rest breaks. i'm proud to say that over the last several years our organization has recovered $1.5 million in under wages for our workers. i want to acknowledge one of my colleagues amy bond who is in the audience. she meets with workers everyday to inform them of their rights and to bring wage claims before the city an before the state to fight for workers. the 50th anniversary of the march on washington is a great commemoration. we must rededicate ourselves for the cause of human justice. the federal act was gutted earlier this year by the federal court. we are going to see another

case come forward in the next term. national security is still a trump card. educational equity is still an unmet promise. bullying of lgbt in schools still needs to be cared for. immigration reform for undocumented workers who are making this country strong. i look forward to working with everyone here tonight to make all of those dreams come true. thank you very much. [ applause ] >> our next awardee is the homeless prenatal program. the

homeless prenatal program is honored to present this award on behalf of 500 low income families who have a chance to dream about a better future for their children and determination to make that dream a reality. we accept this award on behalf of it's staff. many of whom are clients through tireless work. we have come a long way from the march on washington and we have a long way left to go. since 1963, a structural injustice remains. the poverty unjustly reflects the poverty and instability of our color. htp is committed to challenging these disparities by providing critical health and social services not only to seek as safety net but also empower

families, with affordable housing and education and job training and especially housing cost, we believe that the city's long-term success is to be able to create opportunities for families and create a diverse and equitable community here. thank you for tonight's honorees to be able to provide this for the people of san francisco. [ applause ] the bay view point senior services. [ applause ]

>> good evening. i'm kathy davis. director of senior services. our agency has been around for 42 years. what i want to do first is describe our agency services and then call our president of our board of directors to talk about the legacy of our agency. basically bay view hunters point senior services is a provider throughout those 42 years. we now operate three senior centers, we have a nutrition program that serves over 250 meals a day. over all we serve 2,000 seniors a year. we have the first senior program in the united states who focus on ex-offenders coming out of prison. we operate a money management program where we help people manage their

finances and do direct pay services. we operate a case management program with the network connections and with elders and able to help people navigate. recently we've been focusing on housing. we have found that if we don't focus on housing, we won't have african american seniors to serve. we have been trying to create opportunities for seniors to get into housing process by helping them with their application by looking for rental housing and building senior housing. in december of this year, the new york center will begin construction with senior housing and a new senior center. [ applause ] our agency is the little engine that could. we lost our

director, we lost our board chair, we made it through a difficult economy and picked up a bunch of programs and who were not able to make it 32 you the economy and we embraced them and made them stronger than ever. i would like to introduce our chair of our board, dr. aurls walker. [ applause ] >> thank you, kathy. to the two chairs tonight of the human rights commissioners, to the honorable commissioners themselves, i want to thank you for recognizing the hard work of bay view point. kathy davis as you heard she is the best executive director in san francisco. [ applause ]

i think we have some of our staff here. would you mind standing for the staff here that are present. [ applause ] and the board of directors members that are here, if doctor and president of the board, i'm the president but he's also one of the board of directors. ma i i just say that we are determined to continue the legacy of dr. joyce davis. he was determined to develop and institute, an aging campus where seniors in this city especially bay view hunters point will be able to age in place. all the variety of services that they will be needing will be at that campus.

you heard kathy talk about the 121 units of housing for seniors will be built. we already have the person that is going to be building. we have a general contractor in place. and the, thank god for the redevelopment agency before it was dismantled. i have made the decision to provide the funds along with other sources an we are looking forward around to the end of this year of the first of next year to begin the development of those units. thank you very much and we appreciate this outstanding award you are going to present to us tonight. thank you. [ cheers and applause ] >> thank you, dr. walker. we also want to acknowledge dr. walker ace 's role and much of

his work and we want to recognize the work that you have done as well. [ applause ] . we'll now move into recognizing and giving the award for, and i really wanted the opportunity to recognize this young lady because i do believe it's come up very much during the course of this evening. it's just recognizing the role and impact of youth and students and really acknowledging even during the civil rights era, the movement and the march was about college students and high school students taking that risk and putting their lives on the line and working in partnership with the clergy and with the elders of the community. we really recognize and appreciate. so today, our next awardee for student advancing civil rights

