would lose an adult day health care. i have been working and have had the opportunity to work with older adults for over four -- 40 years in that time, certainly and the beginning, there were not options for folks other than nursing homes. i remember watching grandparents go into nursing homes because there was nothing else for them. i remember being in a nursing home and listening to an older stoic farmer who cried every day because all he wanted was to go back to the farm because there was nobody there during the day because his family was in the field, so he had to stay at the nursing home. i remember working with two women who became very close friends here in san francisco who had, after 10 years in nursing home, the well-being to go home, but the have lost their home when the time that they had been there. so there they were. in 40 years, we have seen a lot of other things happen. we have seen the introduction of pace, the social day, social

work services and case management. we saw the introduction of home care. most importantly and why we were here today as we saw the introduction of adult day health centers. at that moment, we saw the beginning and the bringing together of what people wanted, but -- what older adults wanted, and the health care folks are realizing that you could actually get good health outcomes of people stayed at home but came to an adult day health centers during the day. but our work really was not done then. we were focusing on keeping people at home, and we suddenly realized, with help from the folks from the disabled world, that there were a lot of folks that institutional care who really could live at home. we just needed to apply the same services to them as we were directed people who were at home. especially in san francisco, we have spent the last eight years bringing people out of laguna honda hospital, younger adults and older adults alike, and

helping them to live in the community and be successful there. [applause] yes, i agree. i agree. [applause] yes, we should rejoice in our accomplishments. so when we began to see the dismantling of services for older adults and younger adults with disabilities a few years ago, it began with the disk drive -- the languages program, and we started seen the attacks on ihss, on workers, and consumers using the program. all of that culminated than in july, with the retelling of the cafe program and the recognition that, again, 55,000 people around california, 1200 people in san francisco, with loose adult day health come december 1. but, you know, san francisco is a city filled with people that are very, very hopeful.

look at the ground today. it is a hopeful crowd, am i right? [cheers and applause] i will tell you that today i have a joyous heart, and i am very grateful to the mayor of san francisco. and i really want you to join me and welcome him for his announcements to you, mayor ed lee. [cheers and applause] >> hello. hello, hello. some weeks ago, when ann and kathy and annie and others approached our office about this impending doom that the state was imposing on us, we were reminded of what we did in our budget, working closely with the board of supervisors.

i want to thank these relationship that the mayor has with the board. i see supervisor avalos is here. thank you, supervisor of a los, for being here. [cheers and applause] i.t. supervisor mar here. thank you. i know supervisor kim is registered and has her staff here, but she does not feel well. but they give farmers than for being here today. i think there may be other supervisors who want to join with you to tell sacramento, stopped making bad decisions. [cheers and applause] you know, this decision that they made to eliminate adult day care not only eliminates in valuable services to a vulnerable population of our city, but it puts added pressure on working families.

parents, sons, and daughters who are trying to get to work and need the center is open for the people that they care about. so they can have an income to afford the things that they need to do to support their senior families. that is why this decision is so negative, so bad. and we have to tell them to make better decisions. will you do that with me? [cheers and applause] well, i know that the board of supervisors and the mayor's office put some special money in reserve in the past budget. we balanced it, but we knew this bad decision was coming. so we made a reserve, and next week, as your mayor, i will ask the board to release some thatr 1, our adult day care centers can survive and not be eliminated. [cheers and applause]

but i am going to ask you, going to ask all of you here today, please work together with us as one city. we need to work together. we need to work together with the board of supervisors. we need to work together with our senators, the state senators, the state assembly people, and the governor's office, because we needed them to change the way they make those decisions. they cannot be hurting the city's where all of our elderly live on very limited income. we cannot stand for that. we have to change the way they make those decisions. [cheers and applause] that is why, with the support of the board, we put on propositions for the voters this year.

i want to remind you, that is why i worked really hard with the board, to make sure we had proposition g, so we could have a little bit of our sales tax come back, so that we can have a more secure public safety and some social services that work. i need all of you to work together with us to make sure that we do even better than just a stop-gap measure could because this will not go away. if we do not stop them from making bad decisions, they will continue to make -- make more decisions for this city and we will not have the resources to deal with that. hopefully you will work with all of us and the board and the mayor together. will you do that? [cheers and applause] all right, let's stop bad decisions. let's make better ones. thank you very much. [cheers and applause] [crowd chanting]

