Below is one example of the many talent’s of Willie Warren. Willie is a regular in the Tenderloin Tech Lab and is liked by both staff and guests. With the usual smile on his face, Willie submitted some of his writing to share on our blog.

Net Neutrality has recently come to the national spotlight after the New York Times ran an article reporting or claiming, depending on how you look at it, that Verizon and Google were striking a backdoor deal in which Verizon would give preferential treatment to Google’s content over other media networks. This could potentially spark a number of partnerships between major media networks and Internet Service Providers, ultimately hurting the consumer by making it more difficult or more expensive to access certain information. Net Neutrality has long been a topic of discussion and is often seen as a right – not a privilege – to access the same information regardless of color, class, race, etc. Advocates of Net Neutrality argue on the basis of equality; individuals, no matter how much they pay or who they pay, should not be given an advantage or priority over any other internet user. Google and Verizon claim the NYT article was not completely accurate because it was a discussion between the two parties about the type of data packet (voice, video, audio, etc.) and the possibility of prioritizing by type to enhance quality, and not the content of the data. However, it did raise some questions about the future of the internet.

Opponents of Net Neutrality argue that this is a simple business decision – because Internet Service Providers such as AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon lay the ground work, create the infrastructure, and maintain the intricate network of wires, modems, switches, and all the other gear necessary to make the internet work. These folks look to similar models used by FedEx or UPS, who charge different rates for shipping based on the material, weight, and, most relevant to Net Neutrality, how quickly these goods are delivered. You can find a more detailed argument here from The Business Insider.*

There is no doubt there are many layers to this issue, including equal access to information, business interests, and the role government has to play in all of this as mediator, regulator, or spectator depending on how you look at it. The most recent uproar had to do in particular with the FCC’s recent meetings with Verizon and Google which some perceive as the FCC simply letting the industry take the lead on the issue. Regardless of the outcome, which does not seem to be immediate since congress has not shown much interest at the moment, the larger issue is why the FCC, a government agency created to regulate business, is taking a seemingly passive role as the industry makes moves to alter the relationship of ISP’s, internet users, and media outlets. It will be interesting to see how this unravels, but it is most important to make sure the FCC is at a safe distance from the powerful corporate interests that frequently dominate government policy.

Here at the Tenderloin Technology Lab we believe everyone should have equal access to technology. Staff and guests alike will keep a close eye on how this unravels and what kind of impact it will have on us here.

* The author the article you are reading now did a little research and found that both Comcast &, AT&T do exactly that (charge by the speed), so the supply and demand argument is already actually in play here.

Can you believe St. Anthony’s has been serving the underserved in San Francsico for 60 years? We are putting together our 60th anniversary commemoration, and are looking for people that have utilized services at any time in the last 60 years to share their stories. Please drop a note to faviani@stanthonysf.org if you have any thoughts or stories. thank you!

Hear what new Executive Director Shari Roeseler has to say about the increased number of families that are coming to St. Anthony’s:

http://movin997.radio.com/tag/st-anthony-foundation/

We just received 10 $100 scholarships for the children and youth that come to St. Anthony’s during the summer.

I Googled $100 to see what else $100 would buy , besides back-to-school survival for low income families that includes a medical checkup and vaccination at St. Anthony Free Medical Clinic , meals in the St. Anthony’s Dining Room, and a set of back-to-school clothes from our clothing program. Oddly there were pages and pages of what $100 million or even $100 billion can buy, like Google’s quiet $100 billion investment in social gaming behemoth Zynga; American International Group Inc. 2010 bonuses totaling $100 million, or the expansion of military special operations headquarters in northern Afghanistan estimated to be about $100 million.

That all may sound over-the-top, and totally unrelated to a regular citizens life. But that is also how over-the top a pair of name brand athletic shoes, a “budget” weekend getaway, or a trip to Home Depot sounds to a family that is coming to St. Anthony’s clothing program for back-to-school clothes or meals for their children because the school lunches that they rely on aren’t available during the summer.

We are extremely grateful for the 10 scholarships. Because there are 1500 children that we are working with this summer that need scholarships just like that.

Your donation of $20 can provide 2 weeks of lunches in the Dining Room during the summer months when a student is unable to rely on a school cafeteria.

Your donation of $50 can cover a medical check-up, back to school clothes, and a meal in the Dining Room.

Your donation of $100 can cover one child’s back-to-school support including vaccinations and a medical check-up; a trip to the clothing program; and a meal in the Dining Room.

Your donation of $1000 can provide a full day of back-to-school check-ups in the clinic, a full children’s service in the clothing program, and a day’s worth of children’s meals in the Dining Room.

