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.

disability

Here’s How You Can Help Seniors Age at Home with Dignity

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Do you think San Francisco should spend more money on services to help older adults and adults with disabilities age at home?

We have an opportunity to encourage Mayor London Breed and the Board of Supervisors to restore the annual funding for those services, through the Dignity Fund, in the upcoming budget.

Show your support by signing the letter we sent them by clicking here.

During the pandemic, the city suspended its annual $3 million budget allocation to the Dignity Fund. That was especially challenging for the people the fund helps: older adults and people with disabilities.

They’re the people most likely to have found themselves trapped in their homes and isolated. They’re more likely to be unable to access regular health care or transportation to medical appointments. We’ve seen increased food insecurity as well.

How You Can Help

But now, with state and federal funding, the city has the ability to restore funding for these services. Here’s the Dignity Fund Coalition  Sign-on Letter to Restore the Promise of the Dignity Fund. 

You can join the fight by co-signing the letter to the Mayor and the Supervisors here, showing you agree that funding should be restored.

Alternatively, call or email your district Supervisor and tell them you want them to restore the annual $3 million allocation to the Dignity Fund. Click here to find out how to reach your supervisor.

For more information, visit https://sfdignityfund.org/.

 

 

 

 

Reducing Barriers for Those with Vision and Hearing Loss

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United Way of the Bay Area’s Francis Goldsmith Fund has helped CLC Vision and Hearing Initiative enrich its work – building community-based and online networks.  The goal is  support for isolated and at-risk seniors and people with disabilities, reducing  the consequences of hearing and vision loss, and helping to ensure that their psychosocial, physical and communication needs are met.

Through our partnerships with the 10 Adult Day Services Centers, assistive aids and equipment were purchased to :(1) provide individual assistance for low-income seniors and persons with disabilities; (2) maintain independent ability to get proper nutrition; (3) rebuild self-confidence through easier access to group socialization activities and (4) computer tutoring; and (5) enhance the safety and mobility to seniors with vision and/or hearing disabilities.

The grant from the Francis Goldsmith Fund enables the Community Living Campaign to showcase assistive technologies and provide training on strategies for living with hearing or vision loss to all of our programs for seniors and people with disabilities. As this work continues, attention is increasingly being given to the development of outcome targets that represent significant changes in the lives of those that benefit.

Over the past year, we have chocked up a solid list of  Initiative accomplishments which support our seniors and persons who experience vision and hearing loss:

Partnership at Adult Day Services (ADS):

 85 seniors served with grant-purchased equipment & devices:

Over 200 Personal Assistive aids and equipment worth over $6,000 through direct requests from the ten Adult Day Services centers’ staff (occupational therapists, physical therapists, nurses, social workers, activities coordinators, directors) for low-income and frail seniors to enhance social engagement, increase independence & reduce isolation and loneliness.

100 seniors and caregivers trained on accessible computers:

In eight ADS centers, 108 seniors have received training and support on accessible desktop computers provided through CLC’s partnership with the Dept. of Aging and Adult Services SF  Connected Program, and on iPads/Tablets with accessibility features and Apps purchased with Goldsmith funding.

12  volunteers and ADS staff members provide volunteer almost 700 hours of computer training in English, Russian, Chinese & Spanish.

Hearing Loss 101 Presentation & Screenings:

In  our Community Connector neighborhoods, we facilitated four Hearing Loss presentations and three hearing screenings.  This resulted in 24 individuals having their hearing tested by the Speech and Hearing Center. Participants also learn about hearing- and vision-related assistive device and strategies that helps seniors remain connected.

Participants in Midtown Terrace Commnity Connector network learn about free specialized phones and mobile phone accessories through the California Telephone Access Program (CTAP).

