And There It Went!

Each New Year we make resolutions and renew our commitments. In times of abundance we can make casual resolutions. In times of scarcity however, we look inward and resolve to take better care of those things closest to our hearts.

At St. Anthony’s we are resolving to find new ways to make services more efficient and donations stretch farther. We are streamlining operations and purchasing in bulk.

In your commitment to do more with less there are many ways to kick off the New Year:

• Let St. Anthony’s guests benefit from your spring cleaning or hold a drive and gather clothes for the Free Clothing Program.
• Signing up for a monthly giving plan is an easy way to contribute an amount that doesn’t hurt your budget.
• Volunteering gets you directly involved in the work we do, and you can fiscally support the work and programs that you have taken part in.

You can even make last minute tax-deductible gifts online until 11:59 pm December 31st.

Let’s work together and make this new year a happier one for all San Franciscans.

What’s cooking this week at St. Anthony Dining Room!

Monday December 28 – Chef’s Choice

Sausage and beans served with eggplant

Tuesday December 29 – Baked Sweet Potatoes

With cheese and sour cream

Wednesday December 30 – Saigon Chicken

Braised chicken with mushrooms in an Asian sauce

Thursday, December 31 – Sheppard’s Pie

A classic dish made with ground beef and potatoes

Check back for weekly installments of On The Menu!

A Poet, A Newly Employed Grocery Store Worker, And Former Publicist All Spend Christmas At St. Anthony’s

SAN FRANCISCO, CA A poet, a newly employed grocery store worker, and a former publicist meet in a “soup kitchen”…It sounds like the beginning of a recession joke, but at St. Anthony’s Dining Room, San Francisco’s oldest and largest private congregate food program, this kind of amalgamation of life experiences isn’t uncommon. And why aren’t these people “home for the holidays”?

Scott, a published artist and poet, invited his 6 members of his family to join him volunteering on Christmas Day at St. Anthony’s to have a more meaningful holiday; Tim, who got the day off his new job as a grocery store worker, will be volunteering in the St. Anthony Dining Room to ‘give back’ for the help St. Anthony’s gave him with his sobriety; and Pam, the former publicist that is eating her Christmas meal in the Dining Room, is there because the SRO she now lives in doesn’t have a kitchen. This Christmas, all 3 of these very distinct personalities will share why they are NOT at home for the holidays, and why they are spending their Christmas in the Tenderloin at St. Anthony’s.

“This time last year I was in a really bad situation” noted volunteer and St. Anthony’s rehab program participant Tim Stewart. “This year I’m employed and volunteering on Christmas day to “give back”. And tomorrow I’ll be back at work!”

St. Anthony’s will serve an estimated 4,000 meals this Christmas, and will give out gifts of new socks, hats, toiletries, and chocolate bars to guests, thanks to donations and volunteer efforts of Gymboree, the Hilton, and the Palace Hotel.

St. Anthony Foundation’s programs help heal individuals and families with programs that provide a gateway out of poverty, including a Dining Room which serves 2600 meals every day, a free clothing program, a technology lab, residential drug and alcohol recovery program, and a free medical clinic. St. Anthony Foundation does not accept any federal, state, or local government money for its programs, and is entirely funded by private donations.

(Download high resolution images)

At St. Anthony Dining Room we are a buzz preparing a Christmas feast for 4,000 of our friends, family and community here in the Tenderloin.

And we could not have done it with out you. Your response to our call for food and socks means that every guest who comes on Christmas will get a delicious filling meal and a gift bag with socks and other necessities. The cans of food, peanut butter and tuna are filling our pantry shelves which will help fill the cupboards of seniors and families in need.

Your support makes a difference this holiday season, and in the year to come. When you make a gift to St. Anthony’s you make a change in someone’s life. Whether it provides food that day, groceries for that month, doctor visit for an uninsured child, or life-changing recovery and job training, you can know that your support is a gift that meets real needs.

Thank you for reaching together with St. Anthony Foundation to extend this season of hope to all.

A little holiday spirit for health care coverage: congress has passed legislation to extend government subsidies for people paying for health insurance under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, also known as COBRA. With the California unemployment rate hitting 12.3% (national average is 10%) many people opt to stay on their former employer’s health insurance coverage while they look for a new job. This can be pricey, but government subsidies approved with the February stimulus package have helped people retain health care coverage during tough economic times.

