do we need to do roll call? >> clerk: okay. are all commissioners in favor of that motion? any opposed? okay. then the motion is approved. then our next item is 11, adjournment. is there a motion to adjourn? >> motion to adjourn. >> second. >> clerk: okay. all commissioners in favor? opposed? no? we are now adjourned. it is 11:18 a.m.

>> they are joining us today because we know this work is not easy. i'm joined here today by the director of mental health reform, grant colfax who is our director of the department of public health as well as yolanda who has been a client here for some time and she will be speaking to you later today. thank you for being here and all the folks who are doing the

hard work. we know that mental health -- there is a mental health crisis here in san francisco and i know that we often times hear that we're being thrown around loosely. but the fact is that as someone who grew up in san francisco and know that we have had challenges in this city, including issues around homelessness, what i see is something that i've never seen in my lifetime of growing up in the city and that is people who are in serious, serious crisis. serious need. and the fact is, in san francisco, the frustration is that we have a lot of resources. we have a lot

we have a lot of dedicated revenues to help spousht -- support people, but we have discovered that the coordination has to be better and more efficient to really

help people that we know are struggling. so we have people who have, as we unfortunately know, they're homeless. they have challenges with addiction. they have a number of other ailments, including mental illness, and unfortunately have nowhere to go but the streets. we need to make sure we're prepared to meet people where they are. we know that people are cycling in and out of our emergency rooms and only to be released, to be back right on the streets where they came from. our jails and they're having trouble staying stable in our shelter systems and trouble maintaining housing. when i was on the board of supervisors, i had a number of clients that i was specifically dedicated to, to have a better understanding of how the system was working and whether or not it could help to reach them and, sadly, those three clients who i'm still connected with, are still struggle on our streets. we have to end the cycle. we have to do more and we have to be prepared to make the hardest decisions that we've ever made before. residents like yolanda are amazing success stories and she has been a client here since 2009 and has really turned her life around and i'm really happy to have her here today. the good news is that, you know, when the city focuses and works together to address these issues, we can actually accomplish great things. back in march, i announced that we were hiring a director of mental health reform because that is exactly what we need to do with this system.

dr. anton will be speaking a little bit later about what he's been doing suns he has taken over this role back in march to get us on track. today, we are launching an initiative to help those who are the most in need. at those cross sections of homelessness, mental illness and substance use disorder. and our plan is to better coordinate the care. now i know you've all heard about the numbers. but the fact is the data with the numbers and the information wasn't necessarily clear. and that is a big part of what we want to talk about today. what is actually -- we see it. we know it is happening. we heard that there was data, but the fact is there wasn't really data in really clear, coordinated efforts. and so the ability to address

this issue comes with understanding what is going on with the people and that includes the data. and analyzing the folks who are in and out of our system, understanding if they were offered services or why they refused services and where they're located after their refused services. through this analysis done by the health department, through dr.s nagusaplan and the department of public health, we have been able to identify 4,000 people with the characteristics of the population who are really in need through these various diagnosis. and of the 4,000 individuals that we've identified who struggle with these particular challenges, 41% are in crisis, which is demonstrated by their high use of the emergency

psychiatric services and 95% suffer from alcohol use disorder and the sad reality is what we're seeing is there is a real issue of equity because 35% are african american, despite the fact that we have a population of not even 6% of african americans here in san francisco overall. this is just the beginning. the first step of this initiative that we are proposing today is understanding the data, analyzing the data, and also making direct impacts on the particular population and really digging deep into those particular issues with those particular individuals. and now as a result, what we plan to do about it, this is just the beginning of several initiatives that we planned to

announce to ream get deep into the weeds of addressing mental health in san francisco. i want to be clear. there is not one thing that we will be able to do to address this issue. there are a number of things that we will put forward over the coming weeks to help the public better understand the issue, to help the public better understand and appreciate the people who are working in this industry, the ones who are helping us deal with these issues every single day. to help people better understand that there are folks that we've been able to help and to support and that many of the programs that we have in place do work. but there is a need for reform. there is a need to increase capacity and to better examine, you know, new ways to address this issue. the first step in the initiative that we're proposing today is to expand individual care coordination for those we have identified. so of the 4,000 -- and doctor

