IN THE HOUSE
The latest happenings at Hospitality House - December 2020 Issue
Why Community Matters
A Letter from Executive Director Joe Wilson
All of us at Hospitality House are grateful to each of you for your generosity and commitment in the midst of this global health crisis. Humanity has been tested and challenged in profound ways, and we’ve been forced to summon up strength and resolve we didn’t know we had.
Communities we call home are experiencing pain and trauma that is real and palpable. San Francisco’s human services field is experiencing sustained grief and collective shock – with no end in sight. Co-workers stretched beyond their limits, courageously battling an indiscriminate virus, selflessly putting their own lives at risk. Dedication often exacts a heavy price.
Community matters.
And yet, hopefulness endures. The entire Hospitality House family has experienced singular acts of courage and heroism from unexpected sources. We’ve benefitted from unexpected generosity from supporters across the country. We’ve witnessed first-hand the extraordinary power of human kindness.
We’ve been uplifted and nourished by the outpouring of mutual aid, networks of ordinary people moved to extraordinary generosity. Donations of hand-sewn masks have come from all over the City, and across the state. Community volunteers, activists, neighbors, friends of friends, members of sewing circles, rotary clubs, business groups, communities of care – all with one thing in common: giving of themselves, giving from the heart.
Community matters.
A watershed moment occurred this past Spring, just two days after a horrific COVID-19 outbreak in the City’s largest shelter, when Hospitality House moved almost all of the residents of our emergency shelter to safe and secure hotel rooms – the City’s first single adult shelter to do so. This was made possible by the incredible generosity of the San Francisco United Methodist Missions and the leadership of Supervisor Matt Haney and his team. This decisive effort undoubtedly saved lives.
Community matters.
Throughout this unprecedented crisis, we’ve been reminded why we’re drawn to this work, the work of building community. How we find strength in ourselves, how we draw strength from each other, and the many ways we rediscover again and again – what it means to be human. Like so many, the Hospitality House family has been touched by tragedy, with wounds both profound and deep. We’ve also been restored and replenished by the timeless gift of kindness – from friends both old and new.
This year, Hospitality House dedicates its Annual Report to a remarkable network of friends, neighbors, supporters and donors who’ve given of themselves generously and without hesitation. They’ve chosen not only to support our work, but to lift up the best of each other in the worst of times. And to our committed cadre of staff and volunteers, you humble us and inspire us with all you do every day.
Community matters...
Communities we call home are experiencing pain and trauma that is real and palpable. San Francisco’s human services field is experiencing sustained grief and collective shock – with no end in sight. Co-workers stretched beyond their limits, courageously battling an indiscriminate virus, selflessly putting their own lives at risk. Dedication often exacts a heavy price.
Community matters.
And yet, hopefulness endures. The entire Hospitality House family has experienced singular acts of courage and heroism from unexpected sources. We’ve benefitted from unexpected generosity from supporters across the country. We’ve witnessed first-hand the extraordinary power of human kindness.
We’ve been uplifted and nourished by the outpouring of mutual aid, networks of ordinary people moved to extraordinary generosity. Donations of hand-sewn masks have come from all over the City, and across the state. Community volunteers, activists, neighbors, friends of friends, members of sewing circles, rotary clubs, business groups, communities of care – all with one thing in common: giving of themselves, giving from the heart.
Community matters.
A watershed moment occurred this past Spring, just two days after a horrific COVID-19 outbreak in the City’s largest shelter, when Hospitality House moved almost all of the residents of our emergency shelter to safe and secure hotel rooms – the City’s first single adult shelter to do so. This was made possible by the incredible generosity of the San Francisco United Methodist Missions and the leadership of Supervisor Matt Haney and his team. This decisive effort undoubtedly saved lives.
Community matters.
Throughout this unprecedented crisis, we’ve been reminded why we’re drawn to this work, the work of building community. How we find strength in ourselves, how we draw strength from each other, and the many ways we rediscover again and again – what it means to be human. Like so many, the Hospitality House family has been touched by tragedy, with wounds both profound and deep. We’ve also been restored and replenished by the timeless gift of kindness – from friends both old and new.
This year, Hospitality House dedicates its Annual Report to a remarkable network of friends, neighbors, supporters and donors who’ve given of themselves generously and without hesitation. They’ve chosen not only to support our work, but to lift up the best of each other in the worst of times. And to our committed cadre of staff and volunteers, you humble us and inspire us with all you do every day.
Community matters...
