>> good morning, everyone. i am william rogers, i am the president and c.e.o. of goodwill san francisco san mateo. [cheers and applause] [laughter] i want to welcome all of you, our friends, our supporters, our partners. we are here today to celebrate together the grand opening of goodwill's state-of-the-art training and career center. [cheers and applause] i wanted to take a moment to do a couple of things. let's show a little bit of love to the retail team. [cheers and applause] this store is opening tomorrow and it is going to be beautiful. they did a great job.

i want to give special thanks to the honorable mayor breed. thank you so much for being here [cheers and applause] to the honorable willie brown. [cheers and applause] supervisor peskin, we moved from your district to your district. [laughter] i want to thank the p.u.c., because without the p.u.c., we would never have gotten into the building on time. thank you to the p.u.c. [applause] i also want to thank, i will call her shelley b.b. who is the former president of the planning commission, and aaron peskin introduced me to her and she came up to me and she said, mr. rogers, so nice to meet you. i am 100% against your project but i have a open mind. [laughter] i said all right. and we spent three hours

together. after that three hour period, she looked at me she says, i hate you and i said wise that? and she said because i am 100% for your project. [applause] i also want to thank tidewater who is here. they actually manage this project. thank you so much. are mw architects, and then some of our partners. the sitting county of san francisco has been amazing. mayor breed, your staff has been amazing. i also want to thank some of our funders who are here. microsoft, google, wells fargo salesforce, and linkedin. thank you all for being here today. [applause] the building we are standing here with right now was built in 1914. it has been in san francisco for as long as san francisco goodwill has been in san

francisco. who knew that, right? we have both been here for over 100 years. this building has been a parking garage, it has been an art gallery, and now it is home to a training and community center for this community to participate, share, and learn. i want to take a quick moment to introduce our board chair. he served on the board for almost three years. he has been an influential entrepreneur. he is a philanthropist, a volunteer, and a compassionate human being. i just want to introduce eric. [applause] >> i usually don't get such nice introductions. thank you. we are proud to be moving here to the tenderloin. it is really, really exciting to be in this space. they're going to be some any great opportunities for us to part with great organizations here and i can't tell you how proud we are to be here.

as an investor, i look for misunderstood organizations where there is a real difference between perception and reality. that are managed by strong management teams, driven by strong purpose, where my investment, whether it is time or money, can make a real difference. i want to unpack that for a second. really, what's misunderstood about goodwill is our mission. when i talked to most people out there, people really don't seem to understand what we stand for and why we're doing what we are doing. so i think that really the best way to understand is the old story about if you catch a man of fish, he will eat for a day. if you teach them and how to fish, you will eat for life. that is what we are all about. we are all about providing second chances by providing jobs and training for those who have barriers to employment. whether it is formerly

incarcerated, recovering addicts , people who struggle with english as a second language, veterans, and a whole bunch of other people that really need a second chance. i am really proud to be part of this organization to help that. of course, we have strong management, that is another thing we look for with william and his team. they are fabulous. i really feel like we are making a difference here. i feel like we are addressing housing and security, we are addressing food insecurity, we are addressing mental illness by providing job training and jobs. so i really appreciate all of you coming today and i hope we can do great things together. thank you. [applause] >> thank you, eric. almost everybody know something about goodwill, right? you either might know through the donation sites or you drop off still -- stuff that you no

longer want or need, you may know it as a store, to find a treasure or get a good deal, and yet there -- we are so much more than that. today, no matter what you know about goodwill, i will ask you to take a closer look. when you take a closer look, what you will find is that san francisco goodwill is, by its very nature, and with great intention, and innovator in our approach to workforce development, sustainability, and economic inclusion. we focus on those who face barriers to employment, that is who we partner with, and we are highly unique in our approach, so we provide paid employment with benefits, industry training , customized career support, all under one roof, but in fact,, we have learned that is not enough. we have also created programs to help people develop the resilience and confidence to be

successful in today's ever changing labor market because we know the world of work is rapidly of all thing and we all need to be ready. when you take a closer look at goodwill, you will see an organization that is highly committed to sustainability. you will learn that we divert over 31 million pounds every year from the landfills. you will learn that we were the first -- one of the first entities in the united states to convert half of our fleet to electric tracks, so no, we have 11 electric powered commercial trucks with note tail pack admissions. and with these trucks, we eliminate 55,000 diesel emissions and replace them with clean, quiet zero emissions. [applause] over the next couple of years we will use warty what he thousand gallons less diesel fuel and