bland will go into a little bit more detail, but to just really center in on those who are most in need and that population and to really target them with individualized coordination. we also will definitely need to get them stabilize and stream the housing and health care process. because we have to have a safe place for them to be, to recover, to go through whatever process they need to go through to get back on their feet. and we also need to understand that this challenge is not a 9:00 to 5:00 issue. we're going to expand the hours of our behavioral health access center so people can access these services on nights and weekends. let me be clear that the three elements of the initiative are just the beginning. and so we know we have more work to do to improve

transparency and the efficiency of our system and to enhance our services and improve what we need to do for the most vulnerable of our city. we are committed and we are ready to roll up our sleeves and to do the work. because this is not a political issue. this is about people's lives. and this is about understanding this population so we can get to the root causes and to help people. it comes with a number of various layers of things that we have to do. and i know some of you are familiar with what's happening with our conservatorship legislation and how it's gone through the board and how that is going to hopefully help individuals who are refusing treatment, but in desperate need of services. that is one approach. this is another approach. we've already opened a new -- 100 mental health stabilization beds and our goal is to open 100 more by the end of this

year and focusing on specific things to target this population in a way that's going going to help turn around what we know we see on our streets every day is something that is so important. i'm sure you have this same example. you may see this same person on the corner every day, screaming and yelling. and i have a particular individual who removes his clothing and when i see him, i can't help but think this could be my father. this could be my grandfather. this could be my uncle. this could be my family member. and i want to help him. i want to make sure he gets the support he needs.

it is not humane to continue to allow this to occur on our streets and that is why we have to move forward with a number of initiatives to help address this. now what we're proposing will not n many ways, be able to solve the issues that we know everyone is facing. we're not going to be able to force everyone into treatment. we know that locally the laws make it difficult to do something of that nature. but we do need to try. we do need to kaord nate our services and we do need to make sure that we are better prepared to meet people where they are. we can't assume that when they walk into the doors of a place like this that they know what to do. we need people who are going to be able to help them understand -- people who are going to understand what the challenge is and be able to address the challenge and that doesn't include, here, fill out this paperwork and take care of this and bring your i.d.. that is not the way we are approaching this particular issue. it's about getting the kind of

results where you can see and feel a difference on our streets every single day. so we have work to do in here to talk a little bit more about what we're proposing and what he's discovered since he's taken on this role as of march of this year is dr. nagusa-bland. [applause] >> thank you, mayor breed, for your support as we embark on this multiyear effort to transform mental health and substance use care for people experiencing homelessness in san francisco. thank you, dr. colfax, for embracing the scale of the change we need in order to make a difference for this population and for the entire city. thank you also jessica for your partnership in this important work as we endeavor to trace safety and civility for our neighbors.

i also want to acknowledge the community-based providers and philanthropists, clinicians and researchers, advocates and clients who dead indicate themselves to improving and saving lives in san francisco. we will need everyone working together if we're going to make the kind of impact that this population in san francisco needs. here's what we found out about our population. we looked very closely at who used san francisco's health care and social services in the most recent fiscal year. and as the mayor pointed out, out of nearly 18,000 people experiencing homelessness, we found that close to 4,000 of them also have both a history of serious mental illness and of substance abuse disorder. we found racial inequity in the population. 35% are black or african american. when just 5% of san francisco's population is. 41% of these individuals are high users of urgent and

emergent psychiatric services and 95% suffer with an alcohol use problem. now we have seen other large cities analyzed our high use of emergency services usually from a cost perspective. but as far as we know, san francisco is the first to [inaudible] health diagnoses of people experiencing homelessness to identifying a population and tailing solutions to that population's needs. this is how we solve problems in medicine. when a patient comes to us with a complex set of issues, we are not haphazard in our approach. we test. we collect information from collateral sources. we diagnose and we treat. we use data to precisely target our problems. we inknow vaitz and, most important of all, we persist. we are here to solve problems for the entire population and confront a crisis for our city.

