Franciscan Values III:

We believe we have a prophetic role to play in addressing the power structures of society, and seek to be advocates for and with people who are poor, disadvantaged & outcast.

“I have the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, quality, and freedom for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered men have torn down, other-centered men can build up.”

-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

These days there seems to be no lack of people in our society seeking justice.  Tea Party & Wall Street protesters seeking reform from government or big business interests they perceive as threats to the American way of life have peppered the news for months.  To us the issues of injustice in America and in San Francisco have a more personal face that we see all the time.  Every day St. Anthony Foundation feeds, clothes, and offers medical treatment to thousands of our city’s disenfranchised citizens.

Here at the Father Alfred Center we open our doors to men of no means that are suffering from the deadly disease of addiction.  Many have found themselves in unsustainable situations and lifestyles from which they are unable to break free.  While here, they are not given a free ride, but instead are asked to work hard for what they receive.  In exchange for their time and effort we offer them a new plan to live life on life’s terms.  They are shown a new way forward that will lead them to a better life, if only they are bold enough to accept it.

During this process these men are taught the value of responsibility and accountability.  They are taught to seek answers from a higher power, and not from a syringe, a pipe, or the bottom of a bottle.  With the skills they learn at Father Alfred Center our residents re-enter society, ready to work & ready to live life anew.  One at a time they change their society by helping those still in need as they themselves were helped.

Sadly some of our residents do not make it to the end.  They stray from the path and have to start over, or simply never recover in time to avoid the terminal consequences of their disease.  However for the brave and determined that prove themselves willing to overcome the obstacles in their path, there is salvation, there is recovery, there is justice.

Franciscan Value:

“We work to be good stewards of all the gifts given to us.”

I believe that I can speak for all of us when I say that each of us at one point or another have found ourselves in dire need of help while in various stages of our common self-destructive disease (addiction).

While at the end of our proverbial ropes and sick to the bone in body and spirit, it seemed like there was no hope left in the world.  The shame and self debasement that permeates addiction had become all too familiar to us.  However, somehow we were eventually led to a place where hands and voices reached out in welcome instead of expectation.

Once there we were given everything; a place to rest; a place to eat; a place to bathe; a place to feel safe at last.  We were given an opportunity to heal and recover where we could not only live but learn how to live again.  We learned about new thoughts and behaviors and we learned how to apply them.  We gained insights about ourselves and others.  We were introduced to an entirely new lifestyle based on ‘we’ instead of ‘I’.  Before us was the journey along the road of recovery, and we were getting better one day at a time.

There was very little asked of us in return.  Follow simple instructions, do some work, and don’t put any illicit mind altering substances into our bodies.  Everything was leading us to work a program of recovery and to become responsible members of society.

Along with substance abuse treatment and individual counseling in a long term social model setting, we were provided with access to a variety of services, from all aspects of social work to access to the free clinic (including mental health/therapy, vision and dental care).

I was amazed by what was made available to me and others like me.  I remember we as clients often asked ourselves, “Who is making all of this possible?  Who is providing all these services for us?  Who is giving us this amazing opportunity?  Who are these people?”

Today we are ‘these people’.

-Anonymous staff member of Father Alfred Center

St. Anthony’s Dining Room has 40 unexpected volunteer slots this Friday, September 16. We’ve had a cancellation by a large group. That’s 40 people, needed Friday. You need to arrive at 8:45 in the morning and stay until 12:45.

Sign up by yourself, come with your family (children must be at least 13), come with your church group or social club, come with a group of your co-workers. (But do sign up. We can’t accommodate surprise volunteers.)

Your group doesn’t need to be 40 people. It can join a group of groups to serve meals, pour water, and pick up trays for two and a half hours, after a crucial orientation.

If you’ve never volunteered at St. Anthony’s, this is rare a chance to get a feeling for what it’s like, scope out how it would work for a team from your organization or company, or decide if you’d like to be a regular, without waiting for the next orientation.

Call Dolores at 415-592-2704.
Call Celina 415-592-2728.

It’s an experience like no other. Give us a call if you can.

Last month we announced that Dr. Ana Valdes, Medical Director of St. Anthony’s Clinic, was a finalist for a Healthcare Hero Award. It’s high time to announce that she won.

The San Francisco Business Times launched the new awards to honor professionals who go above and beyond to make the Bay Area healthier by delivering quality care, advocating for patients, innovating new technology or educating the community about health issues.

