Google volunteers swarmed St.Anthony’s today! They worked tirelessly serving meals and helping out at our Free Clothing Program. Thanks for the great work!

With Labor Day passing we can now hope that the season of fall will bring San Francisco some summer weather. One thing we know for certain as we move forward is the Tenderloin Tech Lab will be hosting it’s quarterly Tech Fair on Saturday, September 25th. Beginning this week you will see fliers and postings about the event. It is always a big hit that brings out a number of volunteers, the entire staff, and many residents of the Tenderloin.

This time around we are teaching 4 classes, an increase from the 2 classes we traditionally have taught. The classes will be on Facebook, Craigslist, Yola, and Google. We will have professionals who work at Yola teaching and we hope to get some more employees from the aforementioned companies to help teach the courses.

In addition we will have individuals from Reliatech to repair computers, free of charge. Normally they are able to diagnose and/or repair between 25-40 computers. Both space and time is limited, so be sure to sign up for your spot in advanced, for both computer repair and any classes you are interested in. You can do so by e-mailing us at frontdesk@tenderlointechnologylab.org or calling, 415-592-2766.

We look forward to seeing new faces at the Tenderloin Tech Lab, so save the date 9/25/2010 @ 10AM

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.

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.

What’s better than Google coming to volunteer in the Tenderloin Tech Lab during Google Serve Week? Google coming twice! The team arrived again on Friday, June 11th to lend a hand serving meals, visiting elders, and of course helping in the Tenderloin Tech Lab. Your care and compassion as a volunteers shines through. At St. Anthony Foundation volunteerism is always celebrated, remembered and valued.

On Tuesday, June 8th, 2010, students at the Tenderloin Tech Lab got a V.I.P. tutoring session with twenty of Google’s finest employees. For the second year in a row, the Tenderloin Tech Lab hosted GoogleServe, a week dedicated to introducing Google employees to the myriad opportunities for community service in the Bay Area. Twenty Google volunteers returned to the Tenderloin Tech Lab to provide a hands-on training to residents of Fr. Alfred Center, a year-long drug and alcohol rehabilitation program run by St. Anthony Foundation. Google volunteers worked one-on-one with residents to show them first hand how Google and other internet sites can bring them a little closer to finding their dream job. The Tenderloin Tech Lab, a partnership between St. Anthony Foundation and San Francisco Network Ministries, offers classes six days a week to help bridge the digital divide for homeless and low-income residents of San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood. With the help of Google volunteers, we showed first hand how a ‘Google Search’ may make just the difference in opening up a virtual world of possibility.

Earlier this month, Silicon Valley’s very own Google came by to volunteer during a day of computer repairs and training at St. Anthony’s Tenderloin Tech Lab.

St. Anthony Foundation has had the privilege of partnering with members of the corporate community for many years. We have worked with a variety of corporate service projects from company wide service days to individual volunteers offering time and professional skills through their company. Corporate volunteers have served meals in our Dining Room, planted gardens in our residential programs, conducted mock interviews in our Employment Program and hosted bingo games at our senior center.

To inquire about your company partnering with St. Anthony Foundation contact the Justice Education/Volunteer Advocacy Manager, Angelina Cahalan, at abcahalan@stanthonysf.org or (415) 592-2727.

Employees of Google, the Silicon Valley internet giant, are crossing the chasm to help their Bay Area neighbors by hosting a Neighborhood Computer Help Day in San Francisco’s Tenderloin. On Thursday, June 11th, from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., Google employees will be volunteering to teach classes and do one-on-one tutoring with homeless and economically challenged participants of the Tenderloin Tech Lab, a collaboration between St. Anthony Foundation and Network Ministries. This is reflective of the trend that St. Anthony Foundation volunteer program is seeing, of more and more technologically savvy Bay Area residents reaching out to share their skills with the disenfranchised.

“Today’s economic crisis is running counterpoint to the technological crisis in areas like the Tenderloin, where the decreasing number of resources and services are forcing people to be more savvy about their survival. Technological access is proving to be the unlikely thread that is holding marginalized people together by connecting them to information, services, and each other,” noted Karl Robillard, Manager, of St. Anthony Foundation’s Employment Program & Technology Lab. “The interesting thing is that as the technological literacy of the poor and marginalized community is increasing, so is the interest in skilled technology volunteers, such as the employees of Google. This parallel reflects an unprecedented possibility of a narrowing technological chasm in the face of bleak economic times. That in and of itself is remarkable.”

ST. ANTHONY FOUNDATION

Since 1950 St. Anthony Foundation has addressed root causes of poverty with compassion. St. Anthony Foundation’s programs offer gateways to escaping poverty by addressing immediate needs such as hunger and clothing, as well as long term needs such as employment, drug and alcohol addiction, and physical and mental health. St. Anthony Foundation does not accept any federal, state, or local government money, and is entirely funded by private donations.

WHEN: Thursday, June 11th, 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

WHAT: Google’s Technology Day in the Tenderloin

WHERE: Tenderloin Tech Lab, 150 Golden Gate Ave @ Leavenworth, 3rd Floor, San Francisco