thank you, and i would be happy to answer any questions the commission may have at this time about the training program. certain certain tha . >> president serina: thank you. commissioner? >> yeah. the training program will encompass multiple training levels for caregivers and unpaid staff, so are some of these members not paid, like family members? >> no, it's not training for respite care workers. these are people that would be hired in the community. >> okay. so it's all aimed towards people that are paid? i was curious about that phrase. and then, how do people learn about this program? >> well, self-help, we'll be doing outreach within their community in particular because it is the asian and pacific

island community, they have a pretty brought reach, and they also have programs that can feed into it internally. >> it's not a problem of not filling -- >> no. i anticipate it's going to be very successful. >> okay. thank you. >> thank you. >> i know self-help has their own inhome support staff service. is this training also open to the citywide besides their own staff? >> oh, absolutely. they'll be doing outreach to the wider community, not just their own staff. >> okay. another question i have is, like, the fringe benefit for part-time is 27%. isn't that a little bit high? i don't know -- i've been out

of the workforce for such a long time. what does the 27% include? i know that when i was working, you have to pay health benefit for people that work 20 hours and up per week, but some of them are at, like, 10%, so are they still paying the housing insurance or what? >> yeah. i mean, the way the staffing is -- i mean, some of these, they're being shared across programs, so for example, you know, the compliance officer, they're directing 10% of their salary towards this, but that officer is a full-time officer. >> so that's why they have the full fringe benefits? >> correct. >> president serina: okay. any other comments or questions? tiffany, what language will the training be provided in? >> i have the information right here. so self-help, maybe they can speak to this better, but they

have capacity for cantonese, mandarin, and vietnamese. this is winnie. >> good morning, commissioners. we have the training staff with capacity to deliver training in english, in chinese and with a career advising staff that has the ability to provide coaching services in can tonese, vietnamese, and tagalog. >> president serina: thank you. any further discuss discussion? any public comment?

seeing none, call the question. all in favor? all opposed? motion carries. item d, requesting authorization to enter into a new grant agreement with self-help for the elderly for the provision of a workforce support program during the period of february 1, 2019 through june 30, 2021 in the amount of $548,935 plus a 10% contingency, for a total grant amount not to exceed $603,829. welcome back, tiffany. >> gcood morning, commissioner. the needs assessment report confirmed that clients who are connected to daas services have

positive experiences and enjoy their participation. the report also revealed that not all older adults and adults with disabilities know about the services available to them through the department, and there is a need to boost awareness of daas funded programs and services. consumers in districts one, two, four, and 11 in particular participate less in services than in other districts, and although limited awareness is not the only contributing factor, it was a finding that was noted throughout the needs assessment support. the peer ambassador program is one of several approaches the department is using to increase visibility of our services. by using peer ambassadors and a word of mouth approach, the department will have a new way

and opportunity to share information about services, and the consumers will have another way to learn about services they may need from a source they trust within their communities. self-help for the elderly will hire four peer ambassadors to work in the districts i mentioned. at least one ambassador will be dedicated to each district to ensure continuity. they will share information about daas services within their appropriate district. they will use information tailored to the tridistricts a the communities within those districts. daas will work closely with self-help to ensure accurate information is distributed.

peer ambassadors will be connected to our benefits and resource hub. they will have a working relationship with the adrcs within the districts. the daas hub and adrcs are great resources that the ambassadors will be able to access and refer consumers to as needed. collectively, the ambassadors will provide information to at least 200 organizations and businesses annually who have connections to consumers that we serve with the specific intent of increasing awareness about daas programs and services. thank you, and i would be happy to answer any questions you might have at this time. >> president serina: commissioner pappas? >> yes, i'm joining the other commissioners in asking an entry question. when we include the programs,