these are the people who need help the most. helping them will make the biggest difference for them, for our health system, and for the entire community. when we talk about behavioral health, we mean mental health and substance use. we know that when someone is suffering from a mental illness or addiction, it is a lot like a chronic health condition such as diabetes or even hypertension. when people are in treatment, they do better. when they have a setback, we don't give up. and when 4,000 san franciscans find themselves in the intersection of mental illness and substance use disorder, business as usual does not work for them. we have to find ways to use the system to bend in their direction. i'm happy to say that this work has begun. as we rolled out the first in what will be a series of recommendations we can say we are entering a new era of

collaboration with the department of homelessness and supportive housing. jointly identifying the people in greatest need and relentless about getting them on a path to civility and wellness. with other city partners, we will be able to keep track of these individuals and wherever they touch our system a care coordinator will respond. when we say we're increasing access to behavioral health care and we can promise, we promise that we're going to focus on these 200 most vulnerable people in this group right now. and work together to get them connected to housing, treatment and care. we will be meeting weekly to discuss each of these individuals and tracking their progress. we will outreach to them wherever they are. we will problem solve and remove barriers to accessing care and the lessons that we learn will ultimately help us improve the system of care for more people.

going forward, the recommendations i will continue to deliver to mayor breed will be driven by clinical expertise, by data, by evidence and by the most innovative and best practices we can find or imagine. they will promote equity and transparency in our system of care, that -- they will advance harm reduction and lower barriers. they will build on the legacy of addressing problems that might seem intractable and of making stability, wellness and recovery possible. the clients and staff here at the south of the health clinic show us that perseverance every day. with that, i'd like to introduce yolanda morris et. [applause] >> about 15 years ago, i came to san francisco because i was being abused and i fled that

relationship. i didn't know anyone in san francisco, i left my clothes and i didn't look back. i was also an au addict and i was an alcoholic and i was homeless. i came here and slept in the alley. i've been every street out here that you can name and through the years i did want to get help. i didn't know how. and so after more abusive relationships, i finally got a good guy and it was his choice for us to get clean. he said we gotta get clean in order to make it here in san francisco. i'm going to stop doing what i can do so that you can get your act together. and so i decided -- because i've been in all the shelters out here. i know how the shelters work. i decided to stay next door. i stayed there for a year. and i behaved. from there, i went into an s.r.o. they placed me in a single-room

occupancy is what it is called. a room with a bathroom and i stayed there for five years and prior to me -- when i first moved into the s.r.o., my mother was dying of cancer and she didn't tell me because she knew it would take me out. i had a year of clean on me and i didn't look back and thought that's not what my mother would want. i'm going to stay clean and i'm going to fight. soy went out and found everything that i could find. this is one of first places that i came to because i had a lot of stuff going on mentally and physically. they were able to help me get on medication. they were able to help me get therapy, to get to the root of the problem, what was going on because i had a lot of stuff going on and after doing that, i had a lot of anger issues, depression, suicidal thoughts. i had to do anger management here twice and i finally got it right and i started doing other programs. glide was out there.

sage was out there. it is not out there anymore. i went to the women's re-entry center. i didn't feel comfortable at first because they walk you over there. i've also been incars rated out here in san francisco for drug possession and other things of that nature due to my drug use. and so i just slowly said i'm going to build myself up and started doing things for women against rape and violence. i got an award from the d.a. i like the write. i started writing here. i found out that i'm a pretty good poet and i do -- i do poems here every year for the black history month. they embrace me here. i've been coming here since 2012 getting support and getting help. and i graduated from a lot of programs out there and i started doing peer mentorship through san francisco state. i've graduated from ram, i've graduated from nami. i expunged my record.

i got my driver's license back. five years into my s.r.o. there was a program called brilliant corners. they came and gave out vouchers to people who are willing and ready to move out of the tenderloin and i had two weeks left and i fought hard and found me a one-bedroom and i got out of the tenderloin. but i still come to the tenderloin because this is an ish yaoufm i know a lot of people here. i always want to do anything that i can to disclose support and help the people in the community. so i continued. i'm still with my guy. we're getting married this year. and -- [applause] thank you. and also i want to say that i was able to get a really good job through help rights 360th called maps and it's mentor and peer support. they give you a job and they give you schooling for that. so i was able to do that. and now i teach groups in jail.

i teach groups to the men in san bruno on domestic violence. i teach groups to the deputies about crisis intervention training. i go out and volunteer. i do anything and everything that i can to support anyone. we work in all the collaborative court. now i was an addict nine years ago and this is what i'm doing now. through all the help that started here at south end market. you know? they really helped me out an awful lot. they were very patient. i went through several therapists and psychologists. but finally got it right and i'll be flying away and graduating from here soon because i am moving on to other things. i have a nice full-time job now. so, yeah. that's about it. [laughter] [applause]

