so what we would like to discuss right now is a little bit about passive and how this segment the guests and the

whole history of itself. >> the seller doesn't interface committee which i was a jewish member, we have a priest from the catholic arch die sis and on the minister. and we called them little radio and television stations asking for time. take it generous and out of that generosity. our hosted this for many 3 years and then it's -- it's moved on and each 4 months was then taken by a different religion. the whole idea was to introduce san francisco bay area community to interface who are in this area. >> back in the day, the networks are obliged, were they not. >> yes, that was part of the

fcc. >> yeah, they had to do that. but wednesday fcc changed its mind and said it was no longer necessary. everybody bow down accept kpix and here we are today. >> what do you know what year that was. >> approximately when it vowed out. >> when all the others left and kpix stayed. >> i would say it was at least 12 years ago ago maybe longer, i'm not sure. sorry. >> we're thrilled and grateful. and we're grateful to you which is why we asked you on. one of the things that i think is fascinating is that you did this for 3 years every single week and you kept an open mind with regard to the interface platform that it was designated for. >> well, it was fascinating because we were able to discuss all kind of subjects and get different points of view from the different 3 religions and

-- as peculiar. -- and it just wasn't on the radar. today if you weren't doing interface program. >> but i would like to thank you in the 3 minutes that we have high point of those experience of those 1st days of doing the program. >> well, we discussed. it's hard to pick out 1 hard point because we discussed all the issues. we discussed segregation. we discussed understanding and we discussed differences among the face and how we approach different issues it's hard to say 1 thing stands out. i hope we provided information to a community that they can use. >> and did you generate feedback. >> yes. >> did you get responses.

>> yes, we did get responses. people were interested because at that time it was a pretty new idea and, of course, now, i see people are much more open to it. >> wonderful. back in that time, i'm sure that you had experiences with people that would approach you at different events recognizing the interface work that you did. what we would like to do when we come back from the break is talk a little bit more specifically about that interface work and how it has span add generation. you're watching mosaic, we'll be back right after this break.

the relationship between the various different faiths and various different religions. by the way, folks, she's here because she's going to be honored which christine will talk about and rita and the other guests that we have coming in just a minute. i was going to ask you, rita, if you could describe how the relationships between the different faiths was back then and what are the things that you would say are the

significant differences. >> well, i think some of it -- 1 significant difference happened because of segregation and that goes back in the 60s. and there was the san francisco priests who was very involved in the national conference in 1963 in chicago called the national conference on religion and race and that was the 1st time that the 3 phases had gotten together together. the synagogue council and the national council of churches and father eugene boyle was present. and after that congress he was asked if san francisco could hold the conference and he came back to san francisco as the archbishop to do that, got permission from the board of rabbis and the san francisco council of churches in the summer of 1964 we had such a conference here. we talked about segregation at

san francisco. i was invited to be on that committee by the rabbi men of congregation. and at the beginning of my involvement. it goes back all those years and i think that was 1 -- 1 could say that was really the beginning. >> at the very beginning coming together to stop an injustice to stop that which is darkening the world and bringing all the light together to focus. >> and talk about racism. and lots of people think that racism is limited to the south, which is certainly true. we have our own form of ray schism right here in the bay area. we have neighborhoods which have covenants which say no negroes around, that kind of thing. >> looking now at the year 2014 and looking back at all of that history the years and the itchness, how -- the years of the richness, how would you share your perspective about the relationships now. >> well, i think they've

changed considerably. there are people who think my way is the only way but there are others who see there are many paths and we respect them all. so when i'm gone, there will still be work to do. >> the dialogue is the key thing, i think, that this particular show mosaic is the platform locally on tv for that dialogue to continue. yes, obviously we could talk about differences, but let's focus on that which we have in common. >> i think that's true. we must forget the differences. differences are important but they don't necessarily have to tear us apart. >> yeah. >> well, put, very well put. we're coming up to as we're recording this, the april 12th april 12th celebration of lows