Dr. Ana was recognized for increasing healthcare access to the underserved. Interestingly enough, one of her achievements that most interested her healthcare peers was synchronizing St. Anthony’s electronic medical records with the coding system at San Francisco General Hospital. This made St. Anthony’s the city’s first low-income clinic to do so. It sounds technical, but coordinating with SF General means that all the doctors who serve a low-income patient have the same information. A more complete history means better care and more possibility for progress.

The magazine also cited the brand new breast health program Dr. Ana has started in the Clinic, based on an outreach model she created for diabetes patients and later for asthma patients. All three programs help patients who have a hard time keeping up with their healthcare come into the Clinic, check on progress, and make a plan for managing disease. (more…)

I haven’t taken a poll recently, but I feel confident that the most popular excuse for not exercising has to be lack of time. People tend to think that if they can’t spare 45-90 minutes a day to exercise, it’s just not worth it. However, current research indicates that even small blocks of time dedicated to some form of physical activity can result in significant health benefits.

British Medical Journal The Lancet published an article this week on the relative health benefits of daily low (15 min. per day), moderate (30 min. per day), and high (45 min per day) volume of exercise. Results showed that even those in the low volume group (exercising an average of 92 minutes per week, or 15 minutes per day) “had a 14% reduced risk of all-cause mortality, and had a 3 year longer life expectancy.”

Even low levels of activity, can reduce blood pressure, and improve cardiovascular fitness and overall health. The Walking Group at St. Anthony’s Free Medical Clinic has experienced the benefits of low to moderate intensity exercise first hand. Every Friday at 10:00 a.m. the Walking Group, led by Carolina Flamenco, convenes at the Clinic and heads out for a 60-90 minute walk. These walks provide participants, many of whom are diabetic, not only with much-needed exercise and stress relief, but also with a chance to socialize in a relaxed environment, a chance to get out of the neighborhood and see other parts of the city, and to reconnect with the natural environment in the city’s parks.

(more…)

St. Anthony’s Dining Room, also called the miracle on Jones Street, is the only free meal program in the city of San Francisco that serves a warm meal 365 days a year.  At almost 3,000 meals per day, we serve over 1 million meals per year. For many, the Dining Room is their main source of food. Some of our guests have shelter, some homeless, some have families, some are all alone. Some are employed, some not. Some have a college degree, some never finished grade school. But the thing that all of these people have in common is their need for a meal. And that is our job. To provide all those in need, regardless of their life situations, with a warm meal that was made and served with love. And much of what makes this all possible are the thousands of volunteers that give their time to serve. We have almost 500 regular volunteers (some of which have been serving here for over 25 years!), and almost 10,000 people who volunteer with their school, work, or church.

Sean Chester, a summer intern who spent a lot of time volunteering in the Dining Room as well as some of St. Anthony’s other programs, remembers “my work in the Dining Room included being a bus boy, serving food, directing servers, and eating food. Among all the work and action, I made an infinite amount of friends that inspire me, believe in me, and respect me. I soaked up the experience, embraced the memories, and had such an amazing time.” Theresa Martin, another intern who spent one day/week volunteering in the Dining Room said “The relationships I’ve formed with the guests in the Dining Room, the volunteers and guys from the [Fr. Alfred Center, St. Anthony’s Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Program], and the other interns have been awesome. I feel like I have been welcomed into the community at St. Anthony’s and become a part of the family that it is. For that, I am grateful.” Much like Sean and Theresa, our volunteers often get more out of the experience than they gave. They find themselves embraced by the community here at St. Anthony’s, and quickly feel like they are part of the family.

So we would like to thank all of our volunteers, whether you have been here once or one thousand times. Your work has left a lasting mark on our Dining Room and the thousands of guests who call it their home.

If you or your group (school, company, church, club, etc.) are interested in volunteering, click here.

The new U.S. dietary guidelines, which recommend eating more potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin D and calcium, and avoiding saturated fat and added sugar, can add almost 10% on average to your yearly food bill. For many low income Americans the “luxury” of eating healthy is all but unobtainable. For most of our clients the best option to stay full and stay on budget is to purchase processed foods from fast food restaurants and corner stores. These meals are typically high in fat and sugar and low in valuable nutrients, compromising client’s overall health and ability to avoid medical complications like diabetes and obesity.