>> well, thank you, yolanda, for sharing your story. it's amazing. it is an inspiration to us all. and we wish you the very best as you get your certification in drug and alcohol counseling. amazing work. also, by the way, we're hiring. [laughter] just putting that out there. we're looking for right people. i'm the director of health for the city and county of san francisco. i would like to thank the mayor and thank you, dr. bland, and thank you to our host today, natalie henry berry and the hard-working staff here. this is one of the places in the city's system of care where people can get their medical care, dental and behavioral health care needs met under one roof. i've seen what the staff here, with persistent compassion have

been able to do by partnering with their clients on journey to stability and wellness. they are psychiatrists, pharmacists, behavioral health clinicians, nurses and support workers who go out into the community and meet people where they are. many clients are experiencing homelessness when they enroll in services here and most are diagnosed with both mental illness and substance abuse disorders. but the work makes a difference. and on my last visit here, i went out with the team. and this is a client, who's now housed, but was ton street for many years. wheelchair-bound, had chronic controlism, refused treatment for many years. but the team continued to engage him, continued to bailed relationship. helped him when he was ready to get healthy. helped him when he was ready to

get treatment for his alcoholism. and this client, living in the tenderloin, is a valuable member of the community. is actually continuing to move that forward just like yolanda. he's now volunteering at the san francisco aids clinic providing harm reduction materials for people who need them. he is moving the work forward and this is the kind of model of peers helping peers in a system that meets people where they are and does whatever it takes to help get them off the street w. this new data and focus on the 200, we can make a difference. i think when people are ready for treatment and volunteer for treatment, that is key. i also think we need to recognize that one of our challenges on the streets that some people will refuse treatment. some people in the most dire needs of treatment will refuse treatment. so we need to be there when people are ready to go into the services and meet them.

when they're ready. but we also need laws like the conservatorship law to provide people with the support for short-time conservatorship to help them save their lives. these are life-saving interventions. and that persistent compassion is what we have seen here and what we've come to expect from our director of mental health reform in. a few short months, he's transformed the way many of us think about caring for people experiencing the intersection of homelessness, serious mental illness and substance abuse disorders. this is a population, as you've heard of 4,000 people who require specialized solutions. kit take a while. it can take time for them to achieve their goals. but we know that wellness and recovery is possible, as you've heard today. and with our partners at the department of homeless systems and supportive housing, thank you, jeff, for being here today and the human services agency. we have agreed for the first tomb on ways to identify, treat

and house the most vulnerable population in our city. and mayor london breed to spark the champion of harm reduction, someone who understands the inequities that lead to core health outcomes and that we must continually push harder to overcome. under her leadership, san francisco continues to invest in health care and housing that our city needs. thank you, mayor breed. and thank you all for being here today. thank you to the team and let's move forward together. [applause] >> thank you. again, thank you so much, yolanda, for sharing your story. and stories like yolanda's is why we do the work. it is what we care about the most because the fact is, you know, people go through challenges. people go through struggles. and nine years being clean and sober takes a lot of work. it takes a lot of courage and

to get up here and tell your story will have such a tremendous impact on so many other people's lives and hopefully encourage them to get the help and the support that they need. and i think that is important to remember in having the conversation about the struggles and the success stories. because we are not going to give up. and i know that people in san francisco are frustrated by what they see on our streets. i'm frustrated. but i'm not going to give up. i think it is important that we have ways to help people. that with our additional $53 million in investment and behavioral health program that our additional $100 million in investment, the homeless supportive services indicates that we're willing to make investments. now it is time to put those investments to good use. and to understand that every dollar we spend on this issue is a dollar that can change someone's life.

and so we have to be deliberate in our approach to really focus on this and make sure it is not a political issue. this is a long-term plan of action that will deliver the kind of results that will help people, like yolanda, get really a second chance at living a healthy, productive and thriving life. so thank you for all of you for being here today. and again, i want to express my appreciation to the team and the folks who are working with so many of the clients that i know things can be challenging, but the fact that you're here, i know that you've not given up. this work is rewarding, especially when you're able to get the kinds of results that show that supporting people like yolanda do yield and so it really means a lot to have so

many incredible, dedicated people doing this work every single day because it is not easy. and i'll tell you that, you know, because you all know that i spend a lot of time walking the streets and having the conversations and going out there with some of our teams and having the conversation. within two hours of walking just four blocks, i was mentally exhausted with the conversations that i had and also trying to get people the help and the support that they needed and just work that -- the energy and the emotion that goes into trying to help people every single day is something that's admirable and i want us to really appreciate the folks who are part of, you know, our mental teams and our nonprofit organizations and our homeless out reach workers and even law enforcement and the work that we're out there doing to help change and save people's lives. this is the first of many steps that we plan to take and,

