This last Wednesday, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. St. Anthony’s Dining Room was transformed into a dance studio. That’s right- a dance studio. If you had happened to be passing by the building, you might have heard the rapid squeaks and taps of people’s shoes dancing across the linoleum floor and Beyonce singing “Move Your Body” on the loud speakers.

At this time every Wednesday, you will find this fun-loving group of people doing something truly spectacular- getting fit together. Some of the members are patrons St. Anthony’s free clinic, and have been diagnosed with diabetes or may are be at serious risk for other ails. Although anyone, guest or not is encouraged to join the class. Fresh fruit is also offered for free as a snack during the workout to encourage healthy eating.

Their fearless leader and teacher, Dexter encourages getting active in any way possible. “Most people think of marathon running when they think of exercise. But exercise is fun, and we prove that every Wednesday.” This fitness group’s activities will range from anything to stretching, power walking, and circuit training. This week the workout theme happened to be Beyonce. So, St. Anthony’s encourages you to join the movement in getting fit, and find ways to “Move Your Body”!

I’ve always thought it peculiar how the simplest item can take on meaning beyond its practical use. A diamond ring can represent decades of commitment or a worn stuffed teddy bear can remind one of those precious years of adolescence. But this story revolves around a simple white pair of sneakers, and what they meant to a woman by the name of Mary Helen Douglas.

Mary hails from the town of Petaluma, a land known for its picturesque river, quaint architecture, butter and eggs parade, and famed World’s Ugliest Dog competition. Her parents suffered from addictive illness for the majority of their lives, and thus growing up Mary lacked supervision and support that a parental figure provides for a child. She would often have to find her own food, cook her own meals, and find her way around the town. So at the fledgling age of nineteen, Mary left for San Francisco. There she found a man who supported her, and she had high hopes for a future filled with change and prosperity. Although as she would discover, her plan would not become a reality.

Unable to find work, her bank account eventually dwindled into the red. Along with her husband, she eventually ended up on the streets, living periodically in and out of shelters. At the time they both found escape and numbed themselves through the use of drugs and alcohol. They went on like this for some time. Then, in the winter of 2005, all she loved slipped away from her. In a single week, her husband passed away from heart failure and all of her belongings were stolen at a shelter she was residing at for the week. In addition to all this, she was utterly broke, not even possessing a pair of shoes on her feet to warm her in the customary San Francisco misty cold.

Mary continued to find escape through substances, to numb the gaping holes in her life. She recalled that one night, the drugs had a terrible suicidal effect on her. During a bad trip, she had attempted to throw herself off of a seven story balcony. The sole reason she survived was through a friend’s intervention, yanking her back as she scrambled to throw herself over the side of the railing. This scared her beyond words, for not once had she ever even possessed a suicidal thought. She realized the drugs were changing her, morphing her into a stranger even to herself. She was taken to a doctor, and as he peered at her test results with dismal scrutiny, Mary was convinced of one fact: she would not be alive much longer living like this.

Observing Mary’s current predicament, a friend had told her of a program that could help: St. Anthony’s Free Clothing Program. She was skeptical having been to other assistance programs before, but decided to go anyways, her cold bare feet driving her to walk faster to Mission and 8th. When she entered the Free Clothing Program’s building, she was greeted by a man named Marcellus. His first question was a simple one, “What is your name?” She had participated in many other programs before and gone through information gathering processes almost identical to this one. Although this time she said it was different. Marcellus had locked his gaze with hers, and when he asked what her name was she felt as though he really cared. She was not just another number or random recipient of free goods. She said that even to this day he has never failed to greet her by her name. She was given all the clothing she needed: shirts, sweaters, pants, and socks. But the article of clothing that struck her the most was the pair of sneakers. When she fastened the laces, for the first time in a very long while, she felt her frigid toes started to relax. Walking no longer was a painful task, and strolling down the sidewalk in the shade of the high rises she was humbled by the comfort she had not felt in such a long while. She felt as though something about the program was changing her, if only just a bit. This measly pair of shoes gave her faith that all was not really lost, and for the first time in a very long time, she had hope.