-- loafs and fishes and you're 1 of the guests that will be honored at this dinner. they have this each year. as you look back at all of the other involvement that you have been giving so much to in the past, you know, the past 30 years even since mosaic. >> more than that. >> more than that. >> i was a girl at the time. >> yeah. >> tell us about the joy. tell us about the joys when you experienced a break through or a mountain top and experience that you're saying now i'm doing something, share a little bit of that. >> well, 25 years ago the faith community in san francisco was asked to help with the homeless problem. it was a very cold wet december, a committee was formed and we were asked to ask to open their doors, which we

did. and when the. the following september we had the earthquake and, again, the faith community was asked to help and finally we decided that it was crazy to keep having committees when we started the sanfrancisco interface council which goes on today and still doing interface, hopefully we won't have to deal with earthquake. one never knows. >> yeah, that's true, we never know. >> to get together before a disaster for the purpose of doing something good. >> well, we're going to go to a break, when we come back we're going to be joined by another guest and we thank you for being with us.

good morning. welcome back to mosaic. i'm director of commune the cases and -- director of communications. i'm pleased to join you this morning with 2 guests who are very well-known to many many people throughout san francisco. rita and maureen sullivan. those are the recipients of a wonderful award. the loafs and fishes award and i'm pleased to have you both here to discuss what this award is and how you got to this point. welcome. >> thank you. >> the loafs and fishes honoree is an annual award that's granted by the catholic charities organization of san francisco. it was started a hundred years ago approximately a little bit over a hundred years ago right after the earthquake. rita, could you just elaborate a little bit on that. >> well, i wasn't here then. but, catholic charities was there and it's wonderful work

along with many other interface -- not interface, but safe organizations to help people after the earthquake and they've been doing this wonderful work ever since and they now have, it stands for catholic youth organization which provides opportunity for young people to do athletics. >> wonderful. now, both of you were chosen as honorees, personally, to you, maureen, what does that mean. >> well, once you get over the embarrassment of it because it consider it very nice and grateful type of award for the work that we do, it reflects the commitment that catholic charities have to helping out people to our communities, to strengthen families to reduce poverty and all of our programs are directed to that end. over the years all of us who have been on the board and rita and i have been on the board a

very well nile have raised money for our efforts, have spoken about our efforts and have gone to our programs and volunteers, so it's -- i think it will be such of our commitment to the good works that the organization does. >> i think what's important for people to understand too, is that the genesis of this work almost 100 years ago was started actually by women and wives and mothers to help or fans that theme of helping those who were in crisis has permeated both of your work the sensitivity that it takes to direct the charities, the philanthropic enders that you do. how do you determine when it seems like so many people are suffering. how do you determine what group to assist. what is the witness test.

>> i think over the years, the board does the oversight. it's the staff that does the work, so our job is to oversea, as i said, to raise the money, to make it possible. >> i'd like to ask you, maureen, when did you start getting involved in this hands on way. >> well, i've been involved with several boards for, you know, quite a few years after i finished my graduate work and even before i grew up with the idea that if you have a a so

board work seemed to be something that i graduated for and i was honored when they asked me to join the board. you may have been instrumental in that in looking back. but the idea when we find a need, we work very hard to fill it and working example for that, we start community homes that we have partnered with the city of san francisco and the benny hoff foundation to open a vacant con vet to have mothers an children who were homeless. >> that's a perfect example of the cooperation among private agency, an organization, a business, if you will like

sales force, a family to our care and the city and county of san francisco. everybody got together to make this possible. >> i think it is part of a unique model, certainly, to have that blending of people. does that -- it seems to me that that's unique also to san francisco bay area where so many different cultures and so many faith backgrounds come together and really the government at the local level does, doesn't it with a certain amount of openness to nonprofit collaboration. >> that's true. we're very fortunate to have a number of faith based agencies, you know, a community, catholic charities

. >> we're going to hear a little bit more when we come back right after this break. thank you so much for being with us.