Emergency Preparedness Focus on Vision & Hearing Loss:

 CLC, in partnership with Community Youth Center-SF (CYC-SF) held our first Emergency Preparedness Academy with CLC staff and Community Connectors. We completed 4 courses in personal preparedness at home, traveling or at work, response and recovery during and after a catastrophic disaster and fire safety and basic first aid. These sessions were made possible through funding from the Department of Building Inspection’s Seismic Safety Outreach Program (SSOP) 

In the fall of 2018, a class of seniors from IT Bookman Senior Center in the OMI neighborhood attended the Emergency Preparedness Academy. Graduates received Emergency Preparedness bags (“Go Bags”) and certificates of completion.

If you would like more information about the program and how it could come to your neighborhood, please contact Sherri Sawyer, Program Director, at sherri@sfcommunityliving.org or by calling (415) 821-1003 ex. 111

When Designing Products for Older Adults, Senior Supervision is Advised

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photo of Dr. June Fisher

Dr. June Fisher (Photos by Judy Goddess)

SENIOR BEAT – The walking sticks Dr. June Fisher uses buffer her struggles with severe arthritis.  And they might just give her an inside edge on the usefulness of products for older adults and those with disabilities.

One of those retired but busy people, she spends a lot of time mentoring design students and professionals. And she is determined to imprint her mantra, “Design with us, not for us.”

Too many products miss the mark, she said: shopping carts without brakes for hills, kitchen products and gardening tools that defeat a person with arthritis, monitoring devices that sit in a drawer.

“Products need to reflect the needs of people they’re designed for,” Fisher said. “While I appreciate the technical skills of design students and professionals, I don’t want a 23-year-old telling me what I need. It has to be a mutual relationship where elders set the agenda and participate in the development of those products.”

Designing winners
Photo of Professor Richardo Gomes with design student Seira Yasumatsu.

San Francisco State professor. Richardo Gomes with design student Seira Yasumatsu.

For the past four years, Fisher has mentored teams in the advanced product design course at San Francisco State University taught by professor Ricardo Gomes. In 2016, her team won first prize in The Stanford Center on Longevity International Design Challenge, a global competition that encourages students to develop products and services to improve well-being across the lifespan. This year, her team won third place.

It was a missed chance on cheap heirloom tomatoes that led to the creation of SFSU’s 2016 challenge winner.

“A friend called and said they were selling heirloom tomatoes at the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market for two dollars a pound. I got up, got dressed, and then realized that even if they were still available, I couldn’t carry them home. I don’t like to admit it, but I was overcome with despair.”

She shared her dilemma with Gomes, who assigned it as a class project. The results was “City Cart,”  a combination walker and shopping basket with brakes, allowing those with mobility issues to walk, shop and return home without assistance.

Farmer’s market dilemma

“I spent a lot of time with June, going to the farmers’ market, talking with her, walking around with her,” said team Captain Brandon Lopez. “She told me she needed something more robust and stable to carry groceries than one of those pull-behind trolleys, and she needed some place to park her walker when she shopped.”

The team developed “tons and tons of prototypes and shared them all with her,” he said. “Partnering with Fisher was tremendous. Otherwise we would just be designing for ourselves.”

Photo of Dr. June Fisher and Seira Yasumatsu

Dr. Fisher helped San Francisco State design student Seira Yasumatsu fine-tune her entry in this year’s Stanford Center on Longevity International Design Challenge.

This year, Fisher helped another student fine-tune her project after it was named a finalist in the competition. “Grow and Gather” is a movable cart that incorporates support for walking and sitting, with storage for tools and produce. If you want to purchase quality Modafinil at a reasonable cost, is your choice. The treatment does not harm your overall health state but promotes a drastic impact on the organism. The quality of the medication purchased from ModafinilSmart is approved. Besides, you will benefit from professional assistance, fast delivery, and complete anonymity.

“We – Dr. Gomes, Dr. Fisher, and I – met every Friday at Dr. Fisher’s house to discuss the project,” said student developer Seira Yasumatsu. “Dr. Fisher has a beautiful garden, which she has trouble weeding. I shared all the prototypes I made – maybe 20 or 25 little ones, and then six or seven full-sized ones.  Dr. Fisher’s approach, ‘design with us, not for us’, is part of me now.”

