[ applause ] >> okay. good afternoon afternoon.

it is my pleasure to welcome you all here on behalf of the board of directors of st. anthony foundation. this is the groundbreaking for our brand-new dining room with mercy housing 90 units of affordable housing for seniors. [applause] [applause] this is one of the finest examples of collaboration in the non-profit sentor sector and i'm proud to be part of it. on behalf of the board of directors of st. anthony foundation, i want to offer our greatest gratitude and appreciation for all your help. thank you. [ applause ] >> good afternoon everybody. doug shoemaker the president of mercy housing foundation and this is a fabulous day. it doesn't get more complicated

than the scenario we put together here. that is the san francisco way. if you can do it simply, you wouldn't want do it. [ laughter ] >> so we have tried to make it complicated, but the result is going to be an unbelievable, unbelievable community asset really what st. anthony and mercying housing and what all of our partners are about. there are so many people here that one of the things we're going to have to live with today a long list of thanks. not everyone will speak, but i want to acknowledge many of the people who here today. we're blessed to have leader nancy pelosi here. who has been a huge leader. [ applause ] mayor lee, and it seems like we might have a quorum with the board of supervisors. i'm sure there is no work getting done over there today because we have been blessed with so many.

supervisor kim, supervisor yeee, supervisor cohen and supervisor dufty and those are just too name a few. for mercy, these opportunitis are just few and far between. we were talking earlier, barry and i about how many people st. anthony's sees on a regular basis. these 89 affordable housing units and one manager's unit is an unbelievable accomplishment. and the sad thing it's just a drop in the bucket compared to the need we have. i think all of you know that, which is why you are here today. we're blessed to have the leader here today and i wish all your colleagues in congress could be as supportive as you have been over the years so people would understand the need. unfortunately with the situation that we have nationally, the funding for programs like this are really stretched and there is a lot

the doubt if we'll see more of this funding in the future. it's phenomenal to have such a champion here today with us to bring that word back to the folks. [phra*-uplt/] >> i'm going to do more thank yous as we go through the process, but i wanted to just turn it over to barry to talk a little bit about this from the st. anthony's perspective. >> thank you, doug. it's already been said a number of times already today, this is exciting. many of us have been waiting a long, long time for this day. of course we're all here today to celebrate something new. but when i look out on all of you gathered here, i see something very familiar about this gathering. yes, we're here to break ground on something new, a new buildings that will house the new st. anthony's dining room and 90 units of affordable housing for our seniors, sponsored by mercy. but when i look out and i see all of these different people

gathered here, jones and golden gate, i'm sorry struck by how in so many ways it's very normal and natural. there is nothing different about today than other days. people hanging out, on this corner, is nothing new. yes, a new venture with mercy housing and st. anthony foundation in a very innovative and exciting collaboration. but also something very familiar. the francisans and sisters of mercy stepping up to help san francisco. [ applause ] there are some great old photos from right after the 1906 earthquake, and fire. one of them shows a line of people going right up the street here, on golden gate avenue, waiting for the francisans to feed them out of

the rectory door of st. boniface and another photo of mercy sisters standing at a tent in golden gate park as they administered medicines and help to needy after the earthquake. for years this corner has been the place where people who have a little something extra come and share with those who have very little. in 1950 father alfred stood where they are standing today and recognized the dignity, and the struggles of those out of work, veterans suffering the effects of world war ii and those battling addictions. he brought together civic leaders, hotel owners, captains of industry, and willing volunteers from the painters and electrical unions and that coming together on this street corner became st. anthony's dining room. after a few years, because there always seemed to be

enough food to feed everyone, no one was ever sent away empty. this coming together became known as the miracle on jones street. our presence here today signals to all of san francisco that the miracle continues. we're not turning water into wine. we're not turning water into wine, not that kind of miracle. no we're transforming old auto body shops into a state-of-the-art dining room and homes for our senior citizens. the miracle continues. [ applause ] we're not walking on water or raising the dead, but we are building homes and providing clothing and social services that will help people live lives of dignity and meaning. the miracle continues.

