together we can support your children. it's been my dream to start is a valley school since i was a little girl. i'm having a lot of fun with it (clapping) the biggest thing we really want the kids to have fun. a lot of times parents say that

valley schools have a lot of problems but we want them to follow directions but we want them to have a wonderful time and be an affordable time so the kids will go to school here. we hold the classes to no longer 12 and there's 23 teachers. i go around and i watch each class and there's certain children i watched from babies and it's exciting to see them after today. the children learn how to follow directions and it ends up helping them in their regular

schooling. they get self-confidents and today, we had a residual and a lot of time go on stage and i hope they get the bug and want to dance for the rest of their >> feel like it really is a community. they are not the same thing, but it really does feel like there's that kind of a five. everybody is there to enjoy a literary reading. >> the best lit in san francisco. friendly, free, and you might get fed. ♪ [applause]

>> this san francisco ryther created the radar reading series in 2003. she was inspired when she first moved to this city in the early 1990's and discover the wild west atmosphere of open mi it's ic in the mission. >> although there were these open mics every night of the week, they were super macho. people writing poems about being jerks. beatty their chest onstage. >> she was energized by the scene and proved up with other girls who wanted their voices to be heard. touring the country and sharing gen-x 7 as a. her mainstream reputation grew with her novel.

theses san francisco public library took notice and asked her if she would begin carrying a monthly reading series based on her community. >> a lot of the raiders that i work with our like underground writers. they're just coming at publishing and at being a writer from this underground way. coming in to the library is awesome. very good for the library to show this writing community that they are welcome. at first, people were like, you want me to read at the library, really? things like that. >> as a documentary, there are interviews -- [inaudible] >> radar readings are focused on clear culture.

strayed all others might write about gay authors. gay authors might write about universal experiences. the host creates a welcoming environment for everybody. there is no cultural barrier to entry. >> the demographic of people who come will match the demographic of the reader. it is very simple. if we want more people of color, you book more people of color. you want more women, your book more women. kind of like that. it gets mixed up a little bit. in general, we kind of have a core group of people who come every month. their ages and very. we definitely have some folks who are straight. >> the loyal audience has allowed michelle to take more chances with the monthly lineup. established authors bring in an

older audience. younker authors bring in their friends from the community who might be bringing in an older author. >> raider has provided a stage for more than 400 writers. it ranges from fiction to academics stories to academic stories this service the underground of queer fell, history, or culture. >> and there are so many different literary circles in san francisco. i have been programming this reading series for nine years. and i still have a huge list on my computer of people i need to carry into this. >> the supportive audience has allowed michele to try new experiment this year, the radar book club. a deep explorationer of a single work.

after the talk, she bounces on stage to jump-start the q&a. less charlie rose and more carson daly. >> san francisco is consistently ranked as one of the most literate cities in the united states. multiple reading events are happening every night of the year, competing against a big names like city arts and lectures. radar was voted the winner of these san francisco contest. after two decades of working for free, michelle is able to make radar her full-time job. >> i am a right to myself, but i feel like my work in this world is eagerly to bring writers together and to produce literary events. if i was only doing my own work, i would not be happy. it is, like throwing a party or a dinner party.

i can match that person with that person. it is really fun for me. it is nerve wracking during the actual readings. i hope everyone is good. i hope the audience likes them. i hope everybody shows up. but everything works out. at the end of the reading, everyone is happy. ♪ you. >> (clapping.) i'm kate i'm the cork of the event for homeless connect. >> i'm and i any i want to take a few seconds before kate announcements news. this is our first event for 2014 this is the tenth year for project homeless connect

(clapping) a project that started it's humble beginning in community efforts love and passion has grown into what it is today, we can't say enough this would not be enough without you coming to the event and giving your time and your ideas. this event wouldn't be what it is today, we started with 5 times a year and now we have a model people can come into the office in between our events. we're existing and we hope your excited and thank you. again so very much for coming out. as >> as amy said we're having a new shirt if are for the whole year on the fronted it has our log do and on the back all the

services we've offend through the years and all the hair cuts and medical services and washing and pedestriany and lunch we've served so thank you. (clapping.) also in thanks we're giving a shirt to all our speakers today so they can represent as well. >> good morning it's great to see everybody here how's it going. i had the privilege of working with mayor ed lee aaron homeless we partner with project homeless connect i want to share a couple of positive things it's intooirg to see san franciscans coming out everyday and giving of them. i'm equally desired how you make

