shop local as much as they can. the retail marketplace is changes. we are trying to have people on the floor who can talk to you and help you with products you are interested in buying, and help you with exploration to try things you have never had before. >> the fish business, you think it is a piece of fish and fisherman. there are a lot of people working in the fish business, between wholesalers and fishermen and bait and tackle. at the retail end, we about a lot of people and it is good for everybody. >> shopping and dining locally is so important to the community because it brings a tighter fabric to the community and allows the business owners to thrive in the community. we see more small businesses

going away. we need to shop locally to keep the small business alive in san francisco. >> shop and dine in the 49 is a cool initiative. you can see the banners in the streets around town. it is great. anything that can showcase and legitimize small businesses is a wonderful thing. >> you're watching quick bite, the show that has san francisco. ♪ ♪ ♪

>> we're here at one of the many food centric districts of san francisco, the 18th street corridor which locals have affectionately dubbed the castro. a cross between castro and gastronomic. the bakery, pizza, and dolores park cafe, there is no end in sight for the mouth watering food options here. adding to the culinary delights is the family of business he which includes skylight creamery, skylight and the 18 raisin. >> skylight market has been here since 1940. it's been in the family since 1964. his father and uncle bought the market and ran it through sam taking it over in 1998. at that point sam revamped the market. he installed a kitchen in the center of the market and really made it a place where chefs look forward to come.

he created community through food. so, we designed our community as having three parts we like to draw as a triangle where it's comprised of our producers that make the food, our staff, those who sell it, and our guests who come and buy and eat the food. and we really feel that we wouldn't exist if it weren't for all three of those components who really support each other. and that's kind of what we work towards every day. >> valley creamery was opened in 2006. the two pastry chefs who started it, chris hoover and walker who is sam's wife, supplied all the pastries and bakeries for the market. they found a space on the block to do that and the ice cream kind of came as an afterthought. they realized the desire for ice cream and we now have lines

around the corner. so, that's been a huge success. in 2008, sam started 18 reasons, which is our community and event space where we do five events a week all around the idea of bringling people closer to where the food comes from and closer to each other in that process. >> 18 reasons was started almost four years ago as an educational arm of their work. and we would have dinners and a few classes and we understood there what momentum that people wanted this type of engagement and education in a way that allowed for a more in-depth conversation. we grew and now we offer -- i think we had nine, we have a series where adults learned home cooking and we did a teacher training workshop where san francisco unified public school teachers came and learned to use cooking for the core standards. we range all over the place. we really want everyone to feel

like they can be included in the conversation. a lot of organizations i think which say we're going to teach cooking or we're going to teach gardening, or we're going to get in the policy side of the food from conversation. we say all of that is connected and we want to provide a place that feels really community oriented where you can be interested in multiple of those things or one of those things and have an entree point to meet people. we want to build community and we're using food as a means to that end. >> we have a wonderful organization to be involved with obviously coming from buy right where really everyone is treated very much like family. coming into 18 reasons which even more community focused is such a treat. we have these events in the evening and we really try and bring people together. people come in in groups, meet friends that they didn't even know they had before. our whole set up is focused on communal table. you can sit across from someone and start a conversation.

we're excited about that. >> i never worked in catering or food service before. it's been really fun learning about where things are coming from, where things are served from. >> it is getting really popular. she's a wonderful teacher and i think it is a perfect match for us. it is not about home cooking. it's really about how to facilitate your ease in the kitchen so you can just cook. >> i have always loved eating food. for me, i love that it brings me into contact with so many wonderful people. ultimately all of my work that i do intersects at the place where food and community is. classes or cooking dinner for someone or writing about food. it always come down to empowering people and giving them a wonderful experience. empower their want to be around people and all the values and reasons the commitment, community and places, we're offering a whole spectrum of

offerings and other really wide range of places to show that good food is not only for wealthy people and they are super committed to accessibility and to giving people a glimpse of the beauty that really is available to all of us that sometimes we forget in our day to day running around. >> we have such a philosophical mission around bringing people together around food. it's so natural for me to come here. >> we want them to walk away feeling like they have the tools to make change in their lives. whether that change is voting on an issue in a way that they will really confident about, or that change is how to understand why it is important to support our small farmers. each class has a different purpose, but what we hope is that when people leave here they understand how to achieve that goal and feel that they

have the resources necessary to do that. >> are you inspired? maybe you want to learn how to have a patch in your backyard or cook better with fresh ingredients . or grab a quick bite with organic goodies. find out more about 18 reasons by going to 18 reasons.org and learn about buy right market and creamery by going to buy right market.com. and don't forget to check out our blog for more info on many of our episodes at sf quick bites.com. until next time, may the fork be with you. ♪ ♪ >> so chocolaty. mm. ♪ >> oh, this is awesome. oh, sorry. i thought we were done rolling. ♪