those include the dignity fund programming? >> yes. >> president serina: any other commissioner comments or questions? commissioner loo. >> okay. i have a question. in the table a, it said they were going to hire five -- >> yeah, sorry. when i said that, i realized i had said four because i was not reading my notes correctly. they are actually hiring five. the minimum is four, but they're overcommitting, if you will. >> but my question here is on the salary sheet, it just says two peer ambassadors instead of four or five. >> because they're leveraging another source for the other two -- or actually, the other three. >> okay. that's what i think is really

kind of nice is if they're matching, it would appear in the budget so it would make it cli kind of clear. >> on the budget revenues, on the summary sheet, it has match three, so it has the match there. >> thank you. my apologies. >> no worries. no worries. >> president serina: thank you. any other comments or questions? any comments or questions from the public? hearing none, may i have a motion to approve? >> so moved. >> second. >> president serina: thank you. any further comment? all in favor? any opposed? thank you. >> thank you very much. >> president serina: thank you. item f, requesting authorization to enter into a new grant agreement with kimochi, inc, for

sustainability for nonprofit licensed residential care facilities for the elderly, rcfe, during the period of march 1, 2019 through june 30, 2020, in the amount of 175,3 # will $4 plus a 10% contingency for a total grant amount not to exceed $192,922. well come, fanny lappitan. it's been a while. >> yes. good morning, commissioners. i'm fanny lappitan, program coordinator for long-term operations at daas. i'm seeking authorization to enter into a new long-term agreement with kimochi. rcfes are assisted living facilities that have long been preferred community

alternatives for those who are able to live on their own. they provide an increased level of care in a supportive and safe environment with 24-hour supervision for individuals aged 60 and over. in recent years, the number of rcfes in san francisco have costed due to decreasing population, and inadequate funding. the smaller facilities have accounted for the greatest number of closures, making it difficult for lower income individuals to secure care. as mentioned earlier, there's an assisted living work group that's tasked by the long-term care coordinating council which recently researched this issue and its recommendation of support for this needed service are currently being considered by the city. this grant will support the sustainability of kimochi home

rcfe by providing access, and quality care service. it's to provide care for 20 residents over the age of 60 who are able to independently walk. it is a two-story facility with eight single occupancy rooms and six double occupancy rooms. the facility is currently owned and operated by kimochi. it is currently serving a majority of residents of monolingual japanese or those who speak english as a second language. kimochi has been built from the ground up in 1983, and no major renovations have taken place since that time. the funds from this grant will be used in three areas. first is to update their safety

and security measures. the second is to improve accessibility of rest rooms on the first floor and the third is to modernize the facility which is showing 3.5 decades of wear and tear. these updates and improvements, kimmy chee home will update the rcfes ablt -- kimochi home will update the rcfes ability to support the residents. the funds through this grant will help support the long-term safety of economy owe chee home and potentially create savings in maintenance and utility costs in the near future, allowing for increase in their general reserves and helping to maintain a sustainable business plan. a kimochi business administrator will be responsible for completing the

projects and will do so in such a way to minimize the disturbance or negative impact on the residents as much as possible. at this time i'd be happy to answer any questions the commissioners may have commission scolaire de la capita capitale -- may have. >> president serina: thank you, fanny. that was a very comprehensive report? commissioners, any comments or questions? >> is the whole kimochi home taken at this point? >> i'm just going to calling shawn for more comprehensive information? >> we currently have 17 residential residents and when we have beds available, we serve those rooms for respite care, so seniors who know they're going in for surgery or have a scheduled operation can reserve an open room so that they can stay with us for a few

days before they go home and make sure they're ak and reduce the risk of hospitalization. so we're currently full with 17 residents and three residenpit residents. >> so do you have a waiting list? >> we don't have a waiting list with this right now. one of the things we'll track with this is the interest in our home and full-time residency by hopefully growing our wait list so we can fill empty beds. >> i presumed kimochi owned the building. >> yes, we do own the building. >> thank you. >> president serina: thank you, commissioner. any further comments or questions? any comments or questions from the public? hearing none, may i have a motion to approve? >> so moved. >> president serina: second? >> second. >> president serina: any further comment? thank you. all in favor? all opposed? thank you. motion carries.