we're not feeding thousands on the hillsides. wait, we are feeding thousands on the hillsides. [laughter ] on these slopes between nob hill and market street. the miracle continues as we construct the facility where another generation of san franciscans will come to reach out to those in need. the miracle continues. the miracle must continue, because we still have $2.5 million to pay the contractors to build this building. let this gathering here today be a statement of our confidence that this miracle will continue and that we will raise the needed funds to complete this project. we must be miracle workers. so again, it's very exciting to see that today we are gathering at this blessed corner. i want to thank all of you for coming. the people who are responsible

for this new building are here today. those who had the idea for it, those who designed it, those who donated or lent the funds to ensure its construction, the builders, and those who will benefit from it. some will speak today or be formally recognized, but in the tradition of this corner, and what has happened here for so long, people coming together, i want all of you now to turn to one another and congratulate yourselves. shake your neighbor's hand and say thank you for making this possible. thank you. this coming together would not be that, namely a coming together, if we did not hear from one of our guests.

one the people who benefit from the programs that we at st. antony's and mercies provide. i will introduce tyrone hopper, a graduate from the father alfred center, st. anthony's drug and rehab program. he presently works for the city and county of san francisco and this year will graduate with a ba in criminal justice. [ applause ] tyrone freelances as an interpreter in spanish including on-call assignments for the united nations, and he expects to be certified in mandarin next year. please welcome tyrone. [ applause ] >> good afternoon everybody. i have to say i'm a bit overwhelmed today to be sharing the same stage with nancy

pelosi, ed lee, susan coretand to look out here and see this sea of humanity and have people cheering for me. [ applause ] i'm overwhelmed and i'm humbled because just four years, nine months and six days ago, i was smoking crack. that is right. i was a drug addict. and almost five years later, here i am. miracles do happen! [ applause ] 60 years ago father alfred had a vision. it started with his compassion for those in need. the vision was and still is for those in need to come out of poverty, and to thrive.

this vision since 1950 has been giving those in need the natural and the spiritual food that they need in order to thrive. i am now thriving because of the vision of father alfred. [ applause ] >> i came through st. anthony's through the father alfred center, the drug and alcohol rehabilitation center and i was instilled with values and morals that i was separated from through my drug use. after coming to the father alfred center they put me to work in the dining center. i was not easy work, but gratifying and i got to hear the people actually say thank you for the work i was doing,

but remember a short time before that i was on the streets, smoking crack. and now, today, i am able to come here and to give back to a foundation that gave so much to me. [ applause ] the clinic helped gave me medical and make sure everything was working okay and i was fit and in top shape. the tech lab got me acquainted with computers and email and google and facebook. and all of those things that we can't live without, right? social services got me back acquainted with getting my drivers' license back, because while i was on drugs i had lost my driver's license. and how many of you know that in california it's really hard to get around without a car? can i get a witness? >> amen. >> i know work for the city and county of san francisco.

i work over at san francisco general hospital, in the dietary department. i have been there for almost three years. [ applause ] >> i will be graduating from the university of phoenix this year with a degree in criminal justice. and as barry has already told you i freelances an interpret. he said that the dead are not resurrected here. i stand here before you to let you know that the dead will be resurrected. because my life was over before i came here and it has been resurrected all today. [ applause ] thank you very much for taking the time to listen to me. my name is tyrone and i'm under construction. god speed to you all. [ applause ]

>> thank you, tyrone. whew. [ [ laughter ] >> it is my distinct pleasure to introduce to you today one of our volunteers. this woman takes time etch year to volunteer with her children and grandchildren. she comes when she is not otherwise occupied, like leading those in congress. nancy pelosi is used to speaking before representatives. she has been doing it for 25

years and she comes before us, representatives of all of san francisco and points beyond. she is used to celebrating occasions when those who have been excluded have been welcomed to something new and exciting. she has done it for women coming into the halls of congress. she has done it for seniors moving into housing. she has done it for those with hiv/aids gathering at the memorial grove. i could go on and on, but i would much rather hear her speak, so please welcome leadership nancy pelosi. [ applause ] >> thank you very much. thank you very much for your very generous introduction, barry and for your great leadership at the st. anthony foundation, for the invitation to be here today with such distinguished guests. how about tyrone? is he

something? [ applause ] but it's an honor to be with you barry, with susan swift, with doug shu-maker and our distinguished mayor, mayor lee. last time i saw him he was on the platform while president obama was delivering the inaugural address. susan corette, thank you for decades of generousity and service to our community across the board. and father harden, who is president of the st. anthony's foundation. thank you for your leadership. when barry talked about my bringing my children and grandchildren to serve meals over the years at st. anthony's dining room and others mentioned father alfred. i was remembering father floyd. [ applause ] i told my children when father floyd told me. a