>> i want to learn more about it. >> social networking and e-mail. >> i want to know how to use it. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> divisional divide is a divide between those with access to use digital tools and those who don't. >> with young people, having computers and i just don't know. they're doing it fast. so, i want to know. >> not knowing how to navigate the internet or at a loss of what to do. >> we don't have a computer.

>> we're a nonprofit that unites organizations and volunteers to transform lies through literacy. our big problem right now is the broadband opportunity program. a federally funded project through the department of aging. so, we're working in 26 locations. our volunteers are trained to be tutors and trainers, offering everything from basic classes all the way to genealogy and job search. >> to me computers, knowing how to use it. >> i think it's really important to everybody and possibly especially seniors to get enough of these skills to stay in touch. >> it's been fun. with seniors, to get them out of their homes. >> so they can connect with their family members.

or their family members. >> [speaking in spanish]. >> so, what we focus on is transferring skills from volunteer to learner to help them get onto facebook, find housing in crisis, be able to connect with friends and family. >> i decided to teach what i learn and it made me want to give back. i discovered that seniors do a lot of review. >> i am a beginner, so, little by little i learn. i learn a lot now. >> if you get the basics, you can learn it.

it's simple. it's easy. once you know it. and that's what i want to learn, how to make my life easier and more knowledgeable with the computer. >> so, what we need right now are more people who speak languages other than english or in addition to english who can give their time during the day and who care deeply ideally about helping to close the divide. >> it's a humbling experience. it's something simple to ask in our daily life, but to someone that doesn't know and to help somebody gain that experience in any way is awesome. >> [speaking in spanish]. >> no matter how tired or cranky or whatever i might

feel, when i walk into this place i always walk out feeling great. >> if you feel comfortable using computers and you have patience, we want you on our team. >> would you show me how to type? >> [speaking in spanish]. >> will you help me learn more? >> good morning everybody. all right. welcome to the city and county of san francisco the innovation capital of the world and of course for those of you that come from beyond welcome to the world series champion city and county of san francisco.

[applause] thank you for coming to our moscone center, our convention center and lead gold certified building and i can't think of a more appropriate place to host the 2012 green build and expo and conference here in san francisco with a city with more than 48 million square feet of green certified real estate. [applause] . absolutely. our innovative green building policies ensure while the city's population and economy continue to grow we are decreasing our carbon emissions and achieve a sustainable environment. for instance this requires all new buildings designed to meet the gas reduction goals. that means more than 6 million square feet

of commercial space and 11,000 housing units all in the development pipeline have been designed using these principles. [applause] in fact san francisco was recently recognized by the world green building council as having the greenest building policy by any local level in the year 2011 and we just began implementing our existing commercial energy performance ordinance which helps private property owners lower energy use. through san francisco's program green sf we are making it easier for property owners to secure financing for green building upgrades and as can you see green buildings has become the standard rather than the

exception. for our public libraries to affordable housing units, even to the home of our world series giants and their structure our buildings are achieving lead certification at a rapid pace and our san francisco public utilities commission has won smartest building in the world and we have honors such as the greenest city in north america, the walkable city, and the best green policies, the green tech of north america and forbes recognized that san francisco has the most green jobs in the united states. that's jobs. that's one of the most important things we are doing for the whole country. [applause] and we are creating and

sustaining jobs as well as supporting new industries in our city. our energy watch program creates or sustains 180 jobs a year. san francisco has now achieved 80% landfill diversion rate setting the national recycling and compost records as the high of any city in north america. [applause] and by the way as a former public works director you ought ton how proud i am. we have the best compost in the united states and in fact it's sold to all of the wineries in napa that make and produce the best wines in the world. our partners employs over a thousand green collar employees and solar sf

resulted in hiring from employees from disadvantaged communities in the work force program. i want to acknowledge and thank green build towards considering toward the success and the projects and the living wall in the tenderloin community garden and the potrero hill street farm and let me thank someone that has been invaluable to me and my career and my work and my efforts to make this city successful. i want to acknowledge a pioneer in the sustainable practices our former mayor and now lieutenant governor gavin newsom. [applause] >> a couple years ago then mayor newsom forged a partner with san francisco and president clinton and the clinton global initiative to transform the civic city into the first of

its kind sustainable resource district. since then we have built 525 golden gate, our puc building, one of the greenest in north america and on track to receive lead platinum certification. yes. we have installed electric charging stations here at civic center. we have free wi-fi. we have installations at the urban gardens and led lights in the plaza and we continue to do even more. i am proud to announce here that we have applied for lead certification of eight of the existing buildings in the san francisco historic civic center district. [applause] that will represent more than

2.2 million square feet of civic real estate, including buildings such as city hall, the symphony, the library, the art museum and more. it's challenging to retrofit some of the buildings for energy efficiency and water conservation but we have done it. once lead certified the civic center retrofit strategies and technology can serve as a model to other cities and i would like to take this opportunity to recognize leaders from all the country and our world that have made great strides in environmental stewardships themselves and have joined in this conference including mayor fong from oakland, mayor kevin johnson from sacramento, mayor cory booker from new ark and hif a

applause and support his city with. [applause] i would also like to welcome former governor from new york patacky and thank you for your leadership. over the next days you will learn about sustainable practices. you will network with the greatest minds in the industry and enjoy your time here. be thoughtful. be creative and go out and lead the befl energy and green policies for the rest of the country. congratulations and thanks for being here in san francisco. [applause]