item g, requesting authorization to enter into a new grant agreement with self-help for the elderly for sustainability for nonprofit licensed residential care facilities for the elderly, rcfe during the period of march 1, 2019 through june 30, 2020, in the amount of $302,451 plus a 10% contingency for a total grant amount not to exceed $332,696. welcome back, fanny. >> thank you. good morning, commissioners. th autumn glow provides assisted living in a unique 24 hour

residential care in the hayes valley located at 654 groev grove street. it has capacity for other cultural and language needs. the funds through this grant will be used to access safety, security, and the quality of services delivered to residents, and this includes infrastructure improvements, accessibility improvements, technology infrastructure upgrades, safety and security improvements, and there'll be training from a registered nurse and nutrition improvements from a registered dietitian. with these upgrades, they will provide upgraded safety and

security measures, and providing sustainability for at least five years after the grant ends. it will help support the long-term building safety and minimize the use of reserve funds that can be used for emergencies in unexpected business challenging. autumn glow's director of housing services will be responsible for the various services and will have oversight of the construction to ensure project completion within the deadline. they have a plan to minimize disruption or negative impact on the residents as much as possible while this is happen. i'd be happy to answer any questions. >> president serina: thank you, fanny. any commissioner questions? commissioner loo? >> autumn glow serve only chinese? >> they don't just serve chinese.

they do -- let's see, the demographic at this time is 72% chinese but they also have 14% vietnamese and 17% mandarin. >> president serina: any other questions? >> how long have they been in hayes valley. >> oh, they've been in existence for 18 years. >> oh, all right. thank you. i live near there, so i hadn't realized how long it had been there. >> president serina: thank you. any further comments or questions? any comments or questions from the public? hearing none, may i have a motion to approve? >> so moved. >> president serina: second? >> second. >> president serina: any further comments or questions? all in favor? opposed? the motion carries.

thank you very much, fanny. is there any general public comment right now? >> winnie yoo, self-help for the elderly. commissioners and director kaufman, thank you very much for the self-help for the elderly to implement these pilot projects and for the opportunity to serve additional clients through the dignity fund mission population in need skpr , and we really look forward to updating on the implementation of these programs, and thank you again. >> president serina: thank you. any other comments or questions? you have a question, commissioner loo? >> since self-help is going to do the peer ambassador program, i'm just wondering if the department has updated their brochure of various kinds of

services because i think we have new sorts of services added since the dignity fund kicked in. >> so we are in the process -- we have, commissioner, a service location and current services available. i think it was last updated in 2016-17, and we are in the process of updating is now. hopefully -- it now. hopefully, it'll come out later. so we -- every month we have a meeting, things change slightly sometimes, so that is the goal to be as current as possible, but it does take time to implement that information. >> and it'll be in different languages? >> oh, that is an excellent question. that is something i will look into. i don't have that information now, but that is an excellent question. i will follow up with you. >> president serina: any other general questions? any other questions from the

public? any announcements? hearing none, motion to adjourn. >> so moved. >> president serina: thank you very much.

. >> thank you for coming today. my name is debbie mezlo, and i commissioner near on the status of women. [applause] >> thank you, i'll take

it. the women's rrs history month. i want to thank all of the people that are here today as we launch women's history month. it is an incredible thing to see elected officials, commissioners, community leaders, our male allies who are here, so thank you for coming to spend this time with us. i'd like to recognize my colleagues on the commission on the status of women, and if you will tanstand as i call your name. commissioner sonya melara. [applause] >> commissioner melara. [applause] >> they're celebrating, too. [laughter] >> i know. commissioner andrea shorter. [applause] >> commissioner cary pomerance. [applause] >> i also -- if you'll indulge me, i wanted to