and economic justice, veronica garcia. [ cheers and applause ] >> and i would offer up that in this day and age when oftentimes youth and young adult have to stand-alone in the movement and have to march in the party of one that they should be more recognized an celebrated because there aren't the masses of people that are willing to come from behind facebook and instagram in public and so i want to thank veronica. she's done so much that really impacts so many. thank you veronica. [ cheers and applause ] >> good evening, everyone. i'm a crier. if i start crying,

please excuse me. first i want to thank the san francisco human rights commission for giving me this opportunity to stand before you as well as in a room with so many incredible people who are also agents of change. thank you very much. it's an honor to be given this award on the same day that we commemorate the march on washington. with that i'm reminded of a quote. hate cannot drive out hate. ironically one of the most profound human beans -- beings that i know. he said i didn't see that my struggles are my strengths. he was right. at the age of 16 i became a teenage mother to my daughter. although it was and it's still a

blessing, it is one of the most life changing experiences that i have endured. i have remember graduating from high school with my one-year-old daughter who walked with me across stage. this is still one of my fondest memories. little did i know that being a young mother would inspire know make positive change in the world starting with making education accessible which was how mom's making a change was created. i wanted to start a program that would help young mothers like myself to acquire the resources and support they need go to college t program began as a pilot program for children and youth. while i was able to volunteer at the high school that i myself attended and mentored other young mother to find resources for housing

college. i was also blessed with the condition to conduct self empowerment workshops where i can motivate these women. we were able to change the antiquated policy. students making a change for children and youth was where i found my path to calling and service to change. serving in this capacity showed me the passion i have for helping others access higher education which made me realize i want to pursue a masters in academic advising. once i moved from the city college i moved to study my bachelor's at the san francisco state university where i'm studying now. through ethnic studies courses and through rer -- resources and

empowerment center, the hardships i endure, the community organizer and caretaker and single mother. as i receive this award humbled and honored. i would like to thank my professors, friends, mentors who believe in and challenge me and who have helped me see that the struggles i have and continue to endure give me strength. paul menendez, mitchell, walker, theresa. thank you for showing me the meaning of being an aging of change through the work that you do through the work that you do and how you

serve the community. i would like to thank my parents for sacrificing what they never had. to my daughter, our future leaders, thank you for being my daughters, my reason for living. i love you. thank you. [ cheers and applause ] >> as we move to the next phase, i would love to give another round of applause to all of our awardees. i would like to lay down a challenge because i think of the work of tucker and i would love to see

how we partner the next generation with the legacy and the work of the people like george davis and spinola jackson. that we don't leave it in this room tonight but as we leave here, we share those strategies and best practices and the struggles and use that information to empower the next generation. this is not just the cake, it is the icing on the cake. as we get ready to split that cake up and enjoy the celebration, we need to talk about the recipe of success and how we came to be. i challenge everyone in this room to actually make the connection to look at veronica, look at cameaya and look at how they are working at the bay view hunters point and learn from the work by frankie jelt

and looking forward to some of the talks at the end of the meeting tonight. thank you all so much and thank you the awardees and making this all possible. >> madam secretary? >> would you read agenda item no. 7? >> item 7. san francisco human rights resolution a collective work and contribution of 2013 hero awardees including reflexes on the commemoration. >> 6:27. beginning at 6:30 i'm going to suspend from reading the entire proclamation. it's on display. it's some reflexes -- reflections from the commission and a promise to

continue to work for which the commission was created. we are about to celebrate our 50th anniversary and in this document what we are doing is rededicating ourselves for the work that we've been given. now, i would like to give our fellow and sister commissioners an at some point to speak about their thoughts and reflects on this day and at this special meetings. >> commissioner pathist? >> esteemed colleagues and staff. in this year's worthy participants of the hero awards and the city and county of san francisco whom we are privileged to serve, on this specific occasion, i would ask you to permanent -- permit me a kind indulgence to reflect on

the gravity of the moment in which we find ourselves. i have drafted these very very brief remarks so they maybe included in tonight's observance. 50 years ago dr. martin luther king jr. gave birth to this commission. as it's privileged to work with leaders in our city, some of whom are in attendance this evening, this is a moment of particular personal significance as the iconic leader the reverend dr. martin luther king jr. was a pastor who is voice inspired countless souls to fearlessly stand up and speak truth in the face of injustice and