While waiting outside of the Free Clothing Program building one day, a man approached some of the ladies waiting alongside her. He was acting outlandishly, yelling gibberish at some of the women without a discernable cause. She knew that the man was under the influence of drugs. And all of a sudden she saw her future–the drugs and the crazy behaviour that would ensue. This was not the future she wanted at all, and in that moment she found her strength again. She approached the man and in a way that only Mary Helen Douglas could, lectured him, calmed him down, and he eventually apologized to all the women.

Right then she knew that she had to change; that her life was not lost. She was referred to a couple rehabilitation centers by the staff and her road to recovery began. Looking back, those sneakers, given to warm her feet on those chilly nights, incited a change that would end up saving Mary’s life. So perhaps the next time you peer down at your feet, you can remember Mary and how something as simple as an old pair of shoes can mean salvation for another.

Tyler Merkel is a Communications & Outreach intern at St. Anthony Foundation

What comes to mind when you think of an Eagle Scout? I think of wilderness camping and daring feats of strength…Imagine my surprise when Joshua Nascimento, a young high school student contacted me about fulfilling his Eagle Scout project at St. Anthony’s! Talk about daring feats of strength…and I don’t mean scaling the walls of our building. I mean the courage and compassion of responding to the needs of the impoverished—and helping to break down the walls of misunderstanding, or even simply of “not knowing” that some more fortunate members of society are held within.

Joshua, well on his way to earning the highest ranking possible in Boy Scouts, learned more about the deeper experience of poverty that many of our guests and clients are keenly familiar with. He chose to help meet some of the most basic needs that many of our guests encounter day in and day out—access to basic hygiene products. Lacking the resources to buy these item (soap, shampoo, lotion, etc. ) many folks—housed and not, go without. The consequences of not having these simple basics can aggravate health problems and can certainly contribute to increased isolation. Thanks to Joshua and his fellow troop members, his campaign to collect these items and more (combs, toothbrushes and paste, and even snacks …) resulted in enough materials to fill more than 100 handmade tote-bags chock full of these supplies and more, topped off with a hand written greeting card. Joshua’s troop assembled these together, having fun while learning the deeper issues and reality. Joshua’s project makes a positive difference now for those receiving the tote bags. His Eagle Scout project also makes a difference going forward for those who understanding of daring feats of strength has been deepened by young Joshua’s vision.

Our guests will be receiving these wonderful “care packages”, as Joshua calls them—and they are truly that. Joshua and his Mom pulled up to deliver all these gifts on a cold and rainy Tuesday, 2/20. They’d also packed the car with boxes of food donations that were given to Joshua from private vendors and businesses in support of his project. It doesn’t take “eagle eyes” to see that Joshua’s kind nature has been nurtured by caring parents. I met with Joshua and his Mom and Dad at the beginning of this project and it was clear from the start that this family could see that some of the most severe challenges in today’s world are found in our own cities and neighborhoods. Rather than turning away, they responded with real support to those in need. I had asked Joshua to share a few words about his experience with his Eagle Scout project, and this is what he had to say:

“I first learned of the charitable work of St. Anthony’s a couple of years ago when I had the opportunity to serve meals in the Dining Room as part of a school service learning project. This participation led to subsequent volunteer visits during which I gained further understanding of the plight of some of St. Anthony’s guests. Humbled by my first-hand experience of St. Anthony’s mission of service and compassion, I aspired to find a way to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate than me. I put my dream into action in the form of care packages, continuing a unique St. Anthony’s tradition of personalized hospitality. Containing basic daily necessities of socks and personal hygiene items, as well as candy and an individualized birthday card, these care packages will be presented to the guests of St. Anthony’s on their birthdays. I hope that this small act of kindness will brighten their day and show appreciation for their inherent value and dignity as children of God.

I am really grateful for St. Anthony’s support in allowing me to give this gift of service. I would also be remiss if I did not acknowledge the support of the many who contributed to this undertaking. They include the scouts, parents, and adult leaders of Troop 12, the dental office of Dr. Bruce Newman, and the many vendors from the Travis Air Force Base Commissary and Base Exchange. Without their kind and generous support, my service project would remain just a dream.”