introduce and recognize marge fillhour, who is on the commission with us. and introduce our director, dr. emily maraza. [applause] >> i wanted to say a couple quick things. i wanted to see what a privilege it is to serve on the commission on the status of women in san francisco. it is the strongest commission in the country. and there are a couple of reasons why: number one, we have a department that backs us up, as well as res sources dedicated to us per authority of the mayor to implement our mission, which is to uplift the quality of life for women and girls in san francisco. we have a particular focus on prevention of violence and economic equality. we also have a very unique history in san francisco, which is this: many decades ago the u.n. adopted human rights treaties specifically for women and girls. it is called the "convention to end the discrimination against women." it codifies us as equals

in the law. now, the people of san francisco voted to adopt this locally. we were the first city to do this, and for many years the only city to do this. and we did it in the face of the federal government failing to do this, which i think speaks to history repeating itself now. but the people of san francisco adopted this, saying to the women and girls in our community, we see you, we respect you, and you deserve dignity. so i'm always proud to be a san franciscan when i think about that, so it is such a privilege to serve on the commission. march is my favorite month because it is women's history month, and it gives us a focus around highlighting women and really honoring these unsung heroins we which in our community every day. speaking of honoring heroines, i have the opportunity to introduce our mayor, mayor london breed. this is our first opportunity to celebrate her during women's history month.

i wanted to say a couple of things about her. i've known the mayor for many years. before she became a supervisor, before she answered the call and really led us through a difficult time in this city, before she answered the call to leadership and became our mayor, and i can tell you a couple of things about her. number one, she has always been a leader in this community around strength and grit and resilience and self-determination, so thank you for that, even before you were in an elected office. she has always been there for women. she has been a mentee on senator kamala harris, whom i've worked for for many years, and she was there through the good times and the bad. so when she supports you, she supports you, and i think that is rare. and she is a person of action. she is going to get stuff done. since she has been the mayor, she has worked for strengthening protections for sexual assault survivors, and for sexual

harassment guidelines here at the city, underscoring that all people have the right to work in their work places without violence. she has el held up our youth, making it a priority to give internships every summer, that economic pathway that is so important, as well as for girls in our community. i'm proud every time i get to say mayor london breed. [applause] [cheering] >> thank you commissioner mezlo, and thank you to everyone who is joining us here today. i also would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge some of our elected officials. our chair, vicki hennessey is here. thank you for joining us. and our treasurer, jose, is joining us as well. and thank you to our fire chief, joanne white, for being here, as well as the director of emergency management, mary ellen

carroll, thank you so much. some amazing women leaders in the city and county of san francisco. i'm just loving the crowd today. i am so excited. it is about time that we kick off women's history month with a woman mayor, isn't it? [applause] >> and oftentimes when you talk about women and you talk about incredible women, it's usually names that most of us recognize as important figures, like kamala harris, who is running for president, and nancy pelosi, who is the speaker of the house, and amazing woman, and all of these incredible women from san francisco and all over the country. today i chose to honor a number of women who are also heros, who are heros in this city, who are heros in their respective

communities, and they are doing things that are absolutely amazing, not because they're looking for recognition but because they love and care about their community. and they have spent their entire lives serving other people for the purposes of making sure that their communities and their cities thrive. and so the first person that i am recognizing is someone who have known my entire life. we know her as utey. and there is little utee rutherford has been an important figure in our community. let me tell you, this woman has done so many amazing things for so many people. the list goes on and on and on. yes, we know in the filmore western community about the work that she

has done around the turkey give-aways, the toy give-aways, the -- every time there is a funeral, she is the one who is cooking the food. every time someone comes home after serving time, her house is the house that they go to to get some support. and oftentimes she is doing this by pulling her own money out of her own pocket to help support people in the community. utey is there to uplift us, she is there to pray for us, she is there to support us, she is there to comfort us, especially during challenging times in the western addition community. she is this unifying support and voice. she is just a constant support. and even when we're going through oftentimes very challenging times, she is right there to lift us up. in a way that just makes us feel better. we are so lucky to have her in the western addition community. we are so lucky to have

