Christmas Curbside Donation Drive Starts Next Weekend:

Saturday, December 17th – Saturday, December 24th!

St. Anthony’s 24^th Annual Christmas Curbside Donation Drive begins on Saturday, December 17^th. St. Anthony Foundation staff and volunteers, wearing easily identifiable red jackets, will take delivery of food, clothing, and monetary donations at curbside, so donors won’t even have to leave their cars! Donated items are distributed free of charge to San Francisco’s most needy residents.

Your donation of NEW SOCKS, clean and ready-to-wear clothing, canned and dried foods are all much needed and appreciated! And if you’ve been working on hand knit scarves as holiday gifts to our guests, bring them in!

WHEN: December 17th-24th, 2011 – Weekends from 9-3 & Weekdays from 8-6

WHERE: St. Anthony Foundation - 105 Golden Gate @ Jones

NEEDED ITEMS:

Clothing
We need all kinds of clothing for men, women, and children – our most critical needs are for the following items:

Socks, Shoes
Underwear
Winter coats
Jackets
Hats

Monetary Donations

St. Anthony’s is happy to accept cash or checks for donation during Curbside and is prepared to issue receipts onsite for tax purposes.

ITEMS WE CANNOT ACCEPT:

Empty clothes hangers
Knick knacks
Used toys
Children’s car seats
Furniture
Medical equipment
Dirty, stained or torn items
Books and magazines
Exercise/sports equipment
Housewares
Computers, electronics

If you have any questions about donations, please call us at (415) 241-2600.

And in case you’d like to volunteer and join us for the holidays, call the St. Anthony Holiday Line at 415-592-2829. We look forward to seeing you!

Venita is a senior in the Tenderloin who is raising her 6 year old grandson, who this year will start first grade. Tran, another Tenderloin resident and single parent, is helping his 9 year old son get ready for the new school year as well. While back-to-school time is exciting for both families, it is also a time when the added expenses of school clothes and supplies can create an added economic strain. A list of school supplies expected from students and parents including binder paper, notebooks, book covers and pencils, in addition to classroom supplies such as tissue paper, copy paper and Band-Aids, often come from the teacher weeks before school begins. Not having a second income to rely on in a tumbling economy, or enough from a primary income to cover basic necessities, the free backpacks offered to neighborhood children by St. Anthony Foundation come right on time. According to the last census (2000), single parents account for 27 percent of family households with children under 18; it is anticipated that number will increase in the 2010 census.

With one of the citys highest concentrations of children and some of the lowest income levels, Tenderloin children have many challenges to accessing basic needs such as education, healthy food, and school supplies. To help students and parents work together on building a successful school year, St. Anthony Foundation handed out free backpacks filled with dictionaries, notebooks, and school supplies to neighborhood children in St. Anthonys Green Services Building located at 150 Golden Gate Avenue in San Francisco on August 27, 2009. Single parent families were on site to share their stories of single parenting in the Tenderloin, and how critical social services support is for filling in the gaps for their children.

The backpacks ranged in colors, sizes, and shapes, as did the students who received them. The backpacks were donated by groups or individuals through Family Giving Tree and Raft, and were filled with school supplies.

Venita is a senior in the Tenderloin who is raising her 6 year old grandson, who this year will start first grade. Tran, another Tenderloin resident and single parent, is helping his 9 year old son get ready for the new school year as well. While back-to-school time is exciting for both families, it is also a time when the added expenses of school clothes and supplies can create an added economic strain. A list of school supplies expected from students and parents including binder paper, notebooks, book covers and pencils, in addition to classroom supplies such as tissue paper, copy paper and Band-Aids, often come from the teacher weeks before school begins. Not having a second income to rely on in a tumbling economy, or enough from a primary income to cover basic necessities, the free backpacks offered to neighborhood children by St. Anthony Foundation come right on time. According to the last census (2000), single parents account for 27 percent of family households with children under 18; it is anticipated that number will increase in the 2010 census.

With one of the city’s highest concentrations of children and some of the lowest income levels, Tenderloin children have many challenges to accessing basic needs such as education, healthy food, and school supplies. To help students and parents work together on building a successful school year, St. Anthony Foundation will hand out free backpacks filled with dictionaries, notebooks, and school supplies to neighborhood children in St. Anthony’s Green Services Building located at 150 Golden Gate Avenue in San Francisco on August 27, 2009 at 5pm. Single parent families will be on site to share their story of single parenting in the Tenderloin, and how critical social services support is for filling in the gaps for their children.

The backpacks range in colors, sizes, and shapes, as will the students who receive them. The backpacks are donated by groups or individuals through Family Giving Tree and Raft, and are filled with school supplies.

No matter your stance on the health care debates being held country-wide, one thing is certain: insurance is expensive and far too many people are going without necessary care.