that enables us to reduce carbon emissions by 400 tonnes. what you will also learn is through our computer technology recycling and refurbishing program, we divert over 3 million pounds of electronic waste from entering our landfills every year. and last year, we refurbished over 200,000 electronic units for reuse. this year, we begin working with recycling innovators who can take a shirt that is 50% cotton, 50% polyester, separate that polyester from the cotton, and actually use that as five or to make new clothing. so for the stuff we get that is torn or ripped or stained, we will be able to recycle those things and make them into new clothing. [cheers and applause] when you take a closer look at goodwill in the state of california, you will see that goodwill drove 2.4% of the state

's job growth and that was by creating jobs for people who have been left behind and left out. i am the current chair of the california council of goodwill, i always hear the four% all-time low and employment rate in the state of california, but what we know about that is that that unemployment rate is significantly higher for the populations that we serve. so the fact that goodwill his in the state of california have driven that 2.4% of the job growth with the populations that we serve, is a significant accomplishment and we are just getting started. [applause] today i'm also inviting you to take a closer look at our facility. we are excited to have you toured our training center little bit later today after the program where you will see the goodwill microsoft maker space, which is the first of its kind

in this neighborhood. you will learn about our career pathways and career services which include training for sick -- technology certifications. you also get to experience our computer refurbishing team in action. our work at goodwill is centred on the belief that everyone deserves access to a career pathway that can lead to economic security. and that the right combination of work experience, skill developments, and confidence can accelerate a person's economic mobility. we are very proud of what we do and yet we are also very clear we do it alone. our work is strengthened by our partners and our collaborators and many of you are here today, and i thank you for that. people can change their lives. in fact, people do change their lives.

together, we have an opportunity to transform lives, support families, and strengthen communities through training, and the dignity of work. the collective power in this room is tremendous. we have the opportunity to make a real difference and to foster a legacy of keeping san francisco the special place that it is. and so today, let's celebrate our new home. tomorrow, was roll up our sleeves and work together to create a new legacy where san francisco works for everyone and where everyone in san francisco can work. thank you. [applause] >> thank you. i now have the great and distinct pleasure of introducing

a true trailblazer, the mayor of san francisco, mayor london breed, a native of san francisco you have been a fierce advocate for more equitable and just san francisco. i know she needs no introduction , but i'm so proud and happy that you are here. i'm pleased for everyone to welcome mayor london breed. [applause] >> thank you. i have to say, this place is phenomenal. it is absolutely amazing and i have a long history with the goodwill, especially during the time where i served as executive director from the african-american art and culture complex. i grew up in the western addition community and i've had people who were coming home from prison who were struggling with trying to find job opportunities and the only folks that were willing to work with me and work with people in the community was

goodwill industries and i'm really grateful for that because as you are still hearing today, so many people talk about the difficulties of finding employment opportunities after they have, unfortunately, you know, they have served their time and they're coming back into society, and they want a new start, a fresh start and i'm proud of san francisco for the work that we did when we worked on this board of supervisors in making sure that people who have a criminal record, it is not used to a barrier of employment even in san francisco because we have to start changing the stigma that is attached to people who sadly have gone through the criminal justice system, they have done their time, they want a second chance, and goodwill has done this and made this an important part of their program before anyone else started to do it, so we really appreciate the fact that goodwill is so many things, including a trailblazer. thank you so much for the work

you continue to do for the city. in addition to the young adult court, which is really an important part of the work that we do to make sure that first-time offenders have an opportunity to get a job, to work, to develop a career because we have seen how being part of this community of goodwill has really changed people's lives for the better. so it does mean a lot for me to be here and to see a lot of this stuff come full circle and see how much more innovative and exciting goodwill has become over the years and i'm excited about doing even more. in san francisco we know that there is more to be done and part of some of the work that we have been able to do with people -- i kind of got this ideal from you when we went to your location on clement street, and we talked about the drivers for