good morning and welcome back if you're just joining us i'm dr. christine, director of commune decisions for the arch die sis of san francisco. this is mosaic, this morning i'm with 2 wonderful guests who are the recipients of the loves and fishes annual award that is given by charities of san francisco. just before we went to the break we were talking about collaboration among interfaith platform as well as city and other businesses and private families. this fantastic collaboration is something that i find so intriguing because there are other places that are trying to work out a sol louis and seems that they have to generate policy before they can get to the solution, but what you all

have done and consistently for many generation social security bypass the bureaucracy and go right to the heart of the matter. as you said before we went to break so eloquently when a need presents itself that's what we focus on. so there is this sexble that is really unusual for something that is this well run and this large. talk a little bit about how you respond to the needs in specific ways. >> well, rita, don't you think perhaps our program to help with immigrant services when the laws seem to be focusing against a lot of our community, our catholic charities stepped up and presented an educational platform where people could walk in the door and get the information they needed to be a student, to stay in our country and it was an incredible out pouring of community support

for this program. >> that's right. >> that was wonderful and the additional wonder of it was the other agencies were helping immigrants join together so that everybody has a place to go. and that's true with most of the other organizations that work with catholic charities. but catholic charities is -- 1 may say what's a nice jewish girl doing on the board of catholic charities and why did i do it. i joined the board 24 years ago. i did it because of a wonderful work that they were doing and i felt that i could help make a difference and that's been true. i no longer on the board, but i look at it with great respect for what the work has been and what the work continues to be. >> go ahead. >> i would like to point out to your audience that our name

notwithstanding really helped everyone who comes to us need. we are a nonprofit agency that lends a helping hand without any kind of caring about religious, preferences, gender, whatever. >> i think that this is the beautiful testament, really, to the way in which people can be served, again, as you've mentioned it is an organization run within the catholic framework, but from my understanding catholic framework isn't the test that's kind of what i was getting at is the organization that is generating specific help for specific goal within a context of certain category of people. what i love this harps back to world war ii to me in my mind. when some of the jews were being deported i think it was in 1 of the dutch country where the government literally said, we are all dutch, we are all 1

nationality. you cannot deport our citizens. >> that was denmark. >> denmark, thank you. >> you know, i think that what you are witnessing to us is really a culture solvence darety darety. >> when you look at the logo that talks about ending poverty and strengthening families we're part of the human family. and the family is the 1 who lives across town, but our community, our -- they're stronger if we're all stronger. so it is if you think of it in those terms it's because they're ease -- it becomes very easy to support, i believe, either with your treasure or

your timing the efforts that an organization like this because it makes no community a better place for you to live as well. >> in our 1 minute remaining would you please give our listeners and our viewers contact information for the work that you're engaged in. >> catholic charity, cyo. it was on the web site, has a web site and if you go to their web site you'll have plenty of information and plenty of opportunity to help. >> as well as we have ffic, which is been an acronym for fm interface.org which is your organization that does so much good for the entire community here and -- >> and the charity is part of it. >> that's right. >> well, we thank you so much for many decades of unsell fish service and witness just a beautiful solidarity. we look forward to having people back from catholic

charities as well as rita when you'll allow us to interview you having been here in this seat where i'm sitting doing it every week for the 3 years beyond that and starting many good works in the bay area. we thank you for joining us in mosaic, i'm dr. christine. we've been with maureen sullivan, the recipient of the award overloves and fishes.

welcome to bay sunday. if you've got a show idea we would love to hear from you go to our facebook page. go to it. post to the page and we'll get in touch. 1st guest is best known for his role on tyler perries the haves and have notes. it's been doing a little bit moonlighting too for quite a while. he's a writer, he's producer and pretty good guy and his latest film in the cut is getting a lot of critical acclaim and is being showcased at this weekend oakland international film festival. delighted to have lamont with us this morning. >> you're a bay area guy, welcome home. >> thank yo