Eagle Scout indeed! … “Raising (others) up on Eagle’s Wings” to borrow from a beautiful song. Thank you, Joshua!

When I first passed through the doors of St. Boniface, I was awestruck with beauty. In every possible direction were ornate stained glass windows, towering marble columns, and sacred relics. All of this illuminated by hundreds of meticulously arranged candles. Yet these weren’t the captivating sights which left me utterly speechless. Honestly, these adornments paled in comparison to one sight which possessed a simple but staggering beauty: the congregate of the homeless peacefully slumbering in the pews.

From 6 a.m to 1 in the afternoon, those who enter the Tenderloin may find refuge in St. Boniface during the daytime hours. Here in these 76 aged wooden pews, those who face the perils of homelessness may finally experience hours of undisturbed sleep. The plain fact is the houseless are often denied rest on a regular basis. This is partly due to the city’s recent ban forbidding individuals to sleep or lay in public walkways, along with many shelters shutting their doors in the daytime.

The Gubbio Project, which started up in the Spring of 2004, seeks to provide the necessity of sleep to those in need. In addition to providing shelter, they distribute blankets, serve food on special days, and offer use of clean restrooms.

Laura Slattery, executive director of the project, spoke with me about our homeless neighbors and the project’s simple mission to care for them. The Gubbio Project’s mission is quite simple,  to do away with one more challenge which the homelss must face- and to bring them peaceful rest in this chaotic world.

Many have wondered why these people have coped with their trauma through substance abuse or apparent self-destructive behaviour. Although Laura Slattery would say you must alter your line of thought and realize this, “We should forget about questioning why the homeless have dealt with life in this way, but rather realize after all they have gone through and seen- what a true miracle it is that they are still here”.

In my wanderings around the church, I visited with a woman by the name of Ivy, a self-proclaimed regular. She lamented on how utterly worn she was from tumultuous events in her life as of late. With every step forward to a better life, the loss of a potential job, depression and struggles with addiction took her back to the starting point. As our conversation was approaching it’s end, she cast a smile upward to the magnificently painted ceiling, and in one perfect moment made all the work of the Gubbio Project worth it, “Despite everything, this is the one place I really have peace”.

Tyler Merkel is a Communications & Digital Media intern at St. Anthony’s

Kelly Six is a service-learning student in the Management & Organizational Dynamics course at the University of San Francisco.  Service-learning students spend a semester at St. Anthony’s doing service, learning about social issues and connecting their experience with their course work.

Going into my Service Learning partnership knowing very little about the St. Anthony’s Foundation, besides a few of the services that it provided for the community, there has been one thing that has stuck out since the beginning that has taught me the most about the foundation. From day one of orientation up until just the other day in a group reflection, the concept of “respect” has come up again and again. One of the top values of the foundation is what guides every action and decision made by the workers, the volunteers and the organization as a whole. This has taught me so much about the type of work that St Anthony’s does, and has been an inspiring lens to look at the world around me and guide the work that I do myself.

On my first day of service, I was asked to work in the front of the store, where the customers walk through to shop for their clothes at the Free Clothing Program. I was there first thing in the morning, which is the portion of the day that they serve the men. The first thing I noticed was that the store-front was clean and organized, exactly how the thrift stores that I shop at look like. Pants were ordered by size, all facing the same way and hung neatly on their hangers; shirts were categorized by style, size and even color in some places; baskets were all neatly piled by the front entrance. This was all done with a high level of respect for the customers. The ease, comfort and advantage of the customer had been carefully considered in each decision that was made about the arrangement of the store.  Furthermore, (and most importantly) the other workers in the store treated the customers like friends. I’ve never seen so many smiles at 8 AM in a “regular” store as I did at the Free Clothing Program. Workers would joke and laugh with customers, do whatever it took to make their mornings easier, and go out of their way to find something a customer was looking for. The customer was highly respected and it was obvious.