goodwill and the challenges with their suspended license and how they couldn't drive the trucks, but they could work for the companies and then you had to drive. one of the things we did, aaron peskin, thank you for your support on making sure that we were getting rid of some of the past fees and other things in giving people a clean start so that they could get their license, and they can get employment opportunities like things like what are offered through goodwill. it really is a partnership. we can't change the city for the better alone. we need organizations who care deeply and who are invested in the people of san francisco, and goodwill, for the past 103 years , in san francisco, in particular, has been demonstrating time and time again it really is about providing an opportunity for people to take care of themselves and making sure that they have a thriving, a

comfortable community to do so because it is challenging. when you sadly were out on the streets and using drugs, and the stigma attached to that when you're trying to get clean and stay sober, and work, and turn your life around, the goodwill welcomes you with open arms. when you have a criminal past, and you want a second chance, and you don't want people to keep judging you because you made a mistake in the past, the goodwill welcomes you with open arms time and time again. so i just wanted to be here to express my true appreciation for the work that you have done and what you will continue to do and that's why we have to be a good community partner with you. the city has to be willing to make things easier for you to do the incredible work that you do to change and save lives. we know the challenges that exist around homelessness in the city and people struggling with mental illness and addiction and

we are working on a number of innovative solutions to try and address what is a real crisis on our streets. but the good news is, the good news is when we are able to help somebody, we know that we can rely on the goodwill to be there for us and say yes each and every time. when i decided it was time to open a job training center and the o.m.i. community of san francisco, because we saw that the unemployment numbers were higher there than most parts of this city, goodwill, again, was right there. we will be hosting a job fair in that location with you tomorrow. so time and time again we know that when we bring forth the kinds of ideas that really help people and open the doors, we know that good things can happen so i am just grateful for your work and your service and i wanted to do something really special.

clearly there's a lot of enthusiastic and excited people that are here today because this place is absolutely beautiful, and more importantly, the people who work here, the people who work for goodwill are absolutely beautiful because they love this organization and they love the work they have been able to do to really help so many people. so today, william and eric, i will ask you both to come up. do you want to join us, supervisor, since you are here and i know you have your certificate? but mine first. [laughter] on behalf of the city and county of san francisco, i would like to declare today goodwill in san francisco day in that city and county of san francisco. [cheers and applause] thank you. [applause]

>> thank you. >> thank you so much actually, mayor breed, we have something for you. so we have, as you know, our microsoft maker space. >> do you have a coupon for me? [laughter] >> right? we have our microsoft maker his space and the joke was supposed to be that you can never be duplicated, but then we were able to duplicate you in our microsoft space. but then we decided not to. [laughter] we want to give you two things. the importance of the space is

not only -- so we have all sorts of things in the space that folks can create things. they're learning about software and they are also able to do 3d printing. what we wanted to give you today is actually on the escher, we were able to at a photo of the mayor. [applause] we want to give you that and that is something. [laughter] do you know the first idea was? somebody suggested we make in many all of you and we said, let's not do that. [laughter] than the other thing we want to give you, and this is actually something that was 3d printed, and this is a key to goodwill because we want you to know this is always your home. thank you so much. [cheers and applause]

thank you so much. thank you. now i would like to taken opportunity to introduce a supervisor for the district who has been a fierce advocate for goodwill. i'm so happy -- we really admire your willingness to tackle the tough issues and we really look forward to working with you.

thank you so much. >> roger stole all my material. i was going to tell that story. but it speaks volumes, not only about goodwill goodwill, but about will rogers and the way it will has gone about this truly is goodwill. and i say that because he doesn't just walk the walk, he actually talks the talk. when i say that, i say he talks to the community. so when i freaked out, when you were leaving bay street, i thought, oh, no,, i will have to drive further. remember, i used to be able to go by city hall, and of course, the city and county has been linked with goodwill for many years because of that. i found that that they were

coming to the southern end of my district. so appropriately so, and then he asked how who do i reach out to? how do i become a part of the community and she said i don't want them in my neighborhood and i thought, well, that's exactly what the people bay street said when they moved there that has been the case here. i want to thank you for really walking the walk and reaching out to the community. we have more exciting things that are happening. you will see soon, the mayor announced -- the mayor will announce a new partnership between the city and county of san francisco and goodwill just down the street that involves tidewater. [applause]. >> i would like to introduce

another trailblazer. this is incredibly meaningful to me because this is someone who i've known for a long time over the last six years. he deserves -- he got a much-deserved second chance here at goodwill and he has gone on to create incredibly meaningful job opportunities for himself after getting -- after coming here, he had some justice involvement, he came to goodwill and worked in retail, and everyone his things everyone doesn't want a real chip -- retail job, but we really try to think about what people want to do. we found that this young man had an aptitude for technology and so we put him into an internship program and technology. he did very well. we hired him into our program.