had here in our lives for so long. whether it is feeding the seniors at queen ada, and they love to see you coming. they love to see you coming because you always give them a smile and a kind word. you don't just serve food. you give of yourself to people. you've been doing it for so long, you have raised two amazing kids. look at little rodney over there. i see you, big rodney, and your partner who has been there for you. you guys are like the first couple of filmore. they're like the first mom and the first daddy of filmore. we are just so blessed and lucky that, you know, you are such a kind person with a kind heart, who gives back to the community time and time again. and so when i was thinking about people to honor, all i can think about is utey, utey, whether it is me calling and saying, i need some chicken, and you're

like, big rodney, you've got to fry linda some chicken. or we need your help, utey, we need you to come and take up the mantel for whatever it takes, and you always say yes. you always answer the call. so many people are here today because you answered the call when they need you the most. [applause] [cheering] >> we're going to have to make some new rules around here. no, somebody is getting married. they're happy. but, you know, it just means so much to just know you and to have you as a part of my life and so many folks who are here today. so i just thought it was more appropriate than ever, as we celebrate the kickoff of women's history month, to honor a true phenomenal woman. ladies and gentlemen, today we honor utey rutherford. thank you so much. come on up. [applause] [cheering]

>> i would just like to start off by saying, thank you so much, mayor london breed, for recognizing me. i truly appreciate it. and to the beautiful city of san francisco. to my lovely family, to my lovely family, and to my wonderful friends, that always stand by me, always stand by me. for everything i ask for for the community, i call them, and they come. they stand by me and for me. and i would like to acknowledge my husband rodney, my god son jimmy,

my brother sadik, my brother sean, and my brother wendell is not here. anything i ask them for to help me with the community, they help me. i love working for my community. it is something i love to do. and i have a briend, and she is here, stephanie jackson. we've been friends for 28 years. and she worked at raw aid, and they've been volunteering with seniors for over 10 years. and i just have this drive in my heart to help, to do. and i just want to make san francisco and my community the best i can. and i just want to thank you again, mayor, for this wonderful, wonderful award. [applause] [cheering] >> we also have for each of our honorees -- as mayor, i get a scarf with

my name on it. and, in fact, i wanted to take this opportunity to show you the scarf. each of the honorees will be getting one. of the city and county of san francisco. if you look close, you'll see the african-american on the culture complex, right there. [applause] [cheering] >> and courtesy of john's grill. they wanted to make sure you had a lovely romantic didinner for two for you and your husband. so her is a gift certificate for john's grill and a scarf. congratulations. [applause] >> and all of the friends and family that are here are going to treat her to dinner, right? [applause] >> so the next honoree, i actually started working for back in, i think, kind of right out of college,

back in 1997. anne-marie conroy was my former boss, and sometimes still believes she is my boss. but, she has not just been a great boss, she has been a great friend. you know, it was -- i was fresh out of college, working my first job, and didn't know everything i thought i knew. and she has been not only a friend and a great boss, but she has been a great mentor. someone who helped guide me in my political career. her work started early. she is a lawyer, but she served on the board of supervisors. she was the director of the treasure island development authority. she was the dreblght director of the department of emergency management, but what inspired me most about her work was when she served as a board member for partners ending domestic abuse, and how she was committed to

raising money to help provide support for women who were escaping some of the most challenging of circumstances. her work oftentimes was not always recognized. in fact, when i worked for her at the treasure island development authority, there was a lot of challenges around the housing there. and a percentage of that housing went to formerly homeless families. and anne-marie and i had this conversation about how we could make that work. i'm, like, how are we going to make it work for the families? she just basically said, we're going to make it work for the families. we have this housing and part of what we're going to do is make sure we improve the bus routes. there was a program that she and john stewart's company worked on to provide furniture and other opportunities for the families who were getting started, who had been formerly homeless. the work that she did to not only make the housing work at that time, but in the future and to incorporate it into the agreement, so that

