Our longtime volunteer and dear friend, Jewel Ramsey, died a couple of  weeks ago. Ramsey, as he preferred to be known, was a stroke victim who simply refused to be put on the shelf. For many years, in spite of his paralysis, he was the energetic, enthusiastic, cheerful semi-official paper shredder and recycler for most of the work units at 121 Golden Gate. His obsession with the Oakland Raiders and his annual, repeated reminders that his birthday was approaching were part of the charm that endeared him to all of us.

Two years ago, when Ramsey didn’t show up to volunteer, two St. Anthony’s employees went to check on him, around the corner at Civic Center Residence (44 McAllister). They found him leveled by a new and devastating stroke. It erased most of his memory, including that of his favorite black & silver-clad football team across the Bay. After some weeks at SF General, Ramsey was transferred to a great residential care facility (Victorian Manor at 1444 McAllister). When we would visit him there, it was a challenge for him to remember who we were. But we were all relieved to observe what great care he was receiving, and that no stroke could squelch his sunny disposition.

So . one final reminder. RAMSEY’S BIRTHDAY IS COMING UP, two weeks from today on Friday, March 27th. We’ll remember him and celebrate the way we used to, with a Ramsey Birthday Breakfast. (Details to follow.) As Ramsey would have said: “You know it! You know it!”

“That’s what I’m talkin’ about!” And, “Fitz, that’s cold!”

Holidays at St. Anthony Foundation can be hectic endurance events. Now that we can stop for breath, we’re looking back with real pleasure at the generosity our friends showed during the festival of light.  

Before Thanksgiving, the Ramallah Club (well, actually the American Ramallah Federation and Education Fund) donated more than 4,000 pounds of turkey.  They arrived in the vendor’s truck promptly at 9:00 AM on the opening day of our Curbside Holiday Donation Drive and all but ended our turkey drive at the start. (But of course, we can always use the food.) Their message: Happy Holidays – The Palestinian American Community.

On Christmas Day, there were gift bags for everyone who came to eat in the Dining Room, donated and assembled by a team from Gymboree.  State Fund came to prepare something for the children. And several corporate teams, as well as our individual supporters, unloaded and sorted food and clothing as it arrived at our Curbside Drive.

Volunteers and donors all gave us the impression that they are just as concerned about their low-income neighbors in hard times as they are about themselves. It’s enough to restore anyone’s faith in people. 

The Economic Crisis has made this Holiday Season especially tough for many. St. Anthony Volunteer Elena Anaya and UCSF Professor Judith Moskowitz talk to KTVU’s Ross McGowan on how giving time and money can relieve Holiday Stress.

“There’s no such thing as us and them. There’s no them. It’s all us.” This is one of the things that the JEVA (Justice Education, Volunteers, and Advocacy) department tells volunteers during the introduction to our work at St. Anthony’s. One of the most profound things that our volunteers experience is the reality of the common humanity among all people, regardless of income, disability status, or age.  Every time I think about this phrase, I am reminded of a story that I’ve heard many times …

It was around 1910 when his parents decided to come to America. They knew that their future in southern Italy was bleak. All they had ever known was poverty. Neither his mother nor his father could read or write Italian, and neither could speak English. Yet, when they heard of an American textile company that could offer employment, they decided to leave everything they’d ever known to come to the United States. It’s impossible to know whether they realized that they’d never see Italy or their parents again. They probably didn’t allow themselves to think about such things — they realized that the best chance for their family’s survival depended on their ability to make the 2-week long sea voyage from Italy to New York. As the date of their voyage drew closer, they surely, as they had many times during past uncertainty and strife, they prayed to St. Anthony for help, strength, and comfort.

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