IN THE HOUSE
The latest happenings at Hospitality House - April 2020 Issue
The Healing Power Of Community
A message from Executive Director Joe Wilson
On behalf of the staff, board and volunteers of Hospitality House, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for the incredible outpouring of generosity and mutual aid during the COVID-19 crisis.
So many new friends and supporters across the City and beyond who opened their hearts to us - giving of themselves, their time, and their talents to share with others.
A reminder of the healing power of community...
Thank you...
Matt Nathanson
Kevin McCracken
HH Board of Directors (Jeanie Bunker, Elaine Go, Monique Zmuda, Maria Rocchio, Marissa D'Orazio, Brad Cerutti, Amber Cavarlez, Jesse Johnson, Tan Sirinumas)
Sunny Angulo aka Sunita
Green Releaf Collection
Star Vixen
Song- Song Liao
Maureen Shields
Rhoda Hill & Vang Yang
Dr. Herbert Chiu and Dental Gloves on Sale, Inc.
Piper and Sugey
Ben and Pam Tau Lee, Susanna Kerstholt-Molloy, and Vida Kuang
Sophia Small & The Mask Makers
Sherri Lu
COVID-19 Relief Bay Area Task Force
EO Products
Azalina's
Salesforce
The Sunday Family
Walker Allen & Taste Catering
West of Pecos
Marykate Connor
Patricia & Tylia Ayala
Taqueria El Buen Sabor
Leslie & Merle Rabine
Alanna Zrimsek & Morton Levin
The amazing Sandy Weil & Marissa D'Orazio
A very special thank you to Supervisor Haney and the Reverend Staci Current and San Francisco United Methodist Missions for valuing homeless people's safety and health during the COVID-19 crisis.
So many new friends and supporters across the City and beyond who opened their hearts to us - giving of themselves, their time, and their talents to share with others.
A reminder of the healing power of community...
Thank you...
Matt Nathanson
Kevin McCracken
HH Board of Directors (Jeanie Bunker, Elaine Go, Monique Zmuda, Maria Rocchio, Marissa D'Orazio, Brad Cerutti, Amber Cavarlez, Jesse Johnson, Tan Sirinumas)
Sunny Angulo aka Sunita
Green Releaf Collection
Star Vixen
Song- Song Liao
Maureen Shields
Rhoda Hill & Vang Yang
Dr. Herbert Chiu and Dental Gloves on Sale, Inc.
Piper and Sugey
Ben and Pam Tau Lee, Susanna Kerstholt-Molloy, and Vida Kuang
Sophia Small & The Mask Makers
Sherri Lu
COVID-19 Relief Bay Area Task Force
EO Products
Azalina's
Salesforce
The Sunday Family
Walker Allen & Taste Catering
West of Pecos
Marykate Connor
Patricia & Tylia Ayala
Taqueria El Buen Sabor
Leslie & Merle Rabine
Alanna Zrimsek & Morton Levin
The amazing Sandy Weil & Marissa D'Orazio
A very special thank you to Supervisor Haney and the Reverend Staci Current and San Francisco United Methodist Missions for valuing homeless people's safety and health during the COVID-19 crisis.
A (Not So) Silent Spring
First in a series of essays by Joe Wilson. Artwork by Robert Chambers.
Artwork above by Txutxo Perez
Nearly 60 years ago, the late Rachel Carson’s monumental work, Silent Spring, called out the intergenerational dangers of indiscriminate use of pesticides – poisoning our land, our food, and our children. Carson’s work helped ignite the global environmental movement, and stands as a fervent reminder of the power of using one’s voice for good. The COVID-19 pandemic has pulled back the curtain on much of the racism, injustice, and inequity in America – indeed in San Francisco - that we’ve struggled against for generations.
We can no longer be silent – not this Spring.
The recent COVID-19 outbreak at MSC-South, not only the City’s largest shelter but the largest in Northern California, should be a long overdue wake up call. For years, we’ve ignored the dangers of large, congregate shelters with 300-plus person capacities – shamelessly warehousing the poor in self-contained incubators of despair and disease. Each day, perhaps hour by hour, our collective humanity is whittled away, piece by piece, while our leaders weigh economic indicators, predictive models, and cost benefit analyses against the latest coroner’s reports. Six months ago, people experiencing homelessness were last in line. Today, they are still last in line.
We can no longer be silent – not this Spring.
Poverty is unjust. Poverty kills. Poverty is preventable. Poverty stifles dreams and limits possibilities, and cuts to heart of who we claim to be as a society. For years, medical professionals have publicly asserted that adequate housing is essential for adequate health. Homelessness and poverty lead to poor health, physical deterioration, and compromised immune systems. Each homeless people are on the wait list for shelter. For decades, San Francisco activists and faith leaders have held Homeless Deaths’ Memorials, to say their names, honor their memories. Generations of sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers - all died without a place to call their own, except a coffin.
We can no longer be silent – not this Spring.