At St. Anthony Foundation we connect low income patients with fresh foods so they have a chance to meet personal as well as nationwide community health goals. Our social work center guides clients in where and how to use their food stamps to purchase produce from local farmers markets. Our Fresh Fruits and Veggies program connects Medical Clinic patients with healthy food options, which we in turn teach patients how to prepare during our Clinic Cooking Classes. These classes are geared towards diabetic and overweight patients looking to manage their diets and offer tasty recipes that are low in sugar, salt, and fat. In our Dining Room, meals area always served with a vegetable and a side of fresh fruit.

At St. Anthony Foundation we aim to make healthy food options accessible for patients and clients by connecting them with services and providing healthy, nutritious meals. It is our hope that one day healthy food will be an option for everyone — not simply those with greater economic means.

Have you ever tried to explain why a website crashed to someone who is terrified of touching a computer?  Or maybe you want to know how Facebook and Twitter emerged as the tipping points in toppling the regime of the former President of Egypt?  If you ever ask yourself these questions or wonder how social media (like Facebook and Twitter) can change our world, you might have found some answers at St. Anthonyís symposium, Social Change 3.0:  Transforming the world one click at a time.

Roughly 140 people, representing a diverse group of nonprofits, businesses, and venture capitalists, convened at The Hub on Mission Street last Tuesday to be regaled by stories, facts, and anecdotes from experts in social media who use these tools every day to create positive change in our world.

Our panelists shared myriad examples of ways we are changing the world every day: Jake Levitas, Research Director at the Gray Area Foundation, opened the evening with a sharp perspective on how social media can influence our democratic process. “Our current model of democracy is thousands of years in the making. Today we’re in a modality of instant change.”

Megan Trotter, Manager of the Tenderloin Technology Lab, highlighted the importance of digital inclusion within the arc of innovation. “Technology is important, but equally important is the human contact needed to help people learn how to use it.” (more…)

Dr. Ana Valdez is a finalist for a Healthcare Heroes Award. Sponsored by the San Francisco Business Times, the new awards honor professionals who go above and beyond to make the Bay Area healthier by delivering quality care, advocating for patients, innovating with new technology or educating the community about health issues. Recipients will be announced at the awards ceremony on July 27.

Dr. Ana does all of the above. She has made St. Anthony’s Medical Clinic into a medical home for those who need it most: the uninsured and underinsured, the working poor, new immigrants, and low-income families with children.

Her experience practicing Family Medicine in the American Southwest, Mexico, and Guatemala prepared her for St. Anthony’s. She knows how to provide high-quality care with limited resources . Her approach makes rigorous use of counseling, health education, and peer support. St. Anthony patients participate in their own care.

Dr. Ana has taken a “go get ‘em” approach to inviting diabetic patients who have trouble keeping current with their care to come in for a visit with a doctor. The Clinic organizes 4 Diabetes Days a year. They telephone all of our Diabetic patients who haven’t been in for a while to come in for a check-up, treatment, and counseling. On the same day, they invite the neighborhood to come in for screening and Q & A about Diabetes.

It started as an experiment and it worked so well that the Clinic started a series of Asthma Days to do the same thing with asthma patients: 4 Asthma Days a year, calls to the asthma patients they haven’t seen in a while, and an invitation to neighbors who might become new patients. Soon, thanks to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, they’ll replicate the whole model for women’s breast health to prevent and identify breast cancer and other diseases early on.

Whatever happens on July 27, Dr. Ana is a healthcare hero to her colleagues, and to 3400 people who make the Clinic their medical home. We’re grateful to the San Francisco Business times for honoring Dr. Ana.

Check out the SF Business Times for a profile of Dr. Ana and the other finalists.

St. Anthony’s and San Francisco Network Ministries founded the Tenderloin Tech Lab together because both organizations were seeing ever more people who needed to learn basic computer skills and help with finding a job. St. Anthony’s was moving into our new building and Network Ministries agreed to move part of their program in with us. We thought we could handle more people better if we worked in the same physical space.

Our guests are working hard to catch up with the information revolution.

We expected that, together, we’d serve 30% more guests in the new Tech Lab by sharing staff and space. Today, we’re serving 234% more guests. When the library closes early, our waiting area fills.People need computers to find work, apply for work, learn new skills, get benefits, and reconnect with family and friends. Give a person a free, hot meal and you feed them for a day. Teach a person how to use a computer and you feed them for a lifetime.