A new career

It was a crisis in the early days of the AIDS epidemic that turned Fisher to product design. As director of occupational health at San Francisco General Hospital, she knew healthcare workers were worried about contagion through needle sticks. She wanted to do something to alleviate their fears.

She didn’t find a specific solution, but found a new career.

She began attending classes in the Product Design program at the Stanford, where she had attended medical school. Eventually, she was appointed to a lectureship there, which lasted 10 years. She has mentored design students at the University of California-Berkeley and the California College of Arts, as well as those at San Francisco State.

She is also involved with Aging2.0, an interdisciplinary and intergenerational, global community driving collaboration around challenges and opportunities around aging. She said she’s their CEO, or Chief Elder Officer, someone who ensures that products are designed in collaboration with the people who would use them.

Fisher hopes to get more seniors involved in product design.

“I don’t want to be the only old person working with these young designers. We need a multi-generational design class with a cadre of elders who have the ability to set the agenda and participate in the development of products.”

Celebrating the ‘Good Neighbors’ Who Build Community Across San Francisco

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prize baskets on a table

Gifts from the Neighborhoods: Baskets created by each program and neighborhood were among the prizes for this year’s Good Neighbors.

Neighbors throughout San Francisco are at the heart of creating community. In every CLC program, there are many people who share their time and talents to improve lives of fellow  seniors and people with disabilities. These dedicated neighbors who share their lifetime of experience and talents demonstrate just how much better we can make our communities when we create opportunities for everyone to contribute. 

Each year, CLC hosts a citywide “Good Neighbor” party to  thank these neighborhood volunteers for their countless contributions and to honor those in their midst who inspire others in CLC’s neighborhoods and programs.  

The afternoon included great food from Mission Language and Vocational School, appetizers from our own Lizette Martinez, and homemade strawberry shortcake from our own Kate Kuckro. Folks also enjoyed a CLC Trivia game, a free prize drawing of themed basics from the different neighborhoods and projects, and fun photos. As one neighbor said, “we come from the north and the south, the east and the west and we join together to learn from one another.”

Honoring Outstanding Neighborhood Volunteers

This year’s Good Neighbor honorees – all seniors or people with disabilities themselves – have contributed in a wide range of ways. But across the board, all are quick to offer help in whatever ways they can.  The Honorees help with computers, offer rides, share garden cuttings, host gatherings around the piano, organize neighbors, pack groceries, offer hearing screenings, and reach out to local businesses.

This year’s Good Neighbor Awards go to…

Some of the "good neighbors"

A Reservoir of Talent: Good Neighbor Honorees share their time and skills to improve their communities.

  • Carmelita Lozano, Cayuga Connectors
  • Nan Park, St. Francis Square Network
  • Ruth Dark, Bayview Food Network/Connectors
  • Carolyn Taylor , OMI Food Network
  • Victor Lam, Computers & Access
  • Steven Lopez & N. California Hearing & Speech Center, Vision & Hearing
  • Brenda Billings, Events
  • Marc Christensen, Merced Extension Triangle Community Connectors

These special neighbors will be honored again at CLC’s 10 year anniversary event on September 20th.


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SF Digital Inclusion Week a Huge Success

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Congratulations to the San Francisco Public Library for bringing this year’s Digital Inclusion Week to the City’s Libraries. From the opening panel of Internet Service Providers to the Resource Fair and scores of workshops and demos at the Main Library and branches all around the City, the event had something for everyone.  Thanks to Supervisors Farrell and Mar for helping kick off the day, and to Digital Inclusion Fellow Wenwen Shi and Library Director Luis Herrera for their leadership in organizing and supporting the myriad of activities.   The program for the week is a reminder of all the ways that the Library system, in working with community partners, is building a bridge for inclusion. 

The Library’s press release gives more background on highlights of the week – and now we keep building digital inclusion until Digital Inclusion Week 2018!