again, this is, i know, a very complex issue. it's not wraped in the usual political package that the press, i know, wants to see it wrapped in. but this is actually what we need to do. get into the nuts and bolts, make the right decisions and get out there and make the changes that will help impact the people that we are here to serve. so thank you all so much for being here today. and dr. colfax and dr.s blanlz -- dr. bland will be here to answer any further questions that you might have. thank you.

we spoke with people regardless of what they are. that is when you see change. that is a lead vannin advantage. so law enforcement assistance diversion to work with individuals with nonviolent related of offenses to offer an alternative to an arrest and the county jail. >> we are seeing reduction in drug-related crimes in the pilot area. >> they have done the program for quite a while. they are successful in reducing the going to the county jail.

>> this was a state grant that we applied for. the department is the main administrator. it requires we work with multiple agencies. we have a community that includes the da, rapid transit police and san francisco sheriff's department and law enforcement agencies, public defender's office and adult probation to work together to look at the population that ends up in criminal justice and how they will not end up in jail. >> having partners in the nonprofit world and the public defender are critical to the success. we are beginning to succeed because we have that cooperation. >> agencies with very little connection are brought together

at the same table. >> collaboration is good for the department. it gets us all working in the same direction. these are complex issues we are dealing with. >> when you have systems as complicated as police and health and proation and jails and nonprofits it requires people to come to work together so everybody has to put their egos at the door. we have done it very, very well. >> the model of care where police, district attorney, public defenders are community-based organizations are all involved to worked towards the common goal. nobody wants to see drug users in jail. they want them to get the correct treatment they need. >> we are piloting lead in san francisco. close to civic center along

market street, union plaza, powell street and in the mission, 16th and mission. >> our goal in san francisco and in seattle is to work with individuals who are cycling in and out of criminal justice and are falling through the cracks and using this as intervention to address that population and the racial disparity we see. we want to focus on the mission in tender loan district. >> it goes to the partners that hired case managers to deal directly with the clients. case managers with referrals from the police or city agencies connect with the person to determine what their needs are and how we can best meet those needs. >> i have nobody, no friends, no

resources, i am flat-out on my own. i witnessed women getting beat, men getting beat. transgenders getting beat up. i saw people shot, stabbed. >> these are people that have had many visits to the county jail in san francisco or other institutions. we are trying to connect them with the resources they need in the community to break out of that cycle. >> all of the referrals are coming from the law enforcement agency. >> officers observe an offense. say you are using. it is found out you are in possession of drugs, that constituted a lead eligible defense. >> the officer would talk to the individual about participating in the program instead of being booked into the county jail. >> are you ever heard of the

leads program. >> yes. >> are you part of the leads program? do you have a case worker? >> yes, i have a case manager. >> when they have a contact with a possible lead referral, they give us a call. ideally we can meet them at the scene where the ticket is being issued. >> primarily what you are talking to are people under the influence of drugs but they will all be nonviolent. if they were violent they wouldn't qualify for lead. >> you think i am going to get arrested or maybe i will go to jail for something i just did because of the substance abuse issues i am dealing with. >> they would contact with the outreach worker. >> then glide shows up, you are not going to jail. we can take you. let's meet you where you are without telling you exactly what that is going to look like, let

us help you and help you help yourself. >> bring them to the community assessment and services center run by adult probation to have assessment with the department of public health staff to assess the treatment needs. it provides meals, groups, there are things happening that make it an open space they can access. they go through detailed assessment about their needs and how we can meet those needs. >> someone who would have entered the jail system or would have been arrested and book order the charge is diverted to social services. then from there instead of them going through that system, which hasn't shown itself to be an effective way to deal with people suffering from suable stance abuse issues they can be connected with case management.

they can offer services based on their needs as individuals. >> one of the key things is our approach is client centered. hall reduction is based around helping the client and meeting them where they are at in terms of what steps are you ready to take? >> we are not asking individuals to do anything specific at any point in time. it is a program based on whatever it takes and wherever it takes. we are going to them and working with them where they feel most comfortable in the community. >> it opens doors and they get access they wouldn't have had otherwise. >> supports them on their goals. we are not assigning goals working to come up with a plan what success looks like to them. >> because i have been in the field a lot i can offer different choices and let them decide which one they want to go down and help them on that path. >> it is all on you.