When deciding between immediate needs of shelter and food, or paying utilities and transportation costs to work, or for kids back and forth to school, paying the extra expense of health care can fall to the wayside.  This is especially dangerous for families and individuals who are on the brink of making ends meet, when one accident, one illness can mean the difference between paying bills or going into default, having electricity cut or even being put on the streets.  In 2007, 62% of bankruptcies were due to medical bills, a 49% increase since 2001, according to the American Journal of Medicine.  In 1981 only 8% of bankruptcies were attributed to medical bills.

At St. Anthony Free Medical Clinic, we care for 3,500 low-income or homeless patients who rely on our preventative and critical care.  In the coming year we anticipate this number vastly increasing, as state funding for Medi-Cal was cut by $323 million, and the Healthy Families program has stopped enrolling eligible children.  More than 12,000 children in San Francisco alone (942,000 state-wide) rely on Healthy Families for their regular check-ups, for emergency care, and medication.  In September disenrollment of these children will begin.

No matter our political stances, I hope we can all appreciate the need for change.  A system that perpetuates costly acute emergency care and puts affordable preventative medical care out of reach does not serve the individual, the family or the community as a whole.

Wednesday marked my 3 year anniversary of moving to the west coast. Exactly three years ago, I hugged my family goodbye at the Philadelphia airport and hopped on a plane, bound for San Jose. Other than a short stint Down Under while studying abroad, I had never spent more than a few weeks away from my hometown. Now I was on my way to California for my orientation to the Jesuit Volunteer Corps before moving to Phoenix, Arizona where I was to spend my year in service to the poor. As is the case with most life-altering experiences, I had no idea how the course of my life would be changed through my one short year as a volunteer. (more…)

As they struggle to make ends meet, Patricia and her family get the medical attention they need at the St. Anthony Free Medical Clinic.

Like any mother, Patricia wants the best for her children. She lives in a small Tenderloin apartment with her husband, Isaac, and their five children. The day-to-day struggles of making rent, taking care of the children, and putting food on the table have gotten more and more difficult; lately, it has been hard enough just to get by.

Four months ago, Isaac was laid off from his job as a cook at a local restaurant. He recently picked up part-time work with another restaurant, but at three days per week the hours are not enough to make a living, much less provide for a family of seven. Isaac is ineligible for unemployment because he is working; yet he does not work enough to qualify for employee benefits, and his paycheck is not enough to support the family.

A sustainable income for a family of four in San Francisco is approximately $60,000 per year– drastically more than Isaac earns working part-time. The cuts to Isaac’s salary have made it extremely difficult for the family to afford basic necessities like food, rent, healthcare, and clothing for their children. Last month they had to take out a loan to pay the rent, which they are now repaying, $15 each month.

Now more than ever, Patricia and Isaac have been reaching out to community resources like St. Anthony Free Medical Clinic to provide stability and help get them through these difficult times. Located just down the block from their apartment, the Clinic is one of San Francisco’s oldest and largest free medical clinics and the sole provider of free pediatric care in the neighborhood. Each year, the Clinic cares for more than 3,500 uninsured poor and homeless patients. With the city’s skyrocketing unemployment rates and an exceedingly high cost of living, it is no wonder more and more families are turning to St. Anthony’s and other community clinics for their medical care. More than 80,000 San Franciscans lack health insurance, a number that will likely rise as unemployed or underemployed families lose employer-based medical coverage. At the same time, city-wide budget cuts have reduced the availability of other safety net services for families most in need. For uninsured families like Isaac and Patricia’s, the Clinic is a lifeline.

Patricia learned of the Clinic from a friend. “I didn’t know where to go for medical attention. A friend of mine said ‘I know where to take you, I know of a medical clinic where they’ll see you for free.’” The Clinic has become a lifesaver for the family. Dr. Katy Broner provides primary care, immunizations, and well-child checks, and helps them access the Clinic’s range of specialty care like allergy treatment and podiatry. The Clinic’s onsite pharmacy and dispensary allows them to pick up their medications, free of charge, without having to travel across town.

The Clinic has also been a point of entry for other St. Anthony’s services. Dr. Broner has referred Patricia to St. Anthony’s Free Clothing Program for help obtaining school clothes for her children, and to the Social Work Center to consult with a social worker about rental assistance. “I know if I need something, I come here. I know the doctors will take care of me,” Patricia says. “Whatever problem I have, I always come looking for Dr. Broner.”

Isaac continues his search for full-time work. Patricia, always with her children’s success in mind, has begun taking English classes to help them with their schoolwork.

With a restored sense of stability, Patricia is hopeful for the future and grateful for the sense of community that she finds in the Clinic.

“I know a lot of people affected by the economic crisis and am glad that I can come here. It’s the only place I know of where people without any money can still get medical attention.”

The recent scare of Swine Flu, and it’s possible fatal consequences, has lead to a panic among office workers, food industry workers and many other occupations that put people in close contact with one another.  Workers have been advised to stay home, parents forced to find childcare for days and sometimes more than a week when confirmed cases are reported at their children’s schools.