This post is from Alvin at St. Anthony’s drug and alcohol recovery program, the Father Alfred Center:

On Wednesday July 14, 2010 the St. Anthony Dinning Room sponsored one of the quarterly outings for the residents of the Father Alfred Center-The All Star Staff and Guest Baseball Playoffs. This year, as in years in the past, the Dining Room staff brought a very delicious meal for all to enjoy during this event, which is usually held in one of the nearby parks.

The staff all-stars started out on fire scoring 4 runs in the first inning showing their competitive side and giving the message’’ that we were here to defend our title’’. In the second inning the residents came back to make it a game by scoring three runs to make the score 4-3. In the third the residents went ahead scoring three more runs to make it 6-4. Then 1 more in the fourth. Down 7-4 in the fourth staff went on a tenacious hitting, fielding and base running display to out last the residents 11-9.

It was a lot of fun, with gratitude held by residents and staff alike. (the Father Alfred Center especially thanks the Dining Room staff for their kindness and generosity in making these events memorable and special).

Go Team!

To echo Alina’s post, preventative health care and personal health management are by far the most effective ways to keep people out of emergency rooms and is a key component to our approach to health care here at St. Anthony Free Medical Clinic.

It’s important to instill a value in personal health care at a young age, particularly in the interest of chronic disease  management. Here at The Clinic  staff in our Chronic Disease Care Management Program see many children who suffer from asthma due to poor living conditions and environmental factors.

This summer, the Clinic will host an Asthma Day for these children to prepare them for a healthy new school year by providing them with the tools  to better understand and effectively manage their illness.  On August 4th, clinic staff will dedicate the day to teaching important asthma medication management, tips on identifying personal  environmental triggers, and action plans in case of asthmatic emergency. Our goal is to give kids the knowledge and medical support they need to confidently manage their health care for life — without trips to the emergency room.

Ed Note: This week’s entry was written by Kevin, a Virgina Tech pre-med student lending his time and talent to the St. Anthony Free Medical Clinic and Dining Room this summer:

“Have a good day, Sir” I exclaimed to one of the guests as I took his empty tray.

“Oh, I will…now that I have eaten a meal,” he replied proudly as he left. I smiled and turned away, shocked at his nonchalant statement. I continued and finished my shift in the Dining Room, yet his words have remained in my mind still to this day.

Coming to St. Anthony’s, I hoped I would have a huge impact on the homeless population and would make a visible change. I was planning on bringing health reform and implementing social change for the better. All of these wild ideas that sounded marvelous, now seem farfetched and even naïve of me to believe I could do single-handedly.

It didn’t take me long to realize that what I would be doing and what needs to be done isn’t about the enormity of its impact.  In fact, I have realized that anybody, as evident by our veteran volunteers in the Dining Room and newbies like myself, can have an impact by something as little as donating some time for others.

Simply doing things like taking the time to ask how someone is doing, smiling at someone, and remembering someone’s name can have a dramatic impact on someone’s day. I use to believe that the only way to make a difference was to enact sweeping changes. Now, however, I believe that each and every one of us can do so many simple acts that can spark tremendous positivity to help make a difference.

And forward very quickly. We are already receiving scarves from all over the bay area….nearly 100 so far and pledges for another 257. Pictured is the newest scarf just recevied in the mail and one sure to make its recipient smile. Thanks Marguerite in San Francisco…can’t wait to see the other two scarves you’ve pledged!

Interested in knitting a hand made scarf as a Holiday gift for one our guests at St. Anthony Dining Room? Click here to participate!

Chronicle/Brant Ward

The national strategic plan to end homelessness was published today with a plan to finish the job of ending veteran and chronic homelessness by 2015 and among families, youth, and children by 2020.

The pieces sound good, now lets see how they are actually implemented… 

• Increasing leadership, collaboration, and civic engagement, by a focus on providing and promoting collaborative leadership at all levels of government and across all sectors and strengthening the capacity of public and private organizations by increasing knowledge about collaboration and successful interventions to prevent and end homelessness.
• Increase access to stable and affordable housing, by providing affordable housing and permanent supportive housing.
• Increase economic security, expand meaningful and sustainable employment and improve access to mainstream programs and services to reduce financial vulnerability to homelessness.
• Improve health and stability, by linking health care with homeless assistance programs and housing, advancing stability for youth aging out of systems such as foster care and juvenile justice, and improving discharge planning for people who have frequent contact with hospitals and criminal justice systems.
• Retool the homeless response system, by transforming homeless services to crisis response systems that prevent homelessness and rapidly return people who experience homelessness to stable housing.
• http://www.usich.gov/