>> well, thank you, everybody. and welcome. happy thanksgiving and happy season of sharing and caring for each other. i just spent a wonderful morning with the inter-faith council and their 15th anniversary of breakfast with quite a host of wonderful, wonderful people who care about the city and about the world. and while the theme was articulated as a very rich greening theme, i think we found out from many, if not all of the speakers, that the way we care about our earth is reflected in the way we care for each other first and foremost. and that's really important. and, so, today i'm standing with people who have demonstrated their highest level of care for people, people who work and live and breathe the social safety net for everyone in our city.

and i could not ever do my job as the mayor, nor i suggest any member of the board of supervisors, elected office who also have responsibility for caring about the quality of life for everyone, unless we had a caring leadership in our social safety net. so, thank you, everyone, for coming and being part of this season of giving and a season of caring and sharing with everyone. you know, this year our season of giving campaign i'm focused on highlighting organizations that really work on the ground with our domestic violence victims, our youth, our seniors, our veterans, and certainly our homeless. and that's almost everybody. [laughter] >> but we definitely have a very specific programs that we have created with their help because we believe that targeting our efforts with each and every one of these groups has helped us over the many,

many years getting past the rhetoric of simply saying that we care and into real programs that change people's lives and get them into our system of help and support. this year we're also wanting to send a message with not only our social service provider but our whole business community. please help the victims of hurricane sandy on the east coast. their need, the winter here is relatively mild compared to what they're experiencing on the east coast. those harsh winters is the reason why i did my four years of college and i came right back to the west coast. [laughter] >> but they, again, reflect a high level of need out there. and i hope everybody who is listening on both the government channel and the wonderful media that we have, the multi-cultural media that we have, please do your best and go to sf gives back.org. the website, and find out how

you can join our american red cross who is here today to help all those victims. we have done so with not only our city's finest in our response network, but i know all these folks here have sent their volunteers, as well as utility companies who are helping them restore, even today, vital utilities and have their volunteers come and report back. and we will learn lessons about what has happened there and how we can, again, help ourselves by increasing our opportunities to be even more ready for our expected challenge of the earthquake. please, cecil, please come on up, yes, yes. please join us. i was just introducing both of you. [laughter] >> janice, for being part of our wonderful, wonderful world

of connectivity. thank you very much for being here. >> thank you. >> so, i'm also just wanting to go through some of the groups that have joined us this morning . the salvation army. [speaker not understood], cathy black is here. certainly michael and rita from the inter faith council who i had a chance to be with all morning. cheryl davis from more magic and operation impact, thank you for being here. brenda story from the mission neighborhood health center is here. from lock and youth street, thank you for being here. sister from st. anthony's is here. tyler and miller from hunters point family, you're here. thank you very much. ella wolf graham, center for young women's development is here this morning to join us. [speaker not understood] the good samaritan family resource center.

paul from sf food bank are also here to join us. and i'm sorry if i've forgotten anybody else, but you're as valued to us as everyone here today as well. i would also encourage that we use the newest ongoing evolving technology of the city to access the list of organizations that people can help connect up with. also, what other programs, if you're with much more resources, please go to our 311. i know nancy is here, the great leader of that organization, that talent. but also go to sf mayor.org as well to find out what other information you might want to have in order to reach out for more of the needy and help them in every way you can. i also want to say as part of this campaign that i'd like to announce that we again will be hosting snow day here at city hall. sometime in the month of december, the date hasn't been

decided yet, but it will be continuing a very great tradition, not only of welcoming the tree of hope, but also asking people to bring in nonperishable items that can be donated to people in need during these holidays. and bring them here to city hall as part of a great celebration that we have that unites everyone. it will be free. it will be youth and family oriented and again, it will be supporting our food bank. with that, i know that they're going to be happy today because i'm delivering 100 turkeys. [laughter] >> and that will make me happy in doing so. and i want to again suggest to you that part of this morning's cherish time was really understanding how helping other people can really help ourselves with our own spirits. this is what we do. this is the character of san francisco. we help others. it lifts up the spirit of this city. it's like winning a world series.

and, so, again, part of today was about bringing people who have cared for so many others in our city together with our city hall, represent how much we love and support them in what they do every single day. we can't fathom sometimes some of the deep, deep frustration and sympathy that goes on on a daily basis when people are met up with folks that are hurt and are the victims of their need. but at least we can take a moment to thank them and to provide them with an opportunity to talk about what they're doing and how they can ask others who were helping to be successful in the city to help more people become successful in their own lives. with that, i'd like to introduce some speakers this morning who will talk about their attention to giving and to providing for others. and i'll begin with somebody who i really have come to love and work with as a city

employee and who has penetrated all of our wonderful bureaucracy to help open us up even more. that's, of course, our director of the red cross. harold. come on up, harold. (applause) >> now that i know i'm a city employee, i'm hoping for a big pay raise. [laughter] >> you know, any time you're in a room with ed lee, you know that there are going things going on. what a wonderful leader he is for the city of san francisco and the entire bay area. we're so very fortunate to have in this the best place on the planet, some of the best leaders on the planet, without any question. i got a call from joaquin torres saying ed lee wanted me to be part of this program. i told my wife, we'll start vacation later.