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In the midst of continued crisis, we’re asking you to stand with us – the power of connection…
All of us at Hospitality House are immensely grateful for the continued outpouring of support from so many of you throughout the year. Our communities continue to grapple with the COVID-19 crisis - as well as the inter-generational effects of poverty, homelessness, and racism. Throughout San Francisco and beyond, ordinary people have demonstrated extraordinary courage, remarkable resilience, and inspiring mutuality. Your support, your generosity, your belief – the power of connection is needed more than ever.
Earlier this year, we noted that Hospitality House responded to unforeseen challenges in unexpected ways: keeping programs open while keeping community members and our staff safe; pushing City leaders to invest in alternative housing while reducing capacity in congregate shelters, including our own; and supporting struggling artists while limiting availability of our own free fine arts studio – the only one in San Francisco. All these choices had consequences, every decision presented challenges, even while the demands increased exponentially.
At Hospitality House, shared struggle can be transformative – the power of humanity…
When Hospitality House needed masks, gloves and hygiene supplies to help community residents and our own essential workers protect themselves and their families – you responded. We’ve distributed thousands of masks, sanitizers, and personal hygiene kits, all because of you: donors, community partners, dedicated volunteers from across the City and throughout California. From individuals donating hand-sewn cloth masks to organized volunteer networks distributing hundreds of care packages citywide – you strengthened our belief in each other in time of need.
When dozens of low-income community artists struggled to rekindle their creative talents and make ends meet as the local economy ground to a halt, you responded with remarkable generosity. You helped make this year’s THHE Auction 2020 – Hospitality House’s first-ever online art auction event - a huge success. Your generosity reaffirmed how creative connection strengthens community connection, especially in a crisis.
All of us at Hospitality House are immensely grateful for the continued outpouring of support from so many of you throughout the year. Our communities continue to grapple with the COVID-19 crisis - as well as the inter-generational effects of poverty, homelessness, and racism. Throughout San Francisco and beyond, ordinary people have demonstrated extraordinary courage, remarkable resilience, and inspiring mutuality. Your support, your generosity, your belief – the power of connection is needed more than ever.
Earlier this year, we noted that Hospitality House responded to unforeseen challenges in unexpected ways: keeping programs open while keeping community members and our staff safe; pushing City leaders to invest in alternative housing while reducing capacity in congregate shelters, including our own; and supporting struggling artists while limiting availability of our own free fine arts studio – the only one in San Francisco. All these choices had consequences, every decision presented challenges, even while the demands increased exponentially.
At Hospitality House, shared struggle can be transformative – the power of humanity…
When Hospitality House needed masks, gloves and hygiene supplies to help community residents and our own essential workers protect themselves and their families – you responded. We’ve distributed thousands of masks, sanitizers, and personal hygiene kits, all because of you: donors, community partners, dedicated volunteers from across the City and throughout California. From individuals donating hand-sewn cloth masks to organized volunteer networks distributing hundreds of care packages citywide – you strengthened our belief in each other in time of need.
When dozens of low-income community artists struggled to rekindle their creative talents and make ends meet as the local economy ground to a halt, you responded with remarkable generosity. You helped make this year’s THHE Auction 2020 – Hospitality House’s first-ever online art auction event - a huge success. Your generosity reaffirmed how creative connection strengthens community connection, especially in a crisis.
On the eve of the City’s first outbreak of COVID-19, Hospitality House joined with our local Supervisor and the SF United Methodist Mission to become the City’s first adult shelter to move nearly 20 guests from our congregate shelter to safe hotel rooms with private baths. This collective community response undoubtedly saved lives, inspired hope when our community needed it, and reaffirmed our humanity when it mattered.
Investing in our staff, in civic engagement, in solutions to homelessness - the power of community…
As we envision a brighter future, we’re making bolder, deeper investments today, including:
Thank you for teaching us that the deeper the challenge, the more vital the commitment, the more dramatic the transformation. We thank you for celebrating the power of connection, and reaffirming the power of the human spirit to triumph in the worst of times. Thank you for showing us that there’s no action too small to make a big difference in someone’s life.
Thank you for investing in Hospitality House. Rebuilding Lives. Celebrating Creativity. Strengthening Community.
With gratitude and appreciation,
Joseph T. Wilson
Executive Director
Investing in our staff, in civic engagement, in solutions to homelessness - the power of community…
As we envision a brighter future, we’re making bolder, deeper investments today, including:
- Hospitality House staff have demonstrated commitment and resolve throughout this unprecedented crisis. But commitment to the community requires more than praise - essential workers deserve essential investments. This year Hospitality House raised salaries and launched an employer-sponsored retirement plan for the first time in its 50-plus year history. We’re encouraging staff to invest in their future, by investing in them - today. And tomorrow.
- For the first time ever, the Department of Elections has selected Hospitality House to host a polling location to encourage greater civic participation. Working class communities often feel disconnected from the democratic process – we hope that increased voter registration and voter education will help stimulate voter participation. We’re excited to join several organizational partners in harnessing the power of community – with future implications for meaningful civic engagement in low-income communities.
- At the City’s urging, we suspended operations of our small congregate shelter, and transitioned into staffing and operating a 65-room Shelter-In-Place (SIP) Hotel for COVID-19 vulnerable residents, 24-hours daily, seven days per week. This significant undertaking will allow Hospitality House to demonstrate the potential of our peer-based, trauma-informed, community-building model – and potential best practices for San Francisco’s human services field.
Thank you for teaching us that the deeper the challenge, the more vital the commitment, the more dramatic the transformation. We thank you for celebrating the power of connection, and reaffirming the power of the human spirit to triumph in the worst of times. Thank you for showing us that there’s no action too small to make a big difference in someone’s life.
Thank you for investing in Hospitality House. Rebuilding Lives. Celebrating Creativity. Strengthening Community.
With gratitude and appreciation,
Joseph T. Wilson
Executive Director