he did exceptionally well and then at some point, he said, we said you have to go from a hobbyist to a professional. and what that means is you have to get your industry certifications. and he said, i can't do it. i did not do well in school, i have struggled on tests, et cetera et cetera, and that prompted us to create a training in growth mindset to help everybody who comes through because we know that a lot of folks who come through goodwill have been beaten down and we need to create opportunities, we need to make sure that folks have a level of confidence in their ability and in their innate abilities. so he is someone -- where is mr? there you are right there. dumping nervous, chris. it is all good. [laughter] what we are doing is i typically do not like to celebrate people for the worst thing they have ever done in their lives, i like

to celebrate people for their accomplishments. and today we are celebrating chris for his accomplishments. he actually came to us about six months ago. he worked for goodwill. i'm sorry, -- he no longer works for goodwill and that's because about six month ago, he came to us and said, you know, i got another job. they will pay me x amount per year and blah blah blah. and i have to go. i two daughters and i said i got you. you have become way too valuable to us and with all your certifications, i remember when you got your certifications. you ♪ to me after you got your certifications. [laughter] and he wound up -- we wanted saying you were too valuable, we will beat the offer and we did. and then about three months later he came to us and he says, will, they are offering me another $25,000 a year and we said, chris, that is a great opportunity.

[laughter] which is really the points. it is really helping people. our values are learning, belonging, and safety. and chris was able to develop the skills, get some certifications, there's a point in which she would never have been hired anywhere else because people would have labelled him in a particular way, but he did this. so we are here to celebrate you. we have a little something for you. but before, i would like to introduce you so you can address everyone. [cheers and applause] >> good morning, everyone. my name is chris blaser. it feels good to be here home at goodwill.

one month before i was supposed to graduate from high school i was arrested and i had squandered my opportunity to get my diploma, which set a negative trend that my life would follow for the next few years. all the way up until i was about 23, i was in and out of jail. at the time, my oldest daughter was three years old and i didn't have a legitimate means of supporting her. a friend suggested i go for the goodwill to look for a job and goodwill hired me and gave me my first real introduction into the workforce. soon after i was hired, as will stated, they saw i had the aptitude for technology so they moved me into a paid intership with their i.t. department. they recognize something in me that i hadn't even recognized in myself at that point, quite honestly. they put me in a position to

have a career, but they did tell me i had to go from hobbyist to professional, which meant i had to go out and get my certifications, which i am now a plus security+ and network plus certified. [cheers and applause] i was nervous, but google reassured me they were fully invested in my growth professionally. soon i had work experience and tech certifications including the goodwill google i.t. certification which i got right before i left. [laughter] goodwill of the only place where i didn't have to choose between working and gaining tech skills. i was able to do both. their constant reassurance that they would help me do my with

through my barriers to appoint -- to employment made me feel safe here. the diversity of the workforce gave me a sense of belonging. i never felt judged when i passed. and because of their willingness to invest in my growth, i learned here, which are the three core values of goodwill. safety first, belonging, and learning. eventually came the day when a different employer was willing to offer me more money. they were definitely happy for me, but they definitely said, we do value you a lot so we want to beach that offer, which they did so i stayed. [laughter] but as they say, all good things must come to an end. [laughter] and eventually i was offered a

second position and like you said, that sounds like an excellent opportunity. you might want to go pursue that so now i work as an engineer as a tech consulting firm. [cheers and applause] thank you. thank you. now i have two daughters and they have watched me grow pathetic -- professionally and our lives have gotten so much better because of my economic stability. seven years ago i couldn't imagine anyone offering me the type of position that i'm being offered now, but today i expect to continue to get those offers. i want to thank goodwill for putting me in a position to chase this career and just like goodwill, i ask you to take a closer look at me and my true value. i am giving back to my community by remaining a leader and an

inspiration, especially to those who also may need a second chance. thank you. [cheers and applause] [laughter] >> chris has one request to get a photo with you. [laughter] >> thank you, thank you, thank you. >> do you want me in this? okay. >> i'm really proud of you. >> thank you. >> congratulations.