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Our Second ‘Good Neighbors’ Event Celebrates the Volunteers Who Power Our Work

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Community Living Campaign held our second annual event to honor neighbors who volunteer their time to make a difference in their community.  The ARC was transformed on May 6 into a neighborhood block party, with lots of good food, conversation, fun photos, and even a few prizes. 
 
This year, we honored 10 stand-out neighbors who volunteer their time and passions to help make our communities safer, healthier places for all.  We thank you!
  1. Randolph James (Bayview Food Network)
  2. Delfina Pelayo (Cayuga Connectors)
  3. Henry Khalil (Computer Training & Access)
  4. Sara Taylor (Connections for Healthy Aging)
  5. Mark Cambell (Laguna Honda Computer Club)
  6. Saralyn Archie (OMI Food Network)
  7. Cathy Russo (Park Merced University Park Food Network)
  8. Janet Tom (St. Francis Square Community Living Committee)
  9. Tricia Cardillo (Goldsmith Vision & Hearing)
  10. Dignity Dog! (Organizing)

Hope you enjoy the pictures!


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Dignity Day Helps Build Momentum for Prop I

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I for Independence and Interdependence! Vote Yes to invest in seniors and people with disabilities.

September 23 was Dignity Day and the community of supporters and elected leaders gathered to show their support for Proposition I – The Dignity Fund.  Mayor Lee and members of the Board of Supervisors spoke of the importance of supporting seniors and adult with disabilities.  Community leaders shared their stories about how Prop I will make a difference.  And around the city, Meals on Wheels staff and volunteers distributed information about this November 8 ballot measure to meal sites.  Hundreds of seniors, adults with disabilities and their supporters showed their enthusiastic support by pledging to help get the word out with house signs, phone banking and outreach engagements.  You can learn more about how you can help here.  Enjoy the pictures and remember to vote Yes on Prop I!

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Dignity Fund Coalition Rallies Supporters

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The Dignity Fund Coalition rallied its supporters on July 19th, the day that the Dignity Fund legislation was scheduled for its final vote at the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.  A broad cross-section of senior, disability, veterans, HIV survivors,  those with other chronic conditions and their supporters gathered to hear their Supervisors and Coalition leaders speak to the importance of this legislation to build a foundation to address the needs of a growing number of seniors and adults with disabilities.  The pictures tell the story.  See one you like?  Right click and download.

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Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act

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Hundreds of people filled the North Light Court at City Hall on July 1 to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and difference it has made in their life and the lives of so many millions more.  Hosted by the Mayor’s Office on Disability (MOD) and the Community Alliance for Disability Advocates (CADA), attendees were greeted by Mayor Ed Lee, City Administrator Naomi Kelly, former Assemblyman Tom Ammiano.  Nina G acting as Mistress of Ceremonies  invited speakers to recount the history of the ADA movement, with strong roots in San Francisco and honored three long time advocates with special Disability Champion Awards – Donna Calame, Steve Crabiel and Herb Levine.  Inspiring words by Supervisor Eric Mar and performances by Access SFUSD help cap the program with energy and the enthusiasm that carried over for the rest of the event.  You can view a replay of the event on SFGovTV and enjoy a few pictures below.  You can see more if you go to the Keep Us Connected Campaign on Facebook.  Kudos to Carla Johnson, the MOD staff and the rest of the team that helped create such a memorable event.

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Kick-Off Celebration July 1 for the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act

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In a week with so much to celebrate, get ready for more …

 

 

In commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of the ADA!

WHEN:  Wednesday, July 1st, 2015     11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

WHERE: San Francisco City Hall: North Light Court – 1 Dr. Carlton P. Goodlett Place

HOSTED BY:  S.F. Mayor’s Office on Disability and Community Alliance for Disability Advocates (CADA).

Community Living Campaign is one in a long list of sponsors – to see the complete list or for more information, visit ada25bayarea.org.