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.

grassroots

Wishing Patti Spaniak-Davidson Well on Her Next Adventure

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The natural-born connector. The person who makes us smile every time we think of her. The person who takes and prints pictures of everyone like they are her family. A font of creativity and enthusiasm.

These were just some of the glowing tributes to Patti Spaniak-Davidson, our departing head of Community Connectors, before she and her husband, Tyler, moved to North Carolina.

“Do we owe it to your new neighbors to warn them their lives are going to grow and change?” Judy Goddess quipped.

Here’s more of what team members and neighbors had to say about Patti:

“Patti’s middle name should be ‘connector.’ She’s a master at connecting people and the services and programs they need. I am so grateful for her help in expanding the Always Active program to the Community Connector sites. I am also thankful that our connection became a special friendship. Keep on connecting, Patti!” —  Valorie Villela

“Patti, you have been such an inspiration to me! You are one of those rare people in the world that just exudes love and care and fun and friendship and all the good qualities of a human being! You encourage everyone to be creative, to be free, to express themselves, and you bring out the best in everyone around you. I shall miss you very, very much!”  — Juliet Rothman

“Patti has been the faithful angel who comes to my gate each week to deliver my Open Hand meals. She always brightens up my corner of Cayuga Avenue with her outfits that are as vividly colored as a 48-color crayon box.” — Paulann Sternberg

In addition, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors recognized her as a catalyst to connect neighbors and a determined advocate for older adults and people with disabilities. Lauren Chung, staff for Supervisor Ahsha Safai, presented her with an official proclamation declaring March 19 as Patti Spaniak-Davidson Day.

Her team of Community Connectors across the city and the rest of the staff at Community Living Campaign will miss Patti and wish her well on her journey!

Meet the rest of us by coming to some of our activities! You can find our calendar of events here.

Resilient Neighborhoods During This Pandemic (Virtual)

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We all need some good news right now, and we can find it right here in our own neighborhoods! Come listen to inspiring stories of neighborhood resilience, kindness, and joy while we shelter in place.

We’ll be meeting virtually:

To call in, dial 669-900-6833
You’ll be prompted to enter Meeting ID: 947 3509 0322, then press # and wait for the activity to start.

To join with video, click this link: https://zoom.us/j/94735090322 and wait in the “waiting room” until the activity is ready to start. To create a friendly environment and minimize interruptions, we will close the activity to new participants 15 minutes after the start time.

The above link will work on your tablet or on your computer. You’ll be prompted to download a Zoom app the first time you use Zoom. If you’re using a PC or Mac, you can join from your web browser without using the Zoom software.

SF Sidewalk Search Party Meeting (Virtual)

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Join the SF Sidewalk Search Party’s regular meeting to learn about how we can work together to make our sidewalks safer and more accessible.

We are meeting virtually.

To call in, dial 888-475-4499 (toll free) or 669-900-6833 (local)
You’ll be prompted to enter Meeting ID: 843 0592 8582, then press # and wait for the activity to start.

To join with video, click this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84305928582 and wait in the “waiting room” until the activity is ready to start.

Good Neighbors Gather To Celebrate and To Honor

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The Annual Good Neighborhood Event brought together an even bigger group of leaders on Saturday, June 8 as we gather at the ARC. Each year, staff and participants in each of the CLC programs picks a community member who has gone above and beyond to help their neighbors and provide leadership to the community. We are pleased to present this year’s list of honorees. They include:

  • Mary Crenshaw, Bayview
  • Deb Padilla, Cayuga Community Connectors
  • Esselene Stancil, Computers & Access
  • Marlene Olivencia , Inner Sunset Community Connectors
  • Reiko Hatakayama, Merced Extension Triangle Community Connectors
  • Evernease Cook, Midtown Terrace Community Connectors
  • Guido Van Rijn, Miraloma Community Connectors
  • Leroy Lindo, OMI Food Network
  • Judy Goddess, Community Catalyst
  • Rose Sharkey, St. Francis Square Network
  • Alice Guidry, Sunnyside Community Connectors
  • Michael S. Silver, Vision & Hearing Program 
  • Robin Evans, SF ReServe / Senior Beat 

See these and other “good neighbors” in the photo album below. 