we are here to guide you. we are not trying to force you to do what you want to do or change your mind. it is you telling us how you want us to help you. >> it means a lot to the clients to know there is someone creative in the way we can assist them. >> they pick up the phone. it was a blessing to have them when i was on the streets. no matter what situation, what pay phone, cell phone, somebody else's phone by calling them they always answered. >> in office-based setting somebody at the reception desk and the clinician will not work for this population of drug users on the street. this has been helpful to see the outcome. >> we will pick you up, take you to the appointment, get you food on the way and make sure your needs are taken care of so you

are not out in the cold. >> first to push me so i will not be afraid to ask for help with the lead team. >> can we get you to use less and less so you can function and have a normal life, job, place to stay, be a functioning part of the community. it is all part of the home reduction model. you are using less and you are allowed to be a viable member of the society. this is an important question where lead will go from here. looking at the data so far and seeing the successes and we can build on that and as the department based on that where the investments need to go. >> if it is for five months. >> hopefully as final we will come up with a model that may help with all of the communities in the california. >> i want to go back to school

to start my ged and go to community clean. >> it can be somebody scaled out. that is the hope anyway. >> is a huge need in the city. depending on the need and the data we are getting we can definitely see an expansion. >> we all hope, obviously, the program is successful and we can implement it city wide. i think it will save the county millions of dollars in emergency services, police services, prosecuting services. more importantly, it will save lives.

francisco. >> my name is fwlend hope i would say on at large-scale what all passionate about is peace in the world. >> it never outdoor 0 me that note everyone will think that is a good i know to be a paefrt. >> one man said i'll upsetting the order of universe i want to do since a good idea not the order of universe but his offered of the universe

but the ministry sgan in the room chairing sha harry and grew to be 5 we wanted to preach and teach and act god's love 40 years later i retired having been in the tenderloin most of that 7, 8, 9 some have god drew us into the someplace we became the network ministries for homeless women escaping prostitution if the months period before i performed memorial services store produced women that were murdered on the streets of san francisco so i went back to the board and said we say to do something the number one be a safe place for them to live while he worked on

changing 4 months later we were given the building in january of 1998 we opened it as a safe house for women escaping prostitution i've seen those counselors women find their strength and their beauty and their wisdom and come to be able to affirmative as the daughters of god and they accepted me and made me, be a part of the their lives. >> special things to the women that offered me a chance safe house will forever be a part of the who i've become and you made that possible life didn't get any better than that. >> who've would know this look of this girl grown up in atlanta will be working with produced women in san francisco part of the system that has abused and

expedited and obtain identified and degraded women for century around the world and still do at the embody the spirits of women that just know they deserve respect and intend to get it. >> i don't want to just so women younger women become a part of the the current system we need to change the system we don't need to go up the ladder we need to change the corporations we need more women like that and they're out there. >> we get have to get to help them.

>> i went through a lot of struggles in my life, and i am blessed to be part of this. i am familiar with what people are going through to relate and empathy and compassion to their struggle so they can see i came out of the struggle, it gives them hope to come up and do something positive. ♪ ♪ i am a community ambassador.

we work a lot with homeless, visitors, a lot of people in the area. >> what i like doing is posting up at hotspots to let people see visibility. they ask you questions, ask you directions, they might have a question about what services are available. checking in, you guys. >> wellness check. we walk by to see any individual, you know may be sitting on the sidewalk, we make sure they are okay, alive. you never know. somebody might walk by and they are laying there for hours. you never know if they are alive. we let them know we are in the area and we are here to promote safety, and if they have

somebody that is, you know, hanging around that they don't want to call the police on, they don't have to call the police. they can call us. we can direct them to the services they might need. >> we do the three one one to keep the city neighborhoods clean. there are people dumping, waste on the ground and needles on the ground. it is unsafe for children and adults to commute through the streets. when we see them we take a picture dispatch to 311. they give us a tracking number and they come later on to pick it up. we take pride. when we come back later in the day and we see the loose trash or debris is picked up it makes you feel good about what you are doing. >> it makes you feel did about escorting kids and having them feel safe walking to the play