[laughter] >> so we just want to honor chris today with -- really don't know why i'm a little. lumped right now. >> my nervousness has transferred. >> you know how i feel about you and i'm incredibly proud of you. >> thank you. >> so you are getting the achievement of goodwill's workforce warrior. [cheers and applause] and this is in honor of your demonstration of a successful and inspirational professional pathway within goodwill and beyond. best wishes for your continued growth. we know there's so much more you will continue to accomplish. we also have gift for you, which i hope you and your family enjoy

but you have done a tremendous job both for yourself, for the community, for your family. i'm really proud of you. i know your daughter's are really proud of you. they saw you go from not working , to working, and now you are in the field, my friend. >> trying to thrive. >> congratulations. congratulations. >> thank you. [applause] [laughter] all right. i now have the honor of introducing two people in the same breath that you might not always thinking think of in talking about in the same breath these are two of the top competing global tech industries just saying. [laughter] google and microsoft, who are coming together. let's be clear, you compete, we were coming together to support people with barriers to employment. i will start by introducing katy

brown. katy? there you are. come on up. katy is the vice president of enterprise sales of the west region at microsoft who is a lead sponsor of our good will microsoft space and with the grant that allows for learning possibilities beyond what residents have had in their past welcome. >> thank you. [applause] so thank you so much. i have to tell you it is absolutely in honor to be here and be part of this project. i am deeply touched by what i have heard this morning and all that has been accomplished at the goodwill. chris, i think we might be able to up that offer if you are interested. [cheers and applause] come talk to me. i am serious about that. [laughter] i have been a resident in san

francisco for 30 years and i have had the opportunity to work for three companies based here as well. i care deeply, very deeply about this city and this community. i can't even tell you have touched i am to see what is happening today with goodwill and all that you guys are doing. very much appreciate it. we are thrilled to be part of this process and we have been a partner of goodwill for the last 14 years. jason ford who is on my team is a member of the board and unfortunately couldn't be here today, but very much sends his well wishes. we have been able to donate not only in software grants and in training and education and curriculum, as well as the building out of the maker space, which was incredibly important to us because we feel as if we need to actually help the people that you are training here, to learn some of those advanced high-tech degrees. there is advanced learning and

innovation that you will see. i really encourage you to visit it. we are thrilled to be here. we appreciate the partnership and all that you do for this city and worldwide. thank you. [applause] >> i now have the pleasure of introducing the bay area giving program manager from google. google is supporting a future of work initiatives that funds digital training and certification programs in partnership with goodwill and you spend your career supporting social impact initiatives throughout the bay area. welcome. >> thanks. [applause] >> thank you so much. before i get started, you also have to take my call, too. make sure we connect. [laughter] that is right. thank you for letting us join this beautiful space. i'm really excited to be here.

i lead bay area area giving. we really strive, specifically to introduce -- make sure people can work with the economy. thank you for being our spokesperson. goodwill is one of the most innovative ones in the country and very near and dear partner to google. was this visit to san francisco in our meeting with tanya which inspired us to do a $10 million nation will -- nationwide grant to goodwill across the country. since we supported this initiative, the goodwill digital career accelerator has supported over 93 good wills across the country and has helped more than 250,000 people received training and digital skills that are required in a majority of jobs, much like the training that chris has received. we are proud of the fact that goodwill is part of this program and proud of the fact it was born here in the bay area in san

francisco, in our home base. in particular, we are proud of the i.t. support professional certificate, the program that teaches anyone who requires skills for a role. without the need for a bachelor 's degree. nineteen people have graduated from this program thanks to google and we have had the honor of meeting many of these graduates. you all have met chris here today. we appreciate -- we appreciate the work you are doing. we are looking forward to hearing more stories like this one in more story like chris' and looking forward to hearing the impacts that this new community space will have on the acceleration of the economic opportunities of others. thank you so much. [applause] >> thank you. last but not least, we have -- i would like to invite mar and adam. they are both from phil tang's office and kamala harris' office who would like to share a few words. [applause]

>> thank you, will. i am with assembly member philip tang. something cathartic about being here 30 years ago about this week, i bought my first halloween cost -- costume when i moved to san francisco. i was younger, thinner, think judy garland, that was my goal at the time. that was about the timing met you, too, will. phil couldn't be here today, but , you know, san francisco, i thank you said we are a city for everyone that works for everyone , and where everyone can work. there's something really powerful about that statement. the state legislature has worked very hard over the last nine years to reduce prison sentences , review prison sentences, to make sure that we have opportunities for californians and goodwill has been a leader in that to allow people, as mayor breed said,

with criminal histories to be able to get jobs and we want to thank you. and for people with mental illness and mental health challenges, they say the best thing you can do for a person with a mental health issue is to get them a job. so we want to thank you, goodwill, for all you have done. thank you, google, microsoft, all of the other partners who have supported goodwill. we can only turn around the challenges of our city with the work of everyone and this is just a great example. on behalf of the state assembly, i want to present you with this certificate congratulating the opening of this new facility. [applause] >> hello, i am with senator kamala harris' office. she wanted to send a quick note

over to you all in terms of congratulating you for this new space and taking an oath to break the cycles and iterations of poverty. she was most interested in your work on working with the young adult court and making critical interventions with young people trying to change theirives. goodwill is a long-standing champion a positive change for communities. best wishes on the brand -- grand opening of the new headquarters. [applause] >> all right. that is our program today. i just want to say, everyone, thank you so much for coming. i want to thank all of the goodwill staff and what we will do is there will be tours over here. there's lots of classroom stuff and there's also food. please enjoy. thank you all for coming very much. [applause] [♪]

>> go ahead and cut it. [cheers and applause] bayview. >> a lot discussion how residents in san francisco are displaced how businesses are displaced and there's not as much discussion how many nonprofits are displaced i think a general concern in the arts community is the testimony

loss of performance spaces and venues no renderings for establishes when our lease is up you have to deal with what the market bears in terms of of rent. >> nonprofits can't afford to operate here. >> my name is bill henry the executive director of aids passage l lp provides services for people with hispanics and aids and 9 advertising that fight for the clients in housing insurance and migration in the last two years we negotiated a lease that saw 0 rent more than doubled. >> my name is ross the executive directors of current pulls for the last 10 years at 9 and mission we were known for the projection of sfwrath with taking art and moving both a experiment art our lease expired

our rent went from 5 thousand dollars to $10,000 a most. >> and chad of the arts project pursue. >> the evolution of the orientation the focus on art education between children and patrol officer artist we offer a full range of rhythms and dance and theatre music theatre about in the last few years it is more and more difficult to find space for the program that we run. >> i'm the nonprofit manager for the mayor's office of economic workforce development one of the reasons why the mayor has invested in nonprofit displacement is because of the challenge and because nonprofits often commute technical assistance to understand the negotiate for a commercial lease. >> snooechlz is rob the executive director and

co-founder of at the crossroads we want to reach the disconnected young people not streets of san francisco for young adults are kicked out of the services our building was sold no 2015 they let us know they'll not renew our lease the last year's the city with the nonprofit displacement litigation program held over 75 nonprofits financial sanction and technical assistance. >> fortunate the city hesitate set aside funds for businesses facing increased rent we believable to get some relief in the form of a grant that helped us to cover the increase in rent our rent had been around $40,000 a year now $87,000 taylor's

dollars a year we got a grant that covered 22 thousands of that but and came to the minnesota street project in two people that development in the better streets plan project they saved us space for a nonprofit organization national anthem and turned out the northern california fund they accepted us into the real estate program to see if we could withstand the stress and after the program was in full swinging skinning they brought up the litigation fund and the grants were made we applied for that we received a one thousand dollars granted and that grant allowed us to move in to the space to finish the space as we needed it to furniture is for classes the building opened on schedule on march 18, 2016

and by july we were teaching classed here. >> which we found out we were going to have to leave it was overwhelm didn't know anything about commercial real estate we suggested to a bunch of people to look at the nonprofits displacement mitigation program you have access to commercial real estate either city owned or city leased and a city lease space become available there is a $946,000 grant that is provided through the mayor's office of economic workforce development and that's going to go towards boulder the space covers a little bit less than half the cost it is critical. >> the purpose of the organization trust to stabilize the arts in san francisco working with local agency i go like the northern california platoon fund that helped to

establish documents of our long track record of stvent and working to find the right partner with the organization of our size and budget the opportunity with the purchase of property we're sitting in the former disposal house theatre that expired 5 to 10 years ago we get to operate under the old lease and not receive a rent increase for the next 5 to 7 years we'll renting $10,000 square feet for the next 5 to seven years we pay off the balance of the purpose of this and the cost of the renovation. >> the loophole will that is unfortunate fortunate we have buy out a reserve our organization not reduce the services found a way to send some of the reserves to be able to continue the serves we know

our clients need them we were able to get relief when was needed the most as we were fortunate to arrive that he location at the time, we did in that regard the city has been - we've had tremendous support from the mayor's office of economic workforce development and apg and helped to roommate the facade of the building and complete the renovation inside of the building without the sport support. >> our lease is for 5 years with a 5 year onyx by the city has an 86 year lease that made that clear as long as we're doing the work we've been we should be able to stay there for decades and decades. >> the single most important thing we know that is that

meaningful. >> it has been here 5 months and even better than that we could image. >> with the economic development have announced an initiative if ours is a nonprofit or know of a nonprofit looking for more resources they can go to the office of economic workforce development oewd.com slashing nonprofit and found out about the mayors nonprofit mitigation program and the sustainability initiative and find their information through technical assistance as much as how to get started with more fundraising or the real estate assistance and they can find my contact and reach out to me through the circles of the city

>> the bicycle coalition was giving away 33 bicycles so i applied. i was happy to receive one of them.

>> the community bike build program is the san francisco coalition's way of spreading the joy of biking and freedom of biking to residents who may not have access to affordable transportation. the city has an ordinance that we worked with them on back in 2014 that requires city agency goes to give organizations like the san francisco bicycle organization a chance to take bicycles abandoned and put them to good use or find new homes for them. the partnerships with organizations generally with organizations that are working with low income individuals or families or people who are transportation dependent. we ask them to identify individuals who would greatly benefit from a bicycle. we make a list of people and their heights to match them to a bicycle that would suit their

lifestyle and age and height. >> bicycle i received has impacted my life so greatly. it is not only a form of recreation. it is also a means of getting connected with the community through bike rides and it is also just a feeling of freedom. i really appreciate it. i am very thankful. >> we teach a class. they have to attend a one hour class. things like how to change lanes, how to make a left turn, right turn, how to ride around cars. after that class, then we would give everyone a test chance -- chance to test ride. >> we are giving them as a way to get around the city.

>> just the joy of like seeing people test drive the bicycles in the small area, there is no real word. i guess enjoyable is a word i could use. that doesn't describe the kind of warm feelings you feel in your heart giving someone that sense of freedom and maybe they haven't ridden a bike in years. these folks are older than the normal crowd of people we give bicycles away to. take my picture on my bike. that was a great experience. there were smiles all around. the recipients, myself, supervisor, everyone was happy to be a part of this joyous occasion. at the end we normally do a group ride to see people ride off with these huge smiles on their faces is a great experience. >> if someone is interested in volunteering, we have a special

section on the website sf bike.org/volunteer you can sign up for both events. we have given away 855 bicycles, 376 last year. we are growing each and every year. i hope to top that 376 this year. we frequently do events in bayview. the spaces are for people to come and work on their own bikes or learn skills and give them access to something that they may not have had access to. >> for me this is a fun way to get outside and be active. most of the time the kids will be in the house. this is a fun way to do something. >> you get fresh air and you don't just stay in the house all day. iit is a good way to exercise.

>> the bicycle coalition has a bicycle program for every community in san francisco. it is connecting the young, older community. it is a wonderful outlet for the community to come together to have some good clean fun. it has opened to many doors to the young people that will usually might not have a bicycle. i have seen them and they are thankful and i am thankful for this program.

>> we are approving as many parks as we can, you have a value garden and not too many can claim that and you have an historic building that has been redone in a beautiful fashion and you have that beautiful outdoor ping-pong table and you have got the art commission involved and if you look at them, and we can particularly the gate as you came in, and that is extraordinary. and so these tiles, i am going to recommend that every park come and look at this park, because i think that the way that you have acknowledged donor iss really first class. >> it is nice to come and play and we have been driving by for literally a year.

>> it is kind of nice. >> all of the people that are here. ♪ . >> order. hi, everyone. i will note -- well, i'll take roll call. [ roll call ]. >> so before we begin, first of all, thank you, everyone for being here. the commission is grateful for all of the public comment that we've gotten in the past