“Who does that help?”

San Francisco columnist C.W. Nevius posed this question last Saturday in regards to the social services available in The Tenderloin.

St. Anthony Foundation has been serving the needs of the poor and homeless, transitioning families and individuals out of poverty, since 1950. Prior to that Franciscans friars were organizing bread lines, pictured above, on the same block of Golden Gate in San Francisco dating as far back as 1908. For over 100 years this tiny stretch of the Tenderloin has been helping the needy in whatever capacity possible.

Here are some of the folks who, in our lifetime, have benefited from these services:

“It makes you realize … that they’re in the same situation as you or I, but something went wrong somewhere along the way.” – Jesse, High School Volunteer at St. Anthony Dining Room

“Without St. Anthony Free Medical Clinic I’d be dead. It’s such a positive place. Once you walk into the Clinic you know everything is going to be taken care of.” – Tim, St. Anthony Free Medical Clinic Client

“Since I’ve been here at St. Anthony’s I have seen nothing but love, appreciation, kindness, and people that really want to teach you or give you the opportunity.” – Leroy, St. Anthony Employment Program / Tech Lab Student.

“Part of what I do today as a banquet waiter is what I learned volunteering at St. Anthony’s. It’s all about service with a smile.” – Muhamad, former St. Anthony Dining Room guest and current Volunteer

“Everything is so expensive. Some people have to work two jobs and they still can’t make ends meet. That is why organizations like St. Anthony’s are so important.”– Olga, Volunteer at St. Anthony Dining Room

“Every day, I see people I used to get high with. When they see me, it gives them hope. As I stay clean, I’ll be the encouragement for others.” – James, Fr. Alfred Center Graduate

“I chose St. Anthony’s for an internship because I wanted to know more about the people who were living in the Tenderloin. There I found a community of people helping each other survive in an area of town that is neglected.” – Kathy, Former Intern at St. Anthony’s Employment Program / Tech Lab

Tags: breadline, c.w. nevius, community, dining room, fr. alfred center, interns, medical clinic, tenderloin tech lab, volunteering

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009 at 2:19 pm and is filed under Advocacy, History, News, People. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.