[♪] >> i just wanted to say a few words. one is to the parents and to all of the kids. thank you for supporting this program and for trusting us to create a soccer program in the bayview. >> soccer is the world's game, and everybody plays, but in the united states, this is a sport that struggles with access for certain communities. >> i coached basketball in a coached football for years, it is the same thing. it is about motivating kids and keeping them together, and

giving them new opportunities. >> when the kids came out, they had no idea really what the game was. only one or two of them had played soccer before. we gave the kids very simple lessons every day and made sure that they had fun while they were doing it, and you really could see them evolve into a team over the course of the season. >> i think this is a great opportunity to be part of the community and be part of programs like this. >> i get to run around with my other teammates and pass the ball. >> this is new to me. i've always played basketball or football. i am adjusting to be a soccer mom. >> the bayview is like my favorite team. even though we lose it is still fine. >> right on. >> i have lots of favorite memories, but i think one of them is just watching the kids enjoy themselves. >> my favorite memory was just having fun and playing. >> bayview united will be in soccer camp all summer long. they are going to be at civic

centre for two different weeklong sessions with america scores, then they will will have their own soccer camp later in the summer right here, and then they will be back on the pitch next fall. >> now we know a little bit more about soccer, we are learning more, and the kids are really enjoying the program. >> we want to be united in the bayview. that is why this was appropriate >> this guy is the limit. the kids are already athletic, you know, they just need to learn the game. we have some potential college-bound kids, definitely. >> today was the last practice of the season, and the sweetest moment was coming out here while , you know, we were setting up the barbecue and folding their uniforms, and looking out onto the field, and seven or eight of the kids were playing. >> this year we have first and second grade. we are going to expand to third, forth, and fifth grade next year bring them out and if you have middle school kids, we are starting a team for middle school. >> you know why?

>> why? because we are? >> bayview united. good morning everybody. thank you. it brings me such joy, gratitude, pleasure to welcome you to the re-dedication of ellis gardens. i hope you will join me in welcoming to the podium our mayor, london breed. >> mayor breed: i thought you were going to the project and talk a little about it. fine, i will get started. thank you everyone for being here today. i am excited about this project. this is the city and county of san francisco working hard to fulfill a promise. a promise to so many people who live throughout san francisco in public housing, in conditions

that no one should have to live in. a few years back when i first started as a member of the board of supervisors, i met with mayor ed lee to talk about priorities. my number one, two, three priority as supervisor was public housing in san francisco as a whole, not just my district. mayor lee supported the fact that we needed to do something different because the kinds of conditions that existed for so many years and the amount of money that we received, there was no way to get to a better place. over 20 years of my life in plaza east, i live in those conditions. the neglect, the bathrooms that didn't work, the mold, the conditions that you live in when you have had to live that way

for over 20 years is something you never forget. this is why nothing is more important to me than changing the kinds of conditions that people live in. here with 94 units of housing for people who are part of our very vulnerable community, our seniors, people living with disabilities, people who have challenges, not only physically sometimes but also many of our low income residents. they deserve the kind of place that exists here today. they deserve to live in conditions where when they flush the toilet it will work. where they have showers and some of the most basic things that some people take for granted. they have pest control so that they don't have to deal with the kinds of conditions that existed in the city in some places around public housing for far

too long. when we brought in the program there were so many people who were skeptical. they were worried about displacement, what happened in the city in the past. there were some mistakes made in the past. i continue to go back to my own personal experience of living in public housing 300 units torn down and only 200 units built. yes, a lot of people i grew up with were not given the opportunity to come back. that is why it is so important that we have partners and we work with each resident individually to help them understand that this is about them and to make the move and the transition while we are renovating these places as smooth as possible. that we make sure we are able to gain their trust and their support. in this city we have demonstrated through this program that we can be trusted

to do the kinds rehabilitation work that is desperately needed to make sure people are living in great conditions, people are living in the kinds of conditions that they deserve. i just want to thank tndc for being our partners, for doing the work with compassion. this place, i don't know if you have been in here before. what we see now, i am overwhelmed by the walls and floors and everything i see today. it is so amazing. we know that san francisco continues to have so many challenges. yes, we have to build more housing because we know even outside these doors, sadly, there are people struggling with homelessness. we also have to make sure that we are taking care of the people who deserve a safe affordable

place to call home. preservation of existing affordable housing, building new housing in this city, that is what we have to do to make san francisco a better place for each and every one of us. i am so grateful to be here, so proud of this work of this project, and i want to thank the people from project managers, to the financing. it does take a village that is expensive to do and to do rehappentation work in san francisco. we -- rehabilitation work in san francisco. i am happy for the residents. congratulations on this incredible property and thank you, don, for all of the work you continue to do. this is not our first project

together and it definitely won't be our last. [applause.] >> i know i speak for a lot of people when i say we are grateful for your leadership, mayor. join me in welcoming louise. [applause.] >> good morning. i am the president of the ellis gardens council. i want to thank the mayor london breed for making it happening for providing housing. i came to san francisco in 1962,

when i was 12 years old from el salvador. most of my life i lived in the mission district before losing my housing. thankfully, there was room for me at ellis gardens in 2012. ever since i have moved to ellis gardens, i have become involved in the community such as volunteering in the boys and girls club. volunteers is a positive and happy experience in my life. i love ellis gardens. it feels like an extension of the park now that the renovation is complete. it is now time to enjoy ellis gardens, have respect for one another and improve our community. on behalf of the residents we are very appreciative for the renovations and the support.