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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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Good Neighbors Celebration Honors CLC Volunteers

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On Saturday, CLC hosted our first even Good Neighbor Block Party to thank the many neighbors and community-members who are creating the connections seniors and people with disabilities need to age and thrive in their own neighborhoods.

The event thanked neighbors connected to CLC programs across San Francisco, and also honored seven neighborhood volunteers whose efforts who go way beyond what is expected and are role models for what it means to be a good neighbor. The honorees included:
Vernice Ross, Bayview Food Network –

Mel Noguerra, Cayuga Community Connectors –
Jim Stevens, Computer Training & Access – 
Donna Wilmott, Connections for Healthy Aging – 
Paul Hendrickson, Laguna Honda Computer Club – 
Ned Reese, OMI/Parkmerced Food Network – 
Jimmye Bynum, St. Francis Square – 

We are so grateful for all of their contributions to cultivating connections their communities Stay tuned for more stories about some of the amazing contributions these volunteers have made in their neighborhoods.

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Strong Dignity Fund Legislation Introduced

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Dignity Fund Campaign Logo smPlease join us in thanking Supervisors Malia Cohen and Eric Mar for their leadership in shepherding strong Dignity Fund legislation to introduction May 24 at the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. They were joined at a press conference earlier in the day by Supervisor Campos and leaders of the Dignity Fund Coalition. Supervisors Yee and Avalos have also pledged their support as we move the legislation forward for a hearing at the Rules Committee later in June. The Dignity Fund will be a measure on the November 8th San Francisco ballot and will assure improved long term funding for senior and disability services and supports in San Francisco.

Funding levels for many services for seniors and adults with disabilities have not kept pace with population growth. Right now, people 60 and over represent 20% of San Francisco’s population. Taken together with the number of adults with disabilties, that number is 25% and expected to grow to 30% by 2030. Many seniors and adults with disabilities are living on fixed incomes as the cost of living here continues to rise.

How can you help? Log onto the website www.sfdignityfund.org to learn more and to sign-up for regular email updates (and even make a donation to help with the campaign!) Over the com
ing month, we will be seeking additional organizational endorsements and expanding our outreach efforts. We need your help there as well.IMG_6431

The Dignity Fund Coalition is a broad coalition of San Francisco not-for-profit and community organizations and advocates that has come together to address the growing need for services for seniors, adults with disabilities, veterans, and those living with chronic illnesses, to ensure that San Francisco becomes a more aging and disability friendly place. It promotes independence through services and support that allow people to live at home while remaining connected to their communities.

Watch out for our June CLC Newsletter arriving early next week with more details about the legislation and the campaign ahead.

A Thousand Turkeys Fly to Good Homes

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DSC_2403Thanks to the generosity of Glide’s Food Program and scores of caring volunteers, 1000 turkeys were delivered to those who could use this holiday blessing. Over 35 organizations came together to help each other deliver turkeys and “fixings” along with information and other special gifts. See more pictures from the OMI, Parkmerced and Bayview Delivery Team.  Special thanks go to Deb Glen and the IT Bookman Community Center in the OMI, Karen Holt and her team for Parkmerced and Stonestown, and Chester Williams and Veronica Shepard with site support from the Bayview YMCA for the Bayview Community.

You can help  throughout the year – we are especially seeking drivers who can help with door to door grocery delivery a few hours each month by contacting info@sfcommunityliving.org.

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Sharing the Story of CLC Through a New Video

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Thanks to Tree Ring Productions, we have a cool new video that is a preview of things to come – if we can all help raise the money.

This is our first try at being part of a crowd funding project, which is a great way to use the internet to get many people to join together and empower grassroots groups and others to innovate and to grow. If we each contribute $25 (or more!), it can add up to something really big.

Join with us in supporting  The Tree Ring Film Fund’s indiegogo campaign, which will provide professional videos to the Community Living Campaign and nine other small but mighty non-profits so that we can all share our stories, extend our reach, and make our communities better places to live. We are honored to be part of this amazing group of changemakers.