families who can't afford to live on treasure island wouldn't be left out of the process, is work that i've always admired about what she has done. she is now working at the u.s. attorney's office, dealing with some of the most challenging of crimes, and continuing to bring innovative resources and plans to the job that she does. she is one of those persons who is very creative, and she is very fun. and she knows how to decorate a house or anything else, for that matter. she is oftentimes the person that i go to for advice and counsel on how to handle things. and in every single instance, every single time, in giving advice and talking about issues, it really comes from the heart. and it comes from her love of community. and it comes from her love in wanting to help and support people. as a daughter of san francisco, she has made us all proud with her accomplishments and everything that she has done. and i wanted to take this

opportunity to just acknowledge her work, and just to say thank you for being a great role model, a great friend, a great mentor. ladies and gentlemen, anne-marie conroy. [applause] [cheering] >> so thank you so much, mayor. you're an incredible mayor, and such an accomplished speaker and such an accomplished person. i couldn't be more proud. i know this is only a short stop on a long and incredible career. and we're very lucky for the years that we'll have you in san francisco, but i think there are some other cities, such as sacramento and washington that may be having their time with london.

as london said, she did work for me at the treasure island development authority. i'll never forget the first day she walked in the door. i could see this was a young woman full of smarts with a 10,000 watt smile, and she said, hi, i'm london breed, and i'm going to be your assistant. this is just an interview. if that gives you an insight into something can stop london. that was one example. i want to dedicate this honor today to my mother, maureen conroy, also known as "mighty mo." she went to u.c. berkeley at the age of 16. she skipped didn't grades and started berkeley at age 16. it was during world war ii, and there weren't many opportunities for women with great educations. you were pretty much trapped into being a school teacher or nurse. she got her teaching credential, and then she met my father, a great war

hero. and then went to have a happy life together. back then, in his world, women didn't work because it made a man feel like he couldn't support his family. so she decided to recreate -- or create her own stay at work mom track, and she became president of just about everything. and whatever she did, she did a phenomenal job at. so there is quite a spread in my family of sisters. there are four girls. my older sister is 13 years my senior. so when i finished law school, my second eldest sister, peggy, who is here today, said, mom, why don't you stop using all of your time helping people with compaigns and electing judges and doing petitions and fighting city hall and make some money. you know, you just turned 60. go do something. stop doing everything for free. and she said, peggy, what

am i going to do. and she said, go get your real estate license. and she was, like, okay. and so she did it. and she went up to the office in lakeside. a 60-year-old woman with her certificate. and they said, yeah, we don't have a desk for you. and so she went back and peggy said, well, mom, you need a resume. and she said, oh, okay. so peggy helped her. and it is a two-page resume of the phenomenal accomplishments of this woman, how many compaigns she had run, how she had been president of just about every organization of san francisco. and they took another look at her and said, i think we found you a desk. so she became rookie -- this is at the age 60, she became rookie of the year, and she became the top seller, lister, and producer for caldwell for the next 15 years of her life in the country.

i want to let people know that at age, don't let anyone tell you no. don't let anything hold you back from your dreams. and that's what i've always mentored women, is with that story of my mom, you can do anything at any age. and her big thing and my big thing as a mentor to women, is education. as far as we have come as women, you still need letters after your name. and that has always been my advice, whether it is j.d., m.d., m.a., m.s. -- whatever those letters are and those certifications, it gives you that instant credibility. and unfortunately as women, we still need that. and i think it is very important, and i still tell -- this is why this young woman has a master's. i tried to make her go to law school, but she got her master's instead. every week, london, law school or master's, what is it going to be?