At some point, our lives will return to some semblance of normal, we will be able to enjoy the sunlight again, without fear of getting too close to one another. We look to the artists, the dreamers, the culture-keepers and poet warriors, to remind us of what has transpired. We can no longer allow ourselves to pretend that injustice is acceptable. The twin pillars of race and class inequity, along with the systematic dismantling of our public institutions across multiple systems – are leaving casualties scattered across the global landscape. Making poverty palatable is not what we in the human services field signed up for - we can choose a different path. We cannot go back to what was. We must not.
We can no longer be silent – Not. One. More. Spring.
We can no longer be silent – not this Spring.
The recent COVID-19 outbreak at MSC-South, not only the City’s largest shelter but the largest in Northern California, should be a long overdue wake up call. For years, we’ve ignored the dangers of large, congregate shelters with 300-plus person capacities – shamelessly warehousing the poor in self-contained incubators of despair and disease. Each day, perhaps hour by hour, our collective humanity is whittled away, piece by piece, while our leaders weigh economic indicators, predictive models, and cost benefit analyses against the latest coroner’s reports. Six months ago, people experiencing homelessness were last in line. Today, they are still last in line.
We can no longer be silent – not this Spring.
Poverty is unjust. Poverty kills. Poverty is preventable. Poverty stifles dreams and limits possibilities, and cuts to heart of who we claim to be as a society. For years, medical professionals have publicly asserted that adequate housing is essential for adequate health. Homelessness and poverty lead to poor health, physical deterioration, and compromised immune systems. Each homeless people are on the wait list for shelter. For decades, San Francisco activists and faith leaders have held Homeless Deaths’ Memorials, to say their names, honor their memories. Generations of sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers - all died without a place to call their own, except a coffin.
We can no longer be silent – not this Spring.
At some point, our lives will return to some semblance of normal, we will be able to enjoy the sunlight again, without fear of getting too close to one another. We look to the artists, the dreamers, the culture-keepers and poet warriors, to remind us of what has transpired. We can no longer allow ourselves to pretend that injustice is acceptable. The twin pillars of race and class inequity, along with the systematic dismantling of our public institutions across multiple systems – are leaving casualties scattered across the global landscape. Making poverty palatable is not what we in the human services field signed up for - we can choose a different path. We cannot go back to what was. We must not.
We can no longer be silent – Not. One. More. Spring.
Hospitality House Leading the Way
Photos above by Nick Otto as part of 4/8/20 story by SF Chronicle Columnist Heather Knight (see listing below)
On Saturday, April 4th, Hospitality House became the first shelter in San Francisco to move its single adult residents into vacant private hotel rooms in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to support from District 6 Supervisor Matt Haney and a generous donation of $100,000 from the United Methodist Church, 19 of the 25 residents found sanctuary in individual hotel rooms equipped with their own private bathroom.
"This is a concrete expression that their lives matter to us," said Joe Wilson, Hospitality House's executive director, "People don't lose their humanity because of their economic condition. Once we get on the other side of this crisis, we are going to have to take a hard look at what we've become in this society."
Check out the extensive media coverage below and follow as the drama of the crisis unfolded.
MARCH 25th - Mission Local story by Joe Eskenazi
"COVID-19: San Francisco homeless shelter operators, not yet systematically checking residents for symptoms, say they lack guidance and equipment"
APRIL 6th - Mission Local story by Joe Eskenazi
"Exodus: Hospitality House residents relocate to hotel, as COVID-19 cases crop up in other shelters - and plan to move homeless to Moscone West comes under fire"
APRIL 6th - KRON4 News coverage by Kate Rooney & Catherine Heenan
"San Francisco Supervisors make steps to protect homeless population from spread of COVID-19"
APRIL 8th - Story by San Francisco Chronicle's Columnist Heather Knight
"SF City Hall was ahead of the curve in its coronavirus response. So why is it now failing the homeless?"
APRIL 10th - Mission Local story by Joe Eskinazi
COVID-19: City instructs homeless providers to keep hotel rooms empty — while families live in cars or on the street
APRIL 14th - KALW 91.7fm radio show "Your Call" hosted by Rose Aguilar
"SF Moves Unhoused People Into Hotel Rooms After A Major Outbreak; How are Other Cities Responding?"
APRIL 20th - KCBS Radio news segment by Kathy Novak
"Dexter's Place"
APRIL 20th - California Healthline story by Brian Krans
San Francisco Quick To Fight COVID-19, Slow To Help Homeless
"This is a concrete expression that their lives matter to us," said Joe Wilson, Hospitality House's executive director, "People don't lose their humanity because of their economic condition. Once we get on the other side of this crisis, we are going to have to take a hard look at what we've become in this society."
Check out the extensive media coverage below and follow as the drama of the crisis unfolded.
MARCH 25th - Mission Local story by Joe Eskenazi
"COVID-19: San Francisco homeless shelter operators, not yet systematically checking residents for symptoms, say they lack guidance and equipment"
APRIL 6th - Mission Local story by Joe Eskenazi
"Exodus: Hospitality House residents relocate to hotel, as COVID-19 cases crop up in other shelters - and plan to move homeless to Moscone West comes under fire"
APRIL 6th - KRON4 News coverage by Kate Rooney & Catherine Heenan
"San Francisco Supervisors make steps to protect homeless population from spread of COVID-19"
APRIL 8th - Story by San Francisco Chronicle's Columnist Heather Knight
"SF City Hall was ahead of the curve in its coronavirus response. So why is it now failing the homeless?"