While helping customers find the clothes that they wanted, I quickly learned the value of this respect. One man was having trouble picking between two pairs of jeans, in the pants section of the store. I walked up to him and asked him if he needed any help; he looked very distressed. “These jeans are one size too big, and these jeans are perfect, but I hate the color,” he said. “I need new pants, though. I’ll just take the ones that are the right size.”

At first I was going to leave him to that decision. The jeans were fine, because they would fit. But I remembered the word that I had been talking about with my team members, the other people working at the clothing program and my community partner leaders. I realized that it was not just an idea, but a constant way of acting. I decided to put what I had been hearing into action, and be as respectful toward this customer as I could. “No need,” I said. “I can always go check in the back to see if we have any better options.”

I walked into the back of the building and it only took me a few minutes to find several pairs of jeans in his size. I put them on hangers and carried them back out to the man. When I held up the options I had found, his eyes widened in surprise. “You found all those for me?” I nodded to him. “Those,” he said as he pointed to one pair and grinned at me.

At the Free Clothing Program, I have learned that it doesn’t take much extra work to show someone that you respect them and their wishes. I believe that this is why St. Anthony’s is so successful in delivering services to the community. They know that it is worth that extra step to include respect in every action, and that achieving a goal, or making a difference is only worth it if you arrive there the right way: with respect and dignity in everything that you do.

I first came across Suzanne Rivecca’s book Death is Not an Option when a co-worker said to me, “Why haven’t you read Suzanne Rivecca’s book ‘Death is Not an Option’?”

It is an extraordinary collection of short stories filled with everything you would want out of something you would read. And not only is Ms. Rivecca (pictured at right) the sister of our own Colleen Rivecca, Advocacy Coordinator in our Social ACTion program, but she is also a former staff member of St. Anthony’s herself, having worked at SAF as a grant writer.

We at St. Anthony’s have recently discussed starting a writing group as well as a blogging class for our guests, something to enable them to be able to tell their own stories. Ms. Rivecca has been kind enough to assist us with the project. She was also kind enough to answer a few of my questions about her work and her experience at St. Anthony’s.

When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer? And what is it about writing that you enjoy the most? 

I’ve felt compelled to write since I was about 5 years old—as far back as I can remember, actually. There was never any question about it. Writing always felt like a sacred and incorruptible refuge, a mode of expression that was mine alone. It’s an art, but it’s hard for me to intellectualize it and talk about it abstractly, because it’s also such a personal thing and has always felt utterly instinctive. I’ve always been fiercely protective of it.

How did you first become aware of St. Anthony´s?

I started working at St. Anthony’s as a grant writer as soon as I moved to San Francisco, in 2005. I randomly applied for the job, having never worked at a social services organization before, so it was very illuminating for me. When I showed up for the interview, I remember thinking, “Oh, so I guess this is the famous Tenderloin!” So my earliest memories of San Francisco are intertwined with my crash-course introduction to the circumstances of people who are struggling to survive in this city, and doing so with such grace and resilience and hope. My first week at St. Anthony’s was spent visiting each of the programs—the dining room, JEVA, the clothing store, the Madonna residence (which was still operated by SAF then), the Father Alfred Center, the medical clinic—so that I could get a sense of the vision and breadth of the organization and the diversity and range of its guests. And that was one of the most eye-opening weeks of my life. People would tell me “It must be depressing to work in the Tenderloin,” but it never was. Every interaction I had with guests, every time I saw one of the programs in action, I came away feeling uplifted and hopeful.

What do you remember most or enjoy the most about your time here?

One of the things that touched me most about working at SAF was how willing so many of the guests were to tell their stories, and how they were filled with stories that NEEDED to be told. I could relate to that mentality, and I recognized it. Whether it was listening to one of the Fr. Alfred participants tell his story to a roomful of visiting high school kids, or just hearing someone in the dining room talk about the past, I was struck by the compelling urgency of these narratives. It reminded me of why I write. You don’t necessarily need an audience, but you need a platform. You need to carve out enough mental and emotional space to articulate what too often goes unarticulated, invisible, and unacknowledged. Creating a narrative is a way of correcting that imbalance; it tips the balance in favor of truth, dignity, integrity, complexity. That’s why we tell stories, and that’s the impression I got listening to guests tell theirs.