>> ok. now the mayor has to leave. but did you hear what he just said? did you all hear that? how are we grateful that we have the mayor we have in san francisco? [cheers and applause] ok. and we had the network of services that we have in this town. we're very grateful for that. let's give the mayor one more big cheer and thank him. [cheers and applause] for coming up with a solution. he did not just come up with one solution. we have a present for the mayor. ok. but we have a lot more to thank him for. because he did not just come up with one solution. he came up with something else to keep it going lager.

did you hear what that was? what was it? his proposition g. g is good for seniors. remember proposition g, because that is going to bring more money into the city. we have to defend ourselves against these cuts from the state. the mayor give you two good things today that we need to make sure we work on. ok? we also have a very progressive and active board of supervisors who are working with the mayor to save this program, and we have with us supervisor eric mar, who got the podium and the set up for us today. he is a man of the people, and we appreciate you. >> thank you, everyone. are we an aging-for in the city in san francisco? yes. thank you for standing strong to defend our program. the 11th adult day day care

centers in the city, we have to defend it and make sure that on december 1, we have all the programs in place and that we not think about cuts, but that we're strengthening these programs so that everyone can live in dignity as they grow older in the city of san francisco. i wanted that i applaud the senior organizations for standing strong and organizing themselves to make sure that we have better funding streams from the city. not just looking at budget announced that have been satisfied by the mayor and others, but that we have strong money strains so that as the aging population doubles, so that in 20 to 30 years when they become senior boomers, we can show that everybody can aged with dignity in its san francisco and that we're an aging-friendly city. i am look forward to working with the other supervisors. thank you so much. >> thank you. [applause] so we have some other members on

the board of supervisors. we're going to let them come up and address you, because they have some work to do next week. did you hear the mayor say there is some work for them to do? they're going to talk about it. our next supervisor is supervisor john avalos, another man of the people who cares about you. [cheers and applause] >> thank you. how're you all doing? buenos dias. it is very simple. you work for us. you pave the way for us. and now we need to pave the way for you. [cheers and applause] your contributions to our lives are so great, and we need to recognize that. that we provide a city that

supports you a round the clock if you are in retirement or you are aging. [applause] and adult day health care is part of what we need to provide as a city. so i am proud to stand here with my colleague, president david chiu, eric mar, and you're going to have all the other supervisors as well supported adult day health care. i want to thank the mayor for his work on this as well. it is something we had to do together to protect seniors and make sure we have our families behind them as well. thank you very much. [applause] >> all right. now we have the president of the board of supervisors coming up to talk to you. our very own david chiu. he does a fabulous job, and he is going to talk to you about saving adult day health care. [applause] >> good afternoon, everyone.

thank you for representing the beautiful mosaic that is san francisco. i want to tell you that along with my colleagues at the board of supervisors, along with the mayor, san francisco is coming together on this issue. we have to make sure that something that happened that was very special in the 1970's, when california stood up and said we want to look to the future, we respect and value every one in our community, when we created these centers. we wanted to make sure that we were respecting our seniors and what you have done to raise us, what you have done to build our communities, what you have done it to take care of this generation's that came out behind you. we have to remember that california is not going to forget all of you. [cheers and applause]

and i have to say, we like to do things differently in san francisco, but sacramento has to change. and when we come together with one voice, talking with 10 of voices, talking with thousands of voices, governor jerry brown -- can you hear us? can you hear us? we have these incredible adult day health centers in every community in our city, reflecting every part of diverse san francisco. and i want to let you know that your elected officials are standing with you. we're standing behind you. we're going to go to san francisco -- sacramento and make sure that jerry brown does the right thing. thank you for being with us today. [cheers and applause] >> all right.

supervisor chu had the right idea. what was it that we were saying before that we want to tell the governor? we will not go into nursing homes. >> [all chanting] we will not go into nursing homes we will not go into nursing homes we will not go into nursing homes >> that is the message data that ok, we also have their representative from supervisor jane kim, who unfortunately was ill today. but i want you to know, when this first came up, she sponsored the legislation this into sacramento that san francisco did not want this to happen. we appreciate her for doing that. [applause] >> good morning, everybody. how're you doing? whoo!

i am with supervisor kim's office, and i am here to tell you that we stand strong with you. in march early in the year, i was invited to attend to see one of the adult day health care centers, and i realized how critically important these services to the community that we take care of our seniors. in march, we introduced a resolution telling the governor to not eliminate this very important program. so we were extremely dismayed that he did not fund this program in his state budget. we're very thankful for the mayor and his budget staff, and we will stand with the board of supervisors to support the adult day health center in our budget. we want to make sure that the budget reflects the values of our communities and our city to make sure there is funding for our vulnerable people and there is a safety net. as the representative for district 6, we know the high concentration of seniors in our district, and we want to make sure that their services

available for the seniors that live in district 6. in addition to supporting the seniors. we want you to know that we support you. thank you very much t. thank you to our city. [applause] >> ok. we're really fortunate today because we have our very own state senator, leland yee, who came to tell us he has been trying to fight this in sacramento, and he is going to continue the fight for us.