discrimination. in fact a recorded history, but particularly this past half century we've revealed that the tongues of clergy like dr. king have consistently spoken out in issues of discrimination, race, poverty and domestic disparity, immigration, and yes, sexual orientation. they dared to challenge society's conscience on all rights. it is dr. kings inspires that led to these decisions, presidential and executive orders and concongressional and equality. the hero awards are living and profound symbols of this tradition. remind us that we

here today are stewards of that great legacy, but more importantly that our collective work to advance human and civil rights is far from accomplished. today's historic observance is also a reminder to those of us in our commission to honor those 5 decades of service and accomplishments of the san francisco human rights commission in its fight for human rights in the face of discrimination. the history landmark initiatives and subsequent legislation generated by the san francisco human rights commission are not less than historic if not miraculous and too numerous to numerate. if i maybe so bold allow me to suggest that neither today's observance nor what we celebrate, a call to action from those we honor and upon whose shoulders we stand.

they were not nostalgic figures in this history but with courage and action. if they ever look back was to stand on justice and discrimination. were these simply nostalgic people and not conscious in action, i dare say we would not be remembering them at all today. to effectively honor dr. king's memory words and civil rights movement. we must emulate his inspired example. for history will be our judge of worthiness as well. today we are challenged to ask ourselves in 50 years, what will history say of us. it's my -- sincere and humble hope that as these challenges today, the laudable accomplishments of those who

came before us on this commission and along with these worthy heroes who we honor this evening my catalyze us to take on this agenda and be true leaders in human rights in the best of san francisco tradition. if we can rise to this challenge and i believe that we can, then we too can authentically advance the dream of dr. king and make a different in the lives of countless disenfranchised souls who look to us to be their advocates. thank you. [ applause ] >> commissioner? >> first i would like to congratulate all the honorees for their dedication to civil rights and to human rights. we celebrate you and greatly appreciate your participation. thank you for all of your hard

work. 50 years ago dr. king had a dream that some day his children be judged by the content of their character, not the color of their skin. we have come a long ways, but we are not there yet. all the men are not equal yet. there are still great disparity with regards to education. we as a nation have the largest population of the prisoners and majority are african american and they are there because of minor drug charges. to borrow a phrase from dr. king, today i have a dream. that some day soon we send minor drug offenders to rehab rather than to prison. today i have a dream that some day, every child regardless of the color of their skin would have access to excellent education. today i have a dream that some day, there will be great economic

opportunities for everyone, not because of the color of their skin, but because of their merits. with dedication of heroes like you, we will get there. keep up the great work. thank you. [ applause ] >> any other comments from commissioners? >> seeing none, we'll move on to the next agenda item. >> item 8. public comment on the commemoration and the awards? >> so i have 3 cards for public comment right now, if there are any others, if we can get those collected. the first is for miss spinola jackson. >> to the commissioners, i want to say to the heroes, i want to welcome you to the alumni of

the heroes. since you are the heroes today, i want to make sure you continue to be heroes tomorrow. so our work is just beginning after the first 50 years, thank you. [ applause ] next we have miss doris ward.

>> good evening, everybody. i'm so honored to be had been this evening and very pleased having been involved with the 50-year old civil rights event. and i remember when i was all about that. i remember that i was on my way to washington d.c. to participate in the march. i was president of the na acp at the time in indianapolis, indiana. they said, you can't go. we need to have a group of people here to review a group of people as they come from indianapolis. i said, you mean i can't go to washington? they said no. we have to receive all the people that are marching. i

said oh, my god! i have to give that up. then i did that. because the number of people came through and i and other people we prepared food for them at our house as they were coming tired from that march. they stopped. so i was happy that i was able to participate. [inaudible] all right.

if you had asked me, 2013, oh, my god! we must say what we did, we must keep on doing and we must continue to support and push all people. don't let people say i can't do this or i can't do that. everybody. everybody can do something. move this journey along. i'm so happy to be here with all of

you. [ applause ] >> the final card that i presently have is from miss eileen hernandez. [ applause ] >> it's very hard to follow doris. i have been doing that for a long time. i think this has been a very unique evening because i don't recall ever having this kind of event, discussion how the human rights commission is