thank you very much. [applause.] >> thank you. please welcome supervisor matt haney. [applause.] >> thank you, don, mayor breed. i want to give a special recognition to louise. he is not just the red of the tenant council here, he is one of the greatest community leaders in the tenderloin. he shows up in the neighborhood. you make this such a wonderful place to live. please give him a round of applause again. >> i have been friends with who louise for a few years. last year he invited me to visit the believe.

-- to visit the building. it looks so beautiful. this area back here, the units. i got to visit on the tenth floor. this building is gorgeous. this is what people in this community deserve. this is what people in the tenderloin need in terms of open space, green space, finally living up to the name of this building, ellis gardens. this is a beautiful building for a neighborhood that is truly experiencing a renaissance of affordable housing, renovation for a community on the move in a positive way. i had a couple friends who visited the city recently. they are worried about the tenderloin. i said i was walking around and saw gentrification. i said what are you talking about? he said i walked around taylor

and eddy and saw the condos popping up. i am worried we are building condos and not affordable housing. i said those are affordable housing buildings. yes, they are beautiful. yes, they represent what people in this community need andy serve. people are going to walk by this and say, wow, i wish i could live there. that is what we want for everyone living in the city and the residents. thank you for allowing us to celebrate. thank you for going through this process. i am sure there was a level of disruption. thank you to bank of america and all of the project managers. i live one block from here right on hyde and ellis. this is my neighborhood. i walk by here every day and i am so happy for the residents

and this entire community that this building has been expanded in the way that it has. thank you. (applause). >> thank you so much, matt. please welcome the executive director of glide community housing. (applause). >> good morning everybody. it is my pleasure to be here today. flied community housing is honored to be in partnership. thank you, mayor london breed and supervisor haney. welcome everyone. we are so proud of the building we are being presented to you today the new ellis gardens. this project has been a labor of love. i would like to just pause and highlight the development team for a minute. thank you so much for your level of excellence devoted to this project.

ellis garden reflects a strong commitment of collaboration and the team went above and beyond to make this a beautiful project. as you tour the building you will see their efforts truly exceed the baseline for the project. the structure here is sound and we are providing units of quality housing for years to come. as a service provider, glide community housing believes communities like ellis gardens are built on the strengths and talents of the members in the community. we are here to provide supportive services through effective case management. the goal is housing stability for the entire population of not only this building but other believes in the community. our service team develops programming offering an array of multi-dimensional services and

opportunities to travel new pathways to health, autonomy and growth. we believe that housing is the essential first step in supporting individuals to reduce barriers and thus breaking the cycles of chronic homelessness. in closing, i want to thank a few people in the room today. i really want to thank our staff. glide community housing supportive services staff has gone the extra mile. it was our first time delivering services in an active construction site. not only did you take care of your yells, you continued to deliver quality services and make sure the folks here were taken care of. bank of america we thank you. we were able to deliver welcome home kits to every individual that received a new apartment

got a kit full of basic household needs, dish us, towels, bathroom supplies to help them settle into the community. gabe, thank you. your leadership on the development team is exceptional. you went the extra mile. we thank you for your leadership. d and h construction exceptional work. san francisco arts commission. we applied for the community challenge grant and were ag ablo partner. there is a beautiful mural on the wall. we are proud of the mural. our partners with hsh, thank you. you allow us to work through supportive services. this community means a lot to

us. there is a tremendous amount of gratitude being a lot of thank u.s. from the residents coming to services every day. very appreciative of what we have done as a team. thank you. we appreciate you. (applause). >> bank of america played a crucial role not only at ellis gardens but across the entire portfolio of rental assistance demonstration properties. please welcome our long time friend heidi. >> good morning, everyone. thank you so much for the warm welcome. thank you mathank you, mayor br. for those who may not know, bank of america was founded here in san francisco in 1904 as the bank of italy by the son of

italian immigrants who wanted to serve immigrants, women, those who were just the common person, and not necessarily the financial elite. fast forward over 100 years and bank of america represents over 4,000 teammates, clients, community partners in san francisco and if it is iconic moments like financing the bay bridge or restoring the ferry building or providing almost 100 residents in the ellis gardens with a wonderful new living condition and the well-being that comes with a place that is truly a home, we are so proud to be part of it. how important san francisco is to bank of america. it is fitting out of $4.8 billion. i am a banker. i will talk about money. invested in the community

development across the country over $2.2 billion is here in san francisco. we are tremendously proud to be included today in the celebration. congratulations to the entire resident bays, community partners and friends. thank you all so much for including us. (applause). >> finally, gabriel, it is your turn. >> thank you, don andthal you all for come -- thank you all for coming. my heart is filled with so much gratitude today. i recognize that i am the last speaker right before lunch. i will keep it quick. first, i want to thank the tenants especially for putting up with construction and relocation.