>> it is wonderful to see you out here. we're supporting the seniors and individuals who need those services. many years ago when i was a young man, i used to work somewhere where i got to know self-help for the elderly. over the years, i have been a strong champion of alternative to hospitalization and institutional addition to our seniors. we should not put our seniors in this situation. we need to provide a way to ensure that we're not -- they are not in those institutions. adult day health provides an alternative to allow you to be independent of that is my commitment to you. and then on that disaster is day when the governor of this state said we have to cut and we

have to eliminate the day health services, i thought of you. and i thought of the memories that i had when i work with annie chung and george davis and so many other individuals, and i said, no, we're not going to vote to cut that. so i became the only senator in the state of california on the democratic side that said, no, we're not going to cut the service. and that is my commitment to you. and i will tell you, and i will tell you, that there is no better program than the adult day health. the reason why i know that is that the governor said, do not worry about it. we're going to cut the program. but we're going to find an

alternative. well, guess what, there is no alternative. this program has worked for years and years and decades. so this program is the very, very best to provide help for our seniors. we should not have cut that program. we need to fund that, and we have to give it more money. the more money that we give you, the more money that we give you, the more money that we give you, it saves the state of california and this city and county of san francisco a lot more. that is why this program is important. so we will continue that fight. we will do everything that we can to get the money back. because we cannot allow this program to go away, and that is my commitment to you. thank you very, very much. thank you. [cheers and applause] >> ok, you did not get a more

fierce advocate than a senator yee. when he says that, he means it. now we're going to hear from some of the participants from across the city as well as the care givers about what adult day health care means to them. the first person we're going to hear from is coming on up. >> good afternoon, everyone our honorable mayor of the city of san francisco, mayor ed lee, legislators, the other candidates that spoke a while

ago, we're all very happy to hear that you are with us, the seniors of the city of san francisco. fellow seniors, what can you say to them? we're going to be very thankful to all our leaders. well, i am -- [unintelligible] i was born and raised in the philippines, and i am 86 years old. [cheers and applause] i have been attending stepping stone health care in a san francisco for two years. i was sad after my husband

passed away. my sister was living with me. and i noticed the people attending adult day health care on the other side of the building. i saw people exercise and interacting together. i talked with my fellow seniors in my building and the social worker about adult day health care. the social worker came to my home, interviewed me, and found out about my sadness, osteoporosis, and other things. she said i could start soon. adult day health care helped me to feel less depressed, meet new people, and to exercise and feel better about myself.

thank you to the health center and to be staff for accommodating the seniors. i think i was able to live longer because of my stay at this health-care facility. it has made my life wonderful. thank you to the honorable mayor, ed lee, the legislators, all our supervisors, and those who have spoken today, for helping us in keeping adult day health care. i would like to request the state, for you to stop the elimination of adult day health care. to enable us to enjoy the last mile of our journey as seniors. fellow seniors, can we say, let us join together in making our

health care to be continued and to stop elimination. can we say that, everybody? [cheers and applause] ok, thank you. >> thank you very much. ok, now we're going to hear from ramida. she dusted jewish children's family services center. she has her translator with her. >> [speaking foreign language]

[cheers and applause] >> hi, i am 86. i am -- i came to the united states in 1993 from ukraine. [unintelligible] i have been attending the jewish center for more than five years. a significant health problem. now i want to address, dear mr. mayor, dear board of supervisors, look at tasks,

look tasks218 sick, elderly people, and see your parents and your grandparents. we're sick. we are isolated. do not commit this crime. do not leave us without the center. and if you ask me what it means to me, i will answer. it gives life. do not leave us without life. do not take life away from your parents and grandparents. do not leave us without this sort of life, and do not leave me with out the center. thank you. [cheers and applause] >> all right, now sue is going to assist the less talked about stepping stone presentation

adult day health. -- is going to talk to you about stepping stone presentation adult day health. [applause] >> [speaking foreign language] >> i think everyone for giving me this opportunity to share my experience. and from china, i came for 20 years. i used to work for a health care center. i was in a severe car accident. i had a head trauma and had several fractures. 911 send me to the emergency room. room. i was in a coma for three days.