Do you think your experience here or with other non-profits had an impact on your work? And if so, how so?

Definitely. Working at SAF, as well as the nonprofit I work for currently, Homeless Youth Alliance, has informed my writing immeasurably. The collection of stories I’m working on now is about the spectrum of the homelessness issue in San Francisco, and touches on all aspects and all perspectives, from service providers to law enforcement to local government and, of course, to people living on the streets. The misinformation about homeless and low-income people that’s propagated in certain circles needs an antidote. And the truth about this issue isn’t necessarily pretty or simplistically inspiring, but it still needs to be given a voice, because it’s a matter of humanity, of authentic representation. I feel a need to try and do justice, via my work, to the complexity and nuance of this situation. And that’s something that gets lost all too easily in political rhetoric and scapegoating. 

What are your future plans, both in fiction and in the stranger than fiction world we live in?

In addition to working on the story collection I mentioned above,  I’ve been working on a historical novel for the past couple years. It’s coming along. And in January, I’m leaving for what I hope will be a great adventure: living in Budapest, Hungary for an indeterminate amount of time. I’m hoping to finish my second book there and really immerse myself in a fascinating culture.

Susie Reynolds is a service-learning student in the Erasmus Program at the University of San Francisco.  Service-learning students spend a semester at St. Anthony’s doing service, learning about social issues and connecting their experience with their course work. Through the end of the semester, we’ll be posting the reflections of service-learners on this blog.

Hello, my name is Susie Reynolds and I am a sophomore at the University of San Francisco.  I am writing today only having visited St. Anthony Foundation for the first time a week ago and two weeks ago, I had never even heard of the place! But already I feel like I’ve taken a liking to the place.  The social atmosphere between the staff and the guests encourages me to want to get to know as many people as I can so that I can feel part of the St. Anthony’s community as well.  

On Saturday the group of service learners from USF had our orientation at the 150 Golden Gate Ave location.  Angelina, the head of the social ACTion program at St. Anthony’s, started with an interesting activity in which we were asked to reflect upon what we think we already know about the Tenderloin neighborhood, our expectations of what we will see and do at St. Anthony’s, and our hopes for what we will get out of the experience of volunteering over coming months.  Saturday was not my first time in the Tenderloin, however it was my first time in the neighborhood with it being my destination. The result of only passing through on the bus, in a taxi, or walking through briefly on my way to downtown or civic center is that I’ve seen enough to form an initial impression of the neighborhood but otherwise I know very little.  So I put down that what I know about the Tenderloin is that it’s common to see many people hanging out on the streets, what I expect out of volunteering around St. Anthony’s is to interact with a whole range of people, and what I hope to get out of the experience is a better understanding of the problems that are at the source of homelessness, and, to make friends.  

In addition on Saturday we participated in an activity in which we were put into small groups and given a shopping list scenario.  For my group, the situation was that we were feeding a family of two parents, three children, and one person in the family is diabetic.  With $4 and $5 worth of food stamps, we were told to put together a balanced, nutritious meal that met the dietary requirements associated with diabetes.  This proved to be very difficult! Without even taking the money constraints into account, the possible selection was extremely limited due to the fact that the only stores selling “groceries” in the Tenderloin are liquor stores and corner markets. Liquor stores are great for satisfying late night munchies and junk food cravings, but never would I expect to find a proper meal in Bob’s Corner Store or 7-11!  After stopping in five of these stores, our hypothetical meal for that night was hot dogs with wheat bread, canned green beans, zucchini, and dry pinto beans.  I think this is an adequate meal and one I would not object to eating myself, but god only knows what I would eat the next day or the rest of the week.  There were definitely not enough healthy options to provide variety.  Realizing this opened my eyes to why so many of us eat fast food and processed, packaged food.  Healthy food is considerably more expensive, requires more preparation, and in neighborhoods like the Tenderloin, is few and far between.  