that experience happen. there have been changes this past month we shifted in how the city alternates shelter beds we have one hundred and the 8 in san francisco. some of you may have seen at the 3 and 4 in the morning people line up because you don't know how many 7090 daybeds there are it's not safe for men and women to be out in the street. i'm glad to say we've shifted that we're moving toward a lottery people can call 311 and make a recreation for a bed now we're going to see that people don't have to be out in the middle of the night people can

go and get a meal and go to their appointment and those beds are by lottery. we looked at the long-term beds users people are afraid to have a seizures or episode in a small hotel room so we're making changes inform did system interest the amazing thing i think the way our world is changing the people that have made 311 restoration people can get a text message and know where you're going to have a bed that might. there the leadership we've opened two other shelters one hundred and 20 beds for chronically bed also between

folsom we're opening 374, fifth street there are homeless people between the ages of 16 and 24 and this facility came about and people are moving into this building to have housing. so i want to take a moment and acknowledge people from houston steve and judy harris stand up and wave (clapping) we love the mayor houston not because thoes the lesbian mayor. in the a first time that we have this sponsor and it's inspiring to us that google is our sponsor

for pa c for this event we're really, really pleased. lastly i'm wondering in any friends in hand dot can i see a waiver from hand dot. if you get a chance stop and see the amazing organization we've been supporting. hand dot uss pretty much a sponsor of homeless someone who was approaching his forgetting reunion he was homeless. it's a principal to work for a mayor that's you should in an area not only of growth and prosper it in the morning where your problems are big or small

mayor ed lee >> thank you good afternoon, everybody. happy 53 and tenth this is where the beautiful people have come in morning i've been laborer looking for. those are the times when people need help and us. they need us with good hearts and smiles and a good connection this is what project homeless has been about for 10 years i've been happy to work with barbara garcia and supervisor farrell and the a other supervisors and new partners that are helping us improve our services. it's not just keeping the cycle that bev vin talked about how

about in connection with people giving them a warm smile talking about how to get into long-term support and services. we also help build thirty thousand more unit in san francisco. how about that you how about we race the minimum wage yeah. help people get a descendent job and work with people like sdoolg so people on the streets can use them launching sf late the other day how about thanking you for the impact grants and all those wonderful things that are happening in san francisco. ? the greatest city in the world but i and everyday now are

proving it to be the greatest city people want to be looking at the views and riding great cable cars up to the stars and walk the block but we want to touch people's hearts like that kid did. everyday we're doing our best. sth past year we've learned more youth that on the streets then we thought before more less obedience and gaze a population of 50 percent we reduce chronic homelessness by 38 percent that's good but we have more to do we always have more to do we invite the challenges and create new perspires that's why good

looking is here we need the best of our city government workers and the best of our community to help folks. we want to be astronomer active for them so when google said they're to come in a volunteer i smiled because they started with the affordability how about free muni for youth for the next 23 years how about wifiing our parks so monoanyone can use this afternoon how about the rally for life how about all the wonderful grants give to impact people's lives in a positive way and to join the volunteers.

those are the wonderful things and supervisor farrell is going to talk about how hocking to improve project homeless connect is just the beginning of tropics it was never both going to be the end when you touch people's lives and they start opening up their lives that's about the engagement how to grab the challenges and work with them that so thank you people from houston. one of the security staff said how did howe house the road i don't in houston we don't have that here we have tech rodeos; right? >> (laughter). >> right. but this is all my way of saying

with outline sincerity you have a great deal mayor we're going to work hard with you to make people astronomer their lives i want to start the foundation and please continue to help and get our employees and employers involved and your family and friends and let's make tropics a real vision and thank you. let's celebrate project homeless connect (clapping.) thank you so i just want to mention as i bring up the next speaker many of the key staff out here providing services are in from our department of public health we couldn't do this without them let's give them a shout out. now i have the opportunity to

bring up our rock star of public health. barbara garcia has been in the front when it seemed like we couldn't have health care there's things about the affordable health care it's going to cover health services and without coverage no better partner than our health advocate barbara garcia >> good morning how many are first time advocates. all right. so i see workday workday folks raise our hands. we hope you'll have 10 more years and hopefully by that time we'll have the opportunity to

house many more people. one of the things we are going to be doing as you see the incredible amount of services but daily connect it wouldn't look like this it will be our staff going to into the shelter for signing up people for my glasses and homes. we have the advantage of getting people into one hundred percent homes. it's going back going to be beneficial as mayor ed lee talked about also being able to get them housed and the department of public health i think we find it's worst a hand in order to complete somebody's health care and be