today is an open house of sorts. it is not the first open house. when we completed the first floor of the top floor we finished the first unit and held the apartment open for the tenants to come and take a look. everything was done. we had it staged modestly with flowers. people came out on to check it out. i will never forget one tenant walked in to the apartment and said is this what you are doing to my home? the tenant reactions were great. i wish we had hgtv there to capture it. those are a real reason why many of us are in this business and do the work we do. i will skip over the list of hundreds of people i want to thank. i would like to thank the dozens of people who will look after

this building here on out and look after the health of the people in it. i am very proud what we accomplished together to be here today. we did so under budget, mind you. i am proud tha that we will accomplish all of this in the future. thank you very much for coming. >> thank you. i want to just offer a few reflections. one is that i hope you will hear from all of us just the expression of gratitude. we realize we are in a privileged position to do the work to serve others. that is what a lot of us are very motivated by while in this room. seven years ago mayor lee and ed had a vision p.29 properties.

$2 billion and where was that going to come from? how was it going to happen? a new program that none of us knew or understood very well. i understand the housing director at the time telling me five single-spaced pages of exceptions to the rules. like this is what it took. that speaks nothing of all of the people and the institutions who are part of it. i hope you will takethe time to not just read but to grasp what is involved with every one of the people. most of you here and everyone on the list made a real contribution. i hope you will feel that you own this, if you will, because we were in this role at the center of the work but it is other people doing the work. i don't know what it means to own ellis gardens. this is a community asset. this is affordable housing

forever to serve people with low incomes forever. there will be a whole generation of people here 40 or 50 years from now celebrating the next rededication. it is a profound moment that i hope we can all appreciate how important not just the rededication but renewal. grateful to be a part of it. thank you all for coming. [applause.] >> five, four, three, two, one. [cheers.]

>> this neighborhood was lived for approximately 22 years. >> yeah, like 21 years. >> 21 years in this neighborhood. >> in the same house. >> we moved into this neighborhood six months after we got married, actually. just about our whole entire married life has been here in excel. >> the owner came to the house and we wanted to sell the house and we were like, what? we were scared at first. what are we going to do? where are we going to move into? the kids' school? our jobs? >> my name is maria. i'm a preschool teacher for the san francisco unified school district. >> my name is ronnie and i work in san francisco and i'm a driver from a local electrical

company. >> we went through meta first and meta helped us to apply and be ready to get the down payment assistant loan program. that's the program that we used to secure the purchase of our home. it took us a year to get our credit ready to get ready to apply for the loan. >> the whole year we had to wait and wait through the process and then when we got the notice, it's like, we were like thinking that. >> when we found out that we were settling down and we were going to get approved and we were going to go forward, it was just a really -- we felt like we could breathe. we have four kids and so to find a place even just to rent for a family of six. and two dogs. >> we were going to actually pay more for rent and to own a house. >> it feels good now to have to

move. it feels for our children to stay in the neighborhood that they have grown in. they grew up here and they were born here. they know this neighborhood. they don't know anything outside san francisco. >> we really have it. >> we'd love to say thank you to the mayor's office. they opened a door that we thought was not possible to be opened for us. they allowed us to continue to live here. we're raising our family in san francisco and just to be able to continue to be here is the great lesson. >> the goal is simple. it's to raise women's voices. >> learn a little bit about what you should be thinking about in the future. >> we had own over 300 -- over

300 people who signed up for the one-on-one counseling today. >> i think in the world of leading, people sometimes discount the ability to lead quietly and effectively. the assessor's office is a big one. there are 58 counties in the state of california and every single county has one elected assessor in the county. our job is to look at property taxes and make sure that we are fairly taxing every single property in san francisco. one of the big things that we do is as a result of our work, we bring in a lot of revenue, about 2.6 billion worth of

revenue to the city. often, people will say, what do you do with that money, and i like to share what we do with property taxes. for every dollar we collect in property taxes, about 68 cents of it goes to support public sstss, our police officers, our fire departments, our streets, our cleaning that happens in the city. but i think what most people don't know is 34 cents of the dollar goes to public education. so it goes to the state of california and in turn gets allocated back to our local school districts. so this is an incredