All of us at St. Anthony’s have heavy hearts this week. Our friend and colleague, Fr. Floyd Lotito, OFM, has gone home to God, a few days shy of his 75th birthday. For forty years Floyd’s blood, sweat and tears (and lots of song and laughter as well) have been poured out here at Jones & Golden Gate, in service to God’s favorite people: the poor. This dear, and much loved, Friar personified the ancient, revered tradition we call “Franciscan”, and in his honor, we remember and celebrate that legacy of loving service.

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I searched high and low at St. Anthony’s yesterday for as many photos as I could of Fr. Floyd. I thought the blog would be a suitable place to share some images of his 41 years of service at St. Anthony’s.

Fr. Floyd undertook many projects and helped countless people. The following images capture only a small fraction of what he accomplished on this tiny block of Golden Gate Avenue.

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Having enjoyed my new life working with the St. Anthony’s community for a little over a month, I got to experience a rite of passage bestowed on all hard working, diligent employees: the sick day. As I spent Friday, as well as a good part of my weekend, huddled on the couch in a pool of cold sweat, tissues, cough syrup and self-pity, friends urged me to go to the doctor as soon as possible as I “probably had swine flu”.

Well yes, I felt like death, had aches and pains, a fever, congestion, the whole 9 yards. Needless to say, I didn’t leave the house for 72 hours. But I did do some research on what I stubbornly maintain is an over-hyped virus…so, let’s talk about swine flu:

According to the CDC, the H1N1 influenza virus was first detected in the United States in April 2009. It’s spread from person-to-person in the same way any other “regular seasonal influenza virus” is spread. It earned the nickname “swine flu” because initial lab tests of the virus showed genetic similarity between the virus and viruses that typically occur in North American pigs. But just how dangerous is it? The CDC puts it best in this comparison of the dreaded swine flu versus our good’ol, plane-jane seasonal flu:

“Each year, in the United States, on average 36,000 people die from flu-related complications and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu-related causes. Of those hospitalized, 20,000 are children younger than 5 years old. Over 90% of deaths and about 60 percent of hospitalization occur in people older than 65…So far, with H1N1 flu, the largest number of H1N1 flu confirmed and probable cases have occurred in people between the ages of 5 and 24-years-old. At this time, there are few cases and no deaths reported in people older than 64 years old, which is unusual when compared with seasonal flu.” (more…)

SAN FRANCISCO, CA Franciscan Father Floyd Lotito, longtime director of many programs at St. Anthony Foundation since 1970, died on July 14th, 2009. He was 74 years old.

Equally at home with A-list socialites and the poorest residents of San Francisco, Fr. Lotito was a passionate advocate for the poor throughout his entire life. In San Francisco, he is perhaps best known for his work with St. Anthony Foundation, where he has served in various capacities since 1968. (more…)

Yesterday I was out enjoying some food at one of our city’s culinary gems.  The bill comes, $25 and some change.  I summon the server over, “You know, I don’t really feel I owe the  tax on this, so just charge that back to the city.” I cover food cost,  20 percent for tip, but no way are they getting me to pay silly taxes…

And then I wake up from this bizarro world where people opt-out of paying taxes.

Expedia Inc. and Hotwire Inc. have been ordered to pay approximately $35 million they had previously refused to pay San Francisco  in hotel occupancy taxes.  SFGate also reports that Priceline.com and Travelocity are expected to pay more than $6 million the city says they owe in unpaid taxes.  When the city is facing a $129 million deficit, these unpaid taxes would make up nearly 32% of that red.  One-third of our deficit covered right there.

LA is being faced with unexpected expenses as well.  “Already caught in a $320 million budget gap, the city is now scrambling to make up the estimated $1.4 million that it spent on police, traffic control, cleanup, and other costs” for the Michael Jackson funeral, according to a DailyFinance article.  Last month the city footed the $2 million bill for the Laker’s victory parade.

Beyond disconcerting, it is utterly disappointing that seemingly without second thoughts red lines run through health and human service programs in these city budgets, when clearly there is another option.  That giving companies, and celebrities a free pass to use up resources, and abuse tax laws is somehow acceptable.  While those most vulnerable in our communities pay more, and take deeper cuts each time around.