area and back. the stuff we do as ambassadors makes us feel proud to help keep the city clean, helping the residents. >> you can see the community ambassadors. i used to be on the streets. i didn't think i could become a community ambassador. it was too far out there for me to grab, you know. doing this job makes me feel good. because i came from where a lot of them are, homeless and on the street, i feel like i can give them hope because i was once there. i am not afraid to tell them i used to be here. i used to be like this, you know. i have compassion for people that are on the streets like the homeless and people that are caught up with their addiction

because now, i feel like i can give them hope. it reminds you every day of where i used to be and where i am at now. >> usf donates 100-120 pounds of food a night. for the four semesters we have been running here, usf has donated about 18,000 pounds of food to the food recovery network. ♪ ♪ >> i'm maggie. >> i'm nick.

>> we're coe-chairs of the national led organization. what food recovery does is recover and redistribute food that would go wasted and redistributing to people in the community. >> the moment that i became really engaged in the cause of fighting food waste was when i had just taken the food from the usf cafeteria and i saw four pans full size full of food perfectly fine to be eaten and made the day before and that would have gone into the trash that night if we didn't recover it the next day. i want to fight food waste because it hurts the economy, it's one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases in the

world. if it was a nation, it would be the third largest nation behind china and the united states. america wastes about 40% of the food we create every year, $160 billion worth and that's made up in the higher cost of food for consumers. no matter where you view the line, you should be engaged with the issue of food waste. ♪ ♪ >> access edible food that we have throughout our lunch program in our center, i go ahead and collect it and i'll cool it down and every night i prep it up and the next day i'll heat it and ready for delivery. it's really natural for me, i

love it, i'm passionate about it and it's just been great. i believe it's such a blessing to have the opportunity to actually feed people every day. no food should go wasted. there's someone who wants to eat, we have food, it's definitely hand in hand and it shouldn't be looked at as work or a task, we're feeding people and it really means so much to me. i come to work and they're like nora do you want this, do you want that? and it's so great and everyone is truly involved. every day, every night after every period of food, breakfast, lunch, dinner, i mean, people just throw it away. they don't even think twice about it and i think as a whole, as a community, as any community, if people just put a

little effort, we could really help each other out. that's how it should be. that's what food is about basically. >> an organization that meets is the san francisco knight ministry we work with tuesday and thursday's. ♪ ♪ by the power ♪ of your name >> i have faith to move mountains because i believe in jesus. >> i believe it's helpful to offer food to people because as you know, there's so much homelessness in san francisco and california and the united

states. i really believe that food is important as well as our faith. >> the san francisco knight ministry has been around for 54 years. the core of the ministry, a group of ordain ministers, we go out in the middle of the night every single night of the year, so for 54 years we have never missed a night. i know it's difficult to believe maybe in the united states but a lot of our people will say this is the first meal they've had in two days. i really believe it is a time between life or death because i mean, we could be here and have church, but, you know, i don't know how much we could feed or how many we could feed and this

way over 100 people get fed every single thursday out here. it's not solely the food, i tell you, believe me. they're extremely grateful. >> it's super awesome how welcoming they are. after one or two times they're like i recognize you. how are you doing, how is school? i have never been in the city, it's overwhelming. you get to know people and through the music and the food, you get to know people. >> we never know what impact we're going to have on folks. if you just practice love and kindness, it's a labor of love and that's what the food recovery network is and this is a huge -- i believe they

salvage our mission. >> to me the most important part is it's about food waste and feeding people. the food recovery network national slogan is finding ways to feed people. it's property to bring the scientific and human element into the situation. >> san francisco and oakland are challenging each other in a battle for the bay. >> two cities. >> one bay. >> san francisco versus oakland. are you ready to get in on the action? >> i'm london breed. >> and i am oakland mayor libby schaff. >> who will have the cleanest city? >> we will protect our bay by making our neighborhoods shine. >> join us on september 21st as a battle for the bay. >> which city has more volunteer spirit? which city can clean more neighborhoods?

the city with the most volunteers wins. sign-up to be a bay protector and a neighborhood cleaner. go to battle fofofofofofofofofoo >> good evening, and welcome to the august 7th, 2019 meeting at the san francisco board of appeals. the president is joined by the vice president and commissioners commissioner darrell honda is absent tonight. to my left is the deputy city attorney who will provide the board with any needed legal advice this evening. at the controls as a board's legal assistant.