For many however, calling in sick is not an option. Swine Flu serves as one broad example of the pervasive problem that so many low-income and underemployed workers face. For the 49% of workers without paid sick days calling in does not only mean losing income, but could mean losing their jobs. Additionally, for families who do not have the extra money to for childcare have to choose between leaving their children unsupervised or losing a day’s pay and possibly jeopardizing their jobs to stay home and look after them.

Swine Flu is just one example of this problem which manifests in many ways. Low-income families often have to make difficult decisions that affect their families health and stability: deciding what bills to pay when money is tight, what groceries to buy knowing that what is most nutritious is not usually what is most affordable, and even having to decide what medicines can and cannot be afforded.

St. Anthony Foundation’s network of programs provide services that help support families through unstable times and the educational tools and resources to help parents make the most beneficial choices possible when faced with these tough decisions.

In case you didn’t know, March is National Women’s History Month.

“Women are capable of forging lasting change, starting with their families, then transforming entire communities and beyond,” states an op-ed piece co-authored by President/CEOs of three leading women’s funds, ”We know that when women are economically secure, families are economically secure and, ultimately, so are communities and nations.”

A few facts for thought:

Since 1956 St. Anthony Foundation’s Madonna Residence has provided low-income and homeless senior women the stability and support to restore their health and build community.

In California, women make up 68 percent of minimum- wage workers, making them especially vulnerable.

Annually 1,400 uninsured women rely on St. Anthony Free Medical Clinic for their health needs.

St. Anthony Dining Room has seen a 10% increase in families coming for lunch service.

In the United States, the subprime mortgage crisis is taking a higher toll on women: 32 percent of women borrowers hold sub-prime mortgages, compared with 24 percent of men.

5,500 women and 16,000 families recieved free like-new clothing from St. Anthony’s Clothing and Housewares Program.

As we observe this month learning about the amazing women who have helped build our rich city, state and national history, let’s also remember the many women who everyday are struggling to create a new legacy and history for themselves and their families.

You’ve run out of ideas. You’ve run out of time. You have time to shop, but not time to think.  Is there such a thing as knowing someone too long? Relationships grow richer as years pass, but that doesn’t necessarily apply to presents.

Your idealistic friend, family member, honorary aunt or uncle may appreciate a a gift to St. Anthony Foundation in his or her honor. We’ve just had beautiful new cards designed; they open up almost like a present.

Does your loved one live or have they ever lived in San Francisco? Do they worry about poor people, hungry people, underfunded veterans, seniors alone in the world? Are they thinking of someone struggling with an addiction or a psychiatric disability?

A gift to St. Anthony’s may have more meaning for them than anything you can find in a store.

It’s simple. Make a donation by mail or on line. Include the name and address of the person being honored and the occasion you’re honoring: birthday, graduation, anniversary. You get a letter acknowledging your gift. Your loved one gets the card shown here, informing them that you’ve give a gift on the occasion they are celebrating.

Money can’t buy love, but love can transform money into health, hope, and human dignity. And that can transform lives.

St. Anthony Foundation advocates for public policies that will promote nutrition and healthy eating for all, regardless of income.  We were very excited that two of the anti-hunger bills that we’ve supported for years were signed into law in 2008.

New Anti-Hunger Bills

AB 433 removes the asset test for Food  Stamp applicants.  This means that low-income families with savings or retirement accounts worth more than $2,000 will no longer be denied Food Stamps.  The passage of this bill is timely: since the bill was signed this fall, California’s unemployment rate has climbed steadlily.  AB 433 will help newly-unemployed families afford food without depleting their savings.

AB 2300 is an important step forward in helping reduce paperwork burdens on low-income families.  AB 2300 allows families who are already  enrolled in Medi-Cal (the state’s Medicaid program) to enroll their children (and maintain enrollment) in free school meals without additional paperwork.

More work ahead in 2009

During this economic downturn, a lot of political energy will be spent on figuring out how to stimulate the economy.  Economists of all stripes believe that increasing access to Food Stamps is one of the most effective ways to do this.    Not only do Food Stamps allow struggling families to put nutritious food on the table, they create a multiplier effect in local economies, with each dollar of food stamps generating $1.84 in economic activity.  This economic activity not only helps grocers and growers, but also state and local governments.

Join us for Hunger Action Day!

St. Anthony Foundation will be working with anti-hunger groups from across the state to urge our Sacramento legislators to help improve access to the Food Stamp program by:

• Simplifying the food stamp application process.
• Enacting reforms that will allow more low income single adults to access Food Stamps.
• Making it possible for more persons in drug/alcohol recovery programs to access Food Stamps and decrease the likelihood of recidivism.

Hunger Action Day will be on Wednesday May 20, 2009.  If you’d like to join St. Anthony Foundation in advocating for anti-hunger legislation at Hunger Action Day, contact Colleen Rivecca at crivecca@stanthonysf.org.