APRIL 10th - Mission Local story by Joe Eskinazi
COVID-19: City instructs homeless providers to keep hotel rooms empty — while families live in cars or on the street
APRIL 14th - KALW 91.7fm radio show "Your Call" hosted by Rose Aguilar
"SF Moves Unhoused People Into Hotel Rooms After A Major Outbreak; How are Other Cities Responding?"
APRIL 20th - KCBS Radio news segment by Kathy Novak
"Dexter's Place"
APRIL 20th - California Healthline story by Brian Krans
San Francisco Quick To Fight COVID-19, Slow To Help Homeless
What is the CARES Act?
The CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act) was passed by Congress and signed into law on March 27, 2020. It is intended to provide economic assistance for American workers, families, and small businesses. The CARES Act provides Economic Impact Payments of up to $1,200 per adult for individuals whose income was less than $99,000 (or $198,000 for joint filers) and $500 per child under 17 years old-- or up to $3,4000 for a family of four.
If you filed your taxes in 2018 or 2019, or receive benefits such as Social Security retirement, disability (SSDI), survivor benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Veterans Affairs benefits or Railroad Retirement and Survivor Benefits, then no further action is needed to receive your check or direct deposit.
Otherwise, fill out additional information here. Find more information on how to receive your Economic Impact Payment here.
If you filed your taxes in 2018 or 2019, or receive benefits such as Social Security retirement, disability (SSDI), survivor benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Veterans Affairs benefits or Railroad Retirement and Survivor Benefits, then no further action is needed to receive your check or direct deposit.
Otherwise, fill out additional information here. Find more information on how to receive your Economic Impact Payment here.
Artwork by Emma Fenton-Miller & Txutxo Perez
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Peace, Love & Hand Sanitizer
Our community artists won't let a pandemic stop the flow of creativity
What do neighborhood artists do when their free art studio space has to close down to prevent the spread of a deadly virus? They continue to MAKE ART! Hospitality House's Community Arts Program has been publishing a weekly webzine featuring artwork from neighborhood artists along with important information and creative project to get you through this Twilight Zone episode we are all living.
Follow the links below to binge-read issue you may have missed.
Sign up below and don't miss any future editions:
Follow the links below to binge-read issue you may have missed.
- Peace, Love & Hand Sanitizer [Edition #1]
- Peace, Love & Hand Sanitizer [Edition #2]
- Peace, Love & Hand Sanitizer [Edition #3]
- Peace, Love & Hand Sanitizer [Edition #4]
Sign up below and don't miss any future editions:
Quarantine Livestream #3 featuring Matt Nathanson
Co-Founder of Social Imprints and podcaster Kevin McCracken was asked by singer-songwriter Matt Nathanson if he knew a nonprofit organization doing great work. Without hesitation, Kevin said "Hospitality House."
Kevin first heard about Hospitality House from Development Manger Tess Davis during the opening of an exhibit by celebrated local artists Kelly Tunstall and Ferris Plock, both long time supporters of Hospitality House's annual art auction fundraiser. Impressed with the organizations work in rebuilding lives, Kevin donated more than 100 custom-made, silkscreened hoodies from his socially conscious printing business, Social Imprints. Kevin is also the host of The Adulting Well Podcast, a popular audio show that talks "to mostly punk kids who grew up and are now inspiring us and others by being awesome." It was through his involvement in the local music scene where he met Matt Nathanson.
Matt is a platinum-selling singer-songwriter who has recorded over ten studio albums and whose songs have also been featured in numerous network television and late night talk shows. Since the COVID-19 pandemic required people to shelter-in-place, Matt began a series of intimate livestream performances he calls "Quarantine Livestream".
Watch Matt's "Quarantine Livestream #3" show below to hear his support for Hospitality House. In just a few days, this show raised more than $3,000 for Hospitality House's community programs.
Kevin first heard about Hospitality House from Development Manger Tess Davis during the opening of an exhibit by celebrated local artists Kelly Tunstall and Ferris Plock, both long time supporters of Hospitality House's annual art auction fundraiser. Impressed with the organizations work in rebuilding lives, Kevin donated more than 100 custom-made, silkscreened hoodies from his socially conscious printing business, Social Imprints. Kevin is also the host of The Adulting Well Podcast, a popular audio show that talks "to mostly punk kids who grew up and are now inspiring us and others by being awesome." It was through his involvement in the local music scene where he met Matt Nathanson.
Matt is a platinum-selling singer-songwriter who has recorded over ten studio albums and whose songs have also been featured in numerous network television and late night talk shows. Since the COVID-19 pandemic required people to shelter-in-place, Matt began a series of intimate livestream performances he calls "Quarantine Livestream".
Watch Matt's "Quarantine Livestream #3" show below to hear his support for Hospitality House. In just a few days, this show raised more than $3,000 for Hospitality House's community programs.