so that is extremely important. debbie mezlo, emily, how much work with did in the world of domestic violence. and when the super bowl came to san francisco, how much work we have done around human trafficking. and how much more work has to be done. and we found a high-profile case that has led to having those tough discussions about human trafficking and what goes on around big sporting events and other things in every city of america. deb has held the domestic violence consortium together for decades. i take this honor today honoring all of you and all of the work that we've done. i want to shout a special shout out to chief hazel white. i want to give her a happy birthday. [applause] >> joanne is actually two

days older than i am. and i have to say again about age, when margan exacted me about this award, i said i think i'm a little too young to be part of history. and as joanne knows, and you can look this up because our profiles have always been public, with our age, she is 55, and i'm not, until tomorrow. [laughter] >> and how unfair the press can be sometimes because when joanne became fire chief, and i helped her a lot get there with mayor newsom, and it said chief hazel white, 39, and two months later, i became head of l.e.s. emergency services, and it said conroy, 40. and i thought, that is so unfair. but there is just so much love and camaraderie in

this room. i think part of that is our great mayor. she is so good at bringing everyone together, not letting waring faction continue. getting people to work together because she cares so incredibly deeply about this city. i just want to thank you, mayor, for being our mayor. there were several times in the tough talks we've had over london's career, when she ran for supervisor, i actually begged her not to do it. i said, you have so much promise, you have so much potential, the world is your oyster. do not waste your life's energy on the mud puddle of city politics. and she said, that's my seat, anne-marie, and i'm going to take it. and i said, okay, kid, i'm with you all the way. and i'm glad she didn't listen to my advice. and i look very much forward to the great things she is going to do for our city. thank you.

[applause] [cheering] thank you. okay. last, but not least, marlene tran. now, marlene tran is one of those persons who is kind of a quiet/loud force. she works for the san francisco unified school district and city college for over 35 years, teaching bilingual courses, working to fight for her community, in visitation valley, it is a community on the south side of san francisco that sometimes feels forgotten, feels left out, but marlene doesn't let that happen. she makes sure that everyone who is supervisor, that anyone who is mayor, they are not going to forget about visitation valley and

providing this community, and especially seniors -- especially seniors -- with the support that they need to thrive and feel safe in their community. i got to know her over the past years in just watching her run for supervisor in district 10. you didn't win, but you sure did create a lot of heck. and i said, i really was drawn to her because i love the fight in her. he is unapologetic in her commitment to fight for people who oftentimes don't have a voice, especially many of the seniors who in visitation valley, they may not speak english. and she is right there helping with bilingual courses, helping with translation, helping to be the voice to fight for the resources that this community needs. and we really appreciate you. because oftentimes she doesn't stop to realize how impactful she is. every time we have a

conversation, it's about muni, it's about police officers, it's about what's going on. and today it is about you. it's about you and the work that you have done in order to make the lives of so many in the visitation valley and the southeast sector of our community and our city so much better. we appreciate you for your advocacy, for your commitment to education and our young people, and how you continue to hold young people accountable. i'm sure you had a few young kids in your classes that gave you problems, and you said, those are the best ones because you know that those are going to be the ones to go on to do great things. we talked about so many things involving improving the quality of life of san francisco, and she has, for years, put her words into action and has made not only the visitation valley community a better place, she has made san francisco a better place. ladies and gentlemen, marlene tran.

[applause] [cheering] >> i think i am so overwhelmed. i was going to make a speech, but right now i'm lost for words. what a great honor it is to be with the mayor, and utey and carol. and i am -- and all of my friends and supporters from my educational background, from my police background, community -- oh, i am so overwhelmed. and everybody is here to support all of us. mayor breed, you already

summarize a lot of things i do. yes, i am quiet in my ways, but i'm very determined. i'm very persistent because we're talking about women's rights, equal rights, immigrant rights, human rights. those are the things i've been fighting for all my life because for 35 years, when i taught at the san francisco unified school district, every morning i put my hand across my heart and said "with liberty and justice for all." these are the things i work for every day. even though i retired from 37 years, teaching evening and sundays the city college, and 35 years in the daytime teaching newly arriving immigrant kids, i continue my passion to do whatever is best for the community, for san francisco, for the voiceless. that's what i do because i am buddhist, and i feel any time we have, any energy, we should be able to share that. i just want to give you a little brief background about what happened years