Monday July 13th – Chicken Adobo
The Bay Area boasts the greatest concentration of Filipinos outside Manila, so we are serious about our adobo! Adobo is the Philippines national dish, celebrated for its tangy, sweet, and salty flavor.  St. Anthony’s chicken adobo is flavored with soy sauce, vinegar, and specials seasonings.

Tuesday July 14th – (Bastille Day!) Coq au Vin
Bastille Day celebrates the storming of the fortress-prison in Paris which had often held political prisoners whose writings had displeased the royal government. Bastille Day is often seen as a symbol of the uprising of the modern nation. At St. Anthony’s we celebrate this revolutionary holiday with Coq au Vin, tender chicken in a red wine sauce with ham. C’est Magnifique!

Wednesday July 15th -  Beef Stroganoff
This classic Russian dish of sautéed beef served in a sauce with sour cream is a rich and hearty favorite of St. Anthony’s Dining Room guests. This Russian classic is now popular in much of Iran, Europe, North America, and now St. Anthony’s! Served over noodles.

Thursday July 16th – Tortilla Casserole
A north American re-creation made form Mexican favorites, this dish combines most of the food groups into a satisfying and flavorful meal. Layers of corn tortillas, beans, chicken, and cheese tempt the palate while filling the belly.

Friday July 17th – Moroccan Chicken
A traditional Moroccan dish of chicken simmered with Moroccan spices will make your belly dance. Served with couscous, a North African pasta, and vegetables.

Saturday July 18th – Chef’s choice
Chefs choice days are always special at St. Anthony’s. Our professional, skilled, and clever chefs perform the true “Iron Chef”, and transform literally 2 tons of food into amazing and inspired meals. Want to know what our chefs concocted? You’ll have to make a trip to the Dining Room to find out!

Sunday July 19th – Beef Bourguignon
This tender beef stew is flavored with red wine and subtle seasonings. A St. Anthony’s classic, served with carrots and mushrooms.

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With the announcement of the resignation Alaska Governor Sarah Palin last weekend, I’ve been reminded of times in my life when I’ve considered quitting.

My first try at college was in 1992, and I found out pretty quickly that it’s almost impossible to be in an abusive relationship and do well in school. My abuser lived on campus with me and much of my freshman year was spent in terror. The next year, I decided to drop out and move home to live with my parents. I remember feeling like a failure and wondering if I would ever go back to school. Two years later, I experienced one of the worst days of my life when I found out that my college boyfriend had killed himself. A few months after his death, I decided to quit my minimum wage job and go back to college.

My transition back to college was not a smooth one. My transcript was marred with bad grades. The admissions representative said that I could take classes for one semester on a conditional basis and if my grades were good enough, I would be accepted as a degree-seeking student. After one semester with a 3.925 grade point average, I was in.

Four years later, I graduated with honors. A few weeks after my graduation, I had the most severe episode of panic disorder that I’d ever experienced in my life. It was absolutely debilitating. I felt like a shell of my former self and I was afraid that I would never be able to function again. I was waiting to hear about a few grad school applications, and was afraid that I was going to be too sick to start grad school in the fall.

An acceptance letter from a grad school in New York City arrived in the mail at the same time that an acceptance letter for a grad program from my hometown college arrived. I decided to quit living in my hometown and to move to New York City so that I could study social work in an urban setting.

During my 3rd semester in grad school in Manhattan, I experienced something that shook me to my core: September 11, 2001. (more…)

A friend of mine has bi-polar disease. She has worked for periods in her life and she’s looking for a part time job now. But for several years she has lived on government assistance in a government subsidized SRO.

It differs from most privately owned SRO’s: The building is well kept and well supervised and there are services on site. There are no rats and no mould and no one shooting up in the hallway. The bathroom is shared with only one other person. But her entire home is one-third the size of my studio apartment. There is a stove burner, a microwave and a mini-refrigerator with no freezer; she can’t save money by buying larger quantities of food. Her place costs $650. Her check is somewhere in the $800’s.

According to the California Labor Federation, the most recent corporate tax breaks give away $2.5 billion a year, every year, to a handful of the world’s largest corporations.

