace International, Taskforce, 3rd Street Youth Center, UCSF, Uniti Resources, and USF.  

 

 

 

Award Event Showcases Kindness

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The sixth annual Good Neighbor Award Event brought us together to celebrate the kindness and good work of some special neighbors.  If you missed the event or just want to relive, you can view the video of Good Neighbor Summer activities , meet the first round of honorees and the second round of honorees.   Or gosh, just sit back and view the event in it entirety.  

 

California Masterplan on Aging Local Event

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SAN FRANCISCO REGIONAL FORUM SPOTLIGHTS URGENT NEED TO ADDRESS CRISIS IN HOMELESSNESS FOR SENIORS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES 

October 27, 2021

The CA Master Plan for Aging San Francisco Regional Forum: Ending Homelessness Among Seniors and People With Disabilities

Over 400 people, including policymakers, stakeholders, and service providers in aging, disability and homeless services, joined together on October 26, 2021 to address the growing crisis of unhoused older adults and people with disabilities in the San Francisco region. Organized by the Long-Term Care Coordinating Council of San Francisco, the “ENDING HOMELESSNESS AMONG SENIORS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES” forum initiated discussions about implementation of The California Master Plan for Aging (MPA) in San Francisco with an emphasis on homelessness as a top priority.

The event opened with a welcome video by San Francisco Mayor London Breed and a keynote address by Dr. Margot Kushel, Director of the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative.

Dr. Kushel provided data showing that the homeless population in San Francisco is aging with every calendar year, with those 50 and older growing from 37% in 2003 to about 50% today. She also brought attention to the troubling health outcomes of people experiencing homelessness in older middle age, noting that health conditions worsen much faster than for those in the general population. For those experiencing homelessness, said Dr. Kushel, we found that “50 is the new 75.” Dr. Kushel ended her remarks with a “call to action” for the system to be more responsive to older adults with a “housing first” model that includes collaborations between aging and homeless services to address their specific needs.

Dr. Kushel’s remarks were followed by a dynamic panel discussion moderated by Del Seymour, Founder and Board member of Code Tenderloin. Panel participants included Shireen McSpadden, Executive Director, San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing; Kelly Dearman, Executive Director, San Francisco Department of Disability and Aging Services; Yolanda Harris, Commissioner, San Francisco Housing Authority; and Beth Stokes, Executive Director, Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco. The panelists shared highlights of collaborative responses underway, including some that emerged from the pandemic

crisis response, and took questions from the virtual audience.

A hallmark of the event was its inclusive access with live captioning, ASL, Chinese and Spanish interpretation, and an open Q &A to ensure accessibility in a virtual Zoom setting. Access was also made possible through viewer watch parties for residents who have experienced homelessness, hosted by partnering service providers – Curry Senior Center, Episcopal Community Services, PRC, and the Felton Institute. Episcopal Community Services held a watch party with residents at the Sanctuary Shelter, and the Felton Institute watch party was held for those who lived in Shelter in Place Hotels during the COVID Pandemic. All of the watch parties fostered conversations among residents and with staff about their own experiences and challenges of finding secure housing in San Francisco and what the City should be doing to address the problem.

The event, sponsored by the Scan Foundation, the Metta Fund, the Dignity Fund Coalition, Homebridge, the San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, and the San Francisco Department of Disability and Aging Services, was especially notable for bringing together service providers, advocates and government leaders who are not often at the same table, yet share a part in forging solutions to the crisis: homeless services, IHSS and older adult services, and disability services. The event generated the beginnings of a common message platform on the issue and raised awareness about the City and County of San Francisco’s current initiatives and potential gaps which can be addressed with increased coordination and collaboration among providers.

For more information about the event and follow-on activities, go to: https://www.sfdignityfund.org. To watch the “Ending Homelessness Among Seniors and People with Disabilities” forum, go to: https://fb.watch/8WCnt3Uuv1/.

The California Master Plan for Aging (MPA), developed with the input of many leaders and advocates in older adult and disability services in the San Francisco region and released by the Newsom Administration in January 2021, outlines five bold goals and twenty-three strategies for implementation by state and local government, communities, and private and philanthropic organizations, including a focus on ensuring housing with appropriate supports and services for

older adults and people with disabilities.

 

Latino Heritage Month Highlights

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 September was Latino Heritage Month and Community Connectors Nicky Trasvina and Olivia Franco helped assemble some great opportunities for us to learn and enjoy Latino culture.

The month included a curated visit to one of Diego Rivera’s murals

Then Aztec dancers 

 

 

This dynamic team brought us into their kitchens to prepare some tasty treats – here is a sample – come back soon for highlights of this enjoyable program.

You can enjoy their handwork in the kitchen with a video here.  And by request, here are their LATINO HERITAGE RECIPES.  