Then on Monday I had my first day of service in the Tech Lab at St. Anthony’s!  The class that day was the Intermediate Computer Skills class and it was a small class so I had the chance to learn everyone’s names really fast. The instructor taught us how to use Gmail, Google Docs, Google Calendar, and Google Maps, and the other volunteer and I helped answer individual questions.  I really loved this class, it was a great opportunity to talk the people in the class and learn about them and share stuff about me.  In particular I enjoyed when John went on Google Maps Street View and showed me his old house in Delaware and his new apartment complex in San Francisco.  Street View is an awesome feature of Google Maps and I thought it was a great way to start a conversation about we individually ended up in San Francisco.  Overall I left the class thinking about how great it is that St. Anthony’s offers classes such as the Computer Skills one because it provides the tools that will help people get the job they want and eventually no longer need to depend on St. Anthony’s for the basics. Free meals, clothing, and medical care are entirely necessary for improving the quality of lives of the people who reside in the Tenderloin on a day to day basis, however it’s great that this foundation works to help people through the difficult transition by emphasizing long term improvement like catching up on technology skills.  

So this summarizes my first few days at St. Anthony’s! Tomorrow I will be helping out in the Dining Room serving lunch, and I’m excited to see if I enjoy that as much as my time in the Tech Lab.  I hope to see some familiar faces, meet more people, and continue to broaden my mindset.  My time at St. Anthony’s will continue through April and I’m stoked to see where the next few months in the Tenderloin take me!

Our 3rd annual Scarving Artists drive kicked off with flying colors on October 2nd. Mae Lotito, sister of the late Fr. Floyd Lotito, drove from Southern California to San Francisco in a car loaded with 400 hand knit hats for senior citizens who eat in St. Anthony’s Dining Room. The caps, knit with care by Mae and her cousin Anna Lorenz, are a perfect gift for our guests throughout the foggy and rainy San Francisco winter. Thank you, Mae, for honoring the memory of Fr. Floyd with this act of generosity.

If this story inspires you, we invite you to join our Scarving Artists drive. Whether you knit, crochet, or know someone who does, please help us by donating hats and scarves to low-income and homeless guests who eat at St. Anthony’s. We need scarves in dark or neutral colors for men as well as hats for men, women, and children. Our goal is to collect 3,000 scarves and 2,000 hats as gifts for our guests on Christmas Day.

For information on how you can be a Scarving Artist, click here.

Shannon landed in San Francisco from Zimbabwe in May of 2012.  He had no friends or relatives in the area, had never been to San Francisco, and had only seen the city on a television program and thought it seemed like a nice place to be.  Upon arriving, Shannon found himself utilizing the services at Glide Memorial Church.  After speaking with the staff there and expressing his desire to attain employment, Shannon was pointed in the direction of the Tenderloin Technology Lab (TTL), a partnership between San Francisco Network Ministries and the St. Anthony Foundation.

Shannon arrived at the TTL after searching for jobs door-to-door.  He quickly realized that he would need some computer skills in order to find employment.  After attending the orientation, Shannon took every TTL class that he could—Basic and Intermediate Computer Skills, Introduction to Micro-Labor, and many workshop classes.  He also worked closely with TTL volunteers to build his resume.  With his newly-crafted resume and developed computer skills, Shannon landed a job at a supermarket.  He says that the certificates earned in his courses helped him get the job.

But Shannon yearns for more.  Back in Zimbabwe he worked as an accountant, and he soon hopes to get back into that field.  He is currently enrolled in accounting classes at San Francisco City College.  Shannon says that his computer-based courses are less challenging because he has a strong foundation in computer skills from the TTL.  His story is a great example of the power of computers to transform someone’s life.  In six months, Shannon has built a strong foundation of skills, secured a stable job, and is working to continue his education and his career path. All of us at the TTL are very proud of Shannon’s work and wish him the best in the future.

Megan Trotter is the manager of the Tenderloin Technology Lab.