These tax breaks have no value to the state or the majority of its businesses. They do not create jobs or soften the economic blow so many families are facing. Ending them won’t drive corporations from California.

California’s health and human services have already been slashed $26 billion, and now Governor Schwarzenegger is pushing another round of major cuts to education, health care, public safety and other vital services. He will not increase taxes on anyone or anything.

Seniors will lose their cost of living increase for 2 years, plus employment services, adult protective services, and home delivered meals. Poor families will make 4% less at CalWORKS, reducing a family of 3 to $694 a month. People like my friend will have another 30 to 60 dollars cut from their support.

Many of these folks are working. Many others are struggling to get even a part time job.

Corporations are no strangers to government subsidy. They know what it is to need a lifeline, as my friend does. Why shouldn’t corporations pay as much as individuals and local businesses do for the privilege of working in San Francisco.

The first thing most people notice about the St. Anthony Foundation is the variety of people that it serves.  Just walk past the dining hall on Golden Gate Avenue  on any given day and it’s easy to see how integral St. Anthony’s has become to the larger Tenderloin community.  But there is one thing that St. Anthony’s cannot do: make sure the stories of those it reaches out to are preserved for the generations to come.

This is where StoryCorps comes in.

As the largest oral history project in the nation, StoryCorps captures the stories and experiences we all share.  Those who participate in a StoryCorps interview are encouraged to talk to someone they are close to about the things that are important to them.  This is the only criteria. After the interview is finished, the participants get a cd copy of the interview and another one goes to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

Throughout the months of July and August, St. Anthony’s and StoryCorps will be partnering to record the stories of those involved in the St. Anthony’s community.  Anyone who is interested can schedule an appointment at the StoryCorps Booth (located at the Contemporary Jewish Museum on Mission and 3rd) and have a heartfelt conversation with someone they are close to.

St. Anthony’s will also host a day of recording at the Tenderloin Technology Lab in August, where clients from the lab will get a chance to tell their stories.  It will be a great opportunity for those in the St. Anthony’s community to have their voices heard and preserved forever.

Visit the StoryCorps website to get a better idea of how StoryCorps works and contact the Tenderloin Technology Lab to become a part of this great opportunity.

www.storycorps.net

Monday July 6th – Gumbo
Gumbo is often cited as an example of the melting-pot nature of Louisiana cooking, and with West African okra, dried and ground sassafras leaves from the Choctaws and roux from French cuisine, that may be so. St. Anthony’s gumbo is rich with chicken, fish, sausage, okra, and plenty of flavor, and served over rice.

Tuesday July 7th – Pasta with Sausage
The word sausage comes from the Middle English sausige, which came from sal, Latin for salt. Sausage-making was originally a method used to preserve meats sometimes seasoned with fennel or anise. This hearty pasta and sausage dish is served with white sauce and vegetables, and served with rice and vegetables.

Wednesday July 8th – Lien’s Chicken Curry
Lien’s Chicken curry is a Dining Room favorite. Our Chef Lien makes a special Vietnamese style curry which is very different from its Indian or Thai curry cousins, but still a little spicy and sweet. Delicious!

Thursday July 9th – Bangers and Mash
A classic “meat and potatoes” dish, Bangers and mash, also known as sausages and mash, is an English/Irish dish made of mashed potatoes and sausages.

Friday July 10th – Turkey a la King
What could be more satisfying than protein rich turkey cooked in a cream sauce with green pepper, mushrooms, and peas. Mmmmm.

Saturday July 11th – Chicken Paprika
Paprika is said to have been named after a religious Indian figure named “RyshPaprike”.It has also been speculated that Paprika is a derivation of the Serbian word ‘paprena’ which means ’spicy’. The paprika used today, be it Hungarian or Spanish, is usually made from the grinding of dried capsium. Our Chicken Paprika is simmered with fresh vegetables and served with noodles.

Sunday July 12th – Lamb and Beef with Orzo
Orzo, the Italian word for barley, is a small, grain-shaped pasta often used for heartier dishes. Served with lamb and beef, and sprinkled with feta cheese, Sunday’s pasta is sure to be hearty and flavorful.

Check back for weekly installments of On The Menu!