And as an extra treat, see Nicky in her kitchen preparing her special Guacamole recipe. 

And everyone enjoyed a prize-laden game of Loteria.  Thanks Nicky, Olivia and tech back-up Jennifer for bringing this program to the Community Living Campaign. 

 

Midtown Terrace Community Connectors and Friends Had a Busy Month

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Good weather and good friends inspired several journeys in over the past month.

Ten CLC participants/SF Giants fans attended the San Diego/SF Giants game on a beautiful day , Thursday, Sept 16, 2021. Everyone had so much fun. We enjoyed the day and received  all kinds of positive feedback by text, email and VM saying “the only thing that could have made it better would have been if the Giants had won!” 

Thank go to Lila Gee of Midtown Terrace for organizing the purchase of the tickets  and to ILWU Local 34 for allowing us two primo parking spaces at their lot right next to Oracle! Thank you volunteer drivers, Rose Aqualina and Nicky.   And thank you to the new members who are now joining CLC. 
 
And that’s not all – they enjoyed a trip on the SF Cable cars – view their ride halfway to the stars thanks to Mid-town Videographer DeWayne Austin –  join their cable car journey.with some familiar stops along the way.
 
 
 
 
 

Over 50? Ready to KICKSTART your own business?

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Did you know that people over 50 are almost twice as likely to found successful companies than those between 20 and 34? It’s true.

A study out of Northwestern University indicates that the prime age for innovation is between 55 and 64 years old. We become better innovators as we age. 

What about you? Have you ever considered starting your own business? 

If you are over 50 and live in San Francisco, your time is now.

Starting in January 2022, Blissen, a San Francisco startup, and SF Tech Council will offer a brand new “Kickstart Your Business at 50+” program online. The 10-week program is designed to guide aspiring older adult entrepreneurs through the step-by-step process of bringing their business ideas to life. 

Key components of the “Kickstart” program include:

  • a cohort-based approach where participants develop meaningful relationships and learn from the experience of peers; 
  • hands-on, practical assignments such as creating a business plan and building a website; 
  • expert guidance and personalized advice from industry experts; and
  • tech clinics to get up-to-speed on the best online tools to manage a business efficiently.

Interested? Apply now at blissen.io 

For more information, contact: karla@sftechcouncil.org or andrew@sftechcouncil.org

This program is funded through a grant from San Francisco’s Office of Economic & Workforce Development (Invest in Neighborhoods Program). 

Use Your Voice to Improve MUNI Service!

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The SFMTA has released 3 scenarios for 2022 Muni Service, and they are asking for input from Sept 4 – October 1. That is a ridiculously short time for them to reach folks who use and rely on transit! Nevertheless . . .
 
Here are the 3 scenarios they want input on:
 
1) Familiar Alternative
Brings back all bus lines, but don’t be fooled — the system won’t necessarily look like it did before the pandemic with this option.
  • Not all lines will have the same frequencies as before (hence, the 85% level of service).
  • Lines that were shortened, like the 57, will not necessarily be fully restored.
  • Changes to the J Church made during the pandemic will not change with this option.
2) Frequent Alternative
Increases service on high ridership lines, but removes or shortens other lines (2, 3, 6, 10, 21, 43, 47).
 
3) Hybrid Alternative
Is a mix between the Familiar and the Frequent Alternatives.
 
You can find more details about the three options here: www.sfmta.com/2022network.
 
Takeaway:
The City is rushing a process that could have a big impact on the future Muni system. They have received a lot of federal funding that they could use to restore the whole system, while working to get additional funding for long-term sustainability. They could then take the proper time to do outreach on possible changes to improve the system, without pitting neighborhood against neighborhood in a fight for their transit lines.
 
Call to Action — Tell the City to:
  • Bring back your bus/train line in full!
  • Restore all Muni lines to exactly how they were pre-pandemic!
  • Engage the community deeply and equitably before any lines are changed in the future.
Opportunities to Speak Up:
 

(1) Call and email the City:

(2) Attend SFMTA virtual meetings (via phone or video):
 
2022 Muni Network virtual open houses (presentation & Q&A):

Free interpretation available. Please request 48 hours in advance at TellMuni@SFMTA.com or 415.646.2005. 

2022 Muni Network virtual office hour sessions:
SFMTA Board of Directors meeting
Tues, Sept 21
1pm
Agenda Item 11
 
Note: The SFMTA has a survey on the three alternatives, but I don’t recommend taking it. It’s confusing, and it limits you to choosing one of the three options — there is no room for comments. You can find the survey here: www.sfmta.com/2022network
 
Please spread the word!
 
Cathy DeLuca (she/her)
Transportation Program Manager
Community Living Campaign
Cell:  415-638-9183