Now those laid off in Jan/Feb 2010 will still be able to apply for the subsidies, which cover 65% of insurance costs — initially, assistance was only available for those laid off during 2009. New legislation also extends length of subsidies by six additional months, from 9 to 15, those who opt to stay on their former employer’s health insurance coverage can continue to have more affordable health care coverage. These subsidies are vital not only for those who find themselves between jobs, but for folks who find work and have to undergo a waiting period before qualifying for benefits.

The support these subsides provide are invaluable in protecting the health and wellness of the community; if healthcare reform continues forward many people may not feel the effects for several years. For those without medical insurance, St. Anthony Free Medical Clinic provides primary care and specialty care services free of charge. As the healthcare system evolves, St. Anthony Free Medical Clinic will continue to offer medical services to those in our community who might otherwise go without.

Thanks to the students of the Jefferson School for collecting 1020 pairs of brand new socks for our guests in their sock drive! Here are a few pictures from their visit.

Thanks to the Kelly family from Menlo Park, who dropped off a Suburban full of clothes from their drive on Monday. What a great way to do a drive! They emailed their friends and said:

“We’re collecting clean, gently used clothes for St. Anthony’s. If you’d like to donate men’s, women’s, or children’s clothes, just email us back, then Sunday morning leave the bag outside your front door. We’ll drive around and pick them up.”

So many people are doing drives for us. It makes such a difference to our guests, who are really struggling this year. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

“It’s like grabbing two high tension wires and being electrified with love and compassion.”

– Lama Tharchin Rinpoche, explaining how devotion and compassion work together. The more intense our devotion, the more vast our compassion, the brighter we shine.

What’s cooking this week at St. Anthony Dining Room!

Monday December 21 – Pasta Primavera

Pasta and vegetables served in a delicious white sauce

Tuesday December 27 – Gumbo Ya Ya

A Cajun dish made with chicken, pork, sausages and rice.

Wednesday December 23 – Chicken Mole

Delicious chunks of chicken simmered in a Oaxacan style sauce of chiles and spices.

Thursday, December 24 – Beef Bourguignon

Diced beef simmered with vegetables in a sauce made with red wine. (No Alcohol)

Friday December 25 -  Honey Glazed Ham

A special Christmas meal served with mashed potatoes, vegetables and dessert.

Saturday December 26 – Lentils With Turkey

Lentils simmered with Turkey and spinach

Sunday December 27 – Tuna Casserole

An American classic made with tuna, noodles and mushrooms topped with breadcrumbs then baked.

Check back for weekly installments of On The Menu!

This summer I had the privilege of (interning) at St. Anthony’s, a non profit organization that helps underserved people of Francisco. Their mission is to feed, heal, shelter, clothe, lift the spirits of those in need, and create a society in which all people flourish. During my internship at St. Anthony’s I was able to work in many different areas o service. My first experience was in the Dining Room. I was terrified of the setting because I had never been in the Tenderloin area, so I did not know what to expect. Very soon, I found that it was a joy to work there. There is just something about giving a meal to someone who really needs it, but the best reward for me was simply a smile and a “thank you.”

I really loved that the Dining Room at St. Anthony’s was actually called a “dining room,” instead of a soup kitchen. Just the name made it feel like it was a family setting, somewhere you could come home and feel safe, like a home with your own family. And, as time progressed, I felt like I had joined the St. Anthony Family because each time I can to volunteer there was always someone calling out my name. I never knew how much it meant to me that someone knew my name until I started working there. I felt loved because someone actually took the time out of their day to learn my name and remember my face.

Working at St. Anthony’s taught me so much about life. It helped me break down the barrier of my fear of homeless people. I learned that when you are on the outside looking in, you can sometimes be so quick to judge, but when you are inside, taking on the emotions of others, you can identify with them and become more understanding. At first, I thought this internship would feel just like community service, but I feel that I have walked away with so much more than that. Now I fully understand the causes and effects of homelessness, I can really look at all people with respect and not judge them.

San Francisco Giants Pitcher and St. Anthony Foundation supporter Barry Zito stopped by St. Anthony’s today and took some time to volunteer serving trays at St. Anthony Dining Room.

Thanks again, Barry!

Reno D. and friends just donated almost 8,000 pounds of turkey, along with a cash donation. Happy Holidays, Reno!