ago, when my mother and i and my two siblings came to san francisco. she was a new widow and struggling a lot because obviously she didn't speak the language. in those days, everything was english only. so being the oldest of three, i had to assist my mother in every way while also going to school, to navigate all of the services for her, funerals, and so on and so forth, for my stepfather. i witnessed her daily frustrations and dispair. but with her ongoing encouragement -- keep on doing it. so as a result, i earned several college degrees and credentials, that launched my rewarding 35 years of teaching newcomers. so never forgetting the difficult times my mother had endured, i used my multi-lingual and immigrant background to do community work. and i am very fortunate

that we are having a lot of people involved. and one of them happens to be susanna, the young lady here, who, you know, is doing more work. we need a lot of young blood because there is only so much we can do. so, of course, i was very surprised that the town newspaper called me, am movinamusing in some ways, a modern day warrior. those were the terms i wasn't familiar with and i thought, this is what everybody should be doing. i'm great that this women's month kickoff offers the opportunities to hear of each other's successes. people have been wondering, marlene tran, why are you wearing this green hat? i want to honor mother earth. mother earth. and then, of course, my symbols. i have a lot of symbols here. this is our earth. we have to do everything to protect our environment. i am so grateful that san francisco is doing all of

that. and every time you see my facebook, i'm always talking about environmental issues because without mother earth, without helping her, we are nowhere. so today while we're here to honor all these amazing honorees, and i'm so very grateful to have so many dignitaries, city officials, family members, i also want to give the mayor a little token. it says "100%," because she is doing 100%. may i also give her a little token of our appreciation. [applause] [cheering] >> okay. thank you. [applause] >> and this is for you. >> well, well, well...

[laughter] >> aren't these ladies outstanding. let's give them another round of applause. i want to thank all of you for joining us here today. thank you for honoring three phenomenal women who have just really touched the hearts and lives of so many people throughout our city, over so many years. we are grateful for your service and your commitment, and all that you have done and will continue to do to make life better for so many people. thank you for accepting this honor. thank you to all of the folks who are here today, the friends and family members who came to celebrate them. and as we celebrate women's history month, kicking off today, let us make sure that we take time in our lives to honor some phenomenal women that have played a role in our lives in some capacity. the way that we make our

city, our country, a better place, is how we treat one another. how we support one another. how we encourage one another, and how we make sure that we prepare the next generation for the incredible opportunities that exist in this world. i wouldn't be here if it wasn't for phenomenal women like the ones we honor today. and so now it is our time to make sure that the next generation has the same opportunities that we are so lucky to enjoy in the great city and county of san francisco. thank you all so much for coming here today. [applause] >> so now we're going to >> so now we're going to do a couple of pictures.

- working for the city and county of san francisco will immerse you in a vibrant and dynamic city that's on the forefront of economic growth,

the arts, and social change. our city has always been on the edge of progress and innovation. after all, we're at the meeting of land and sea. - our city is famous for its iconic scenery, historic designs, and world- class style. it's the birthplace of blue jeans, and where "the rock" holds court over the largest natural harbor on the west coast. - the city's information technology professionals work on revolutionary projects, like providing free wifi to residents and visitors, developing new programs to keep sfo humming, and ensuring patient safety at san francisco general. our it professionals make government accessible through award-winning mobile apps, and support vital infrastructure projects like the hetch hetchy regional water system. - our employees enjoy competitive salaries, as well as generous benefits programs. but most importantly, working for the city and county of san francisco gives employees an opportunity

to contribute their ideas, energy, and commitment to shape the city's future. - thank you for considering a career with the city and county of san francisco. >> please be aware the removal of the room will be for anyone who uses an electronic device and the member of the pub lic has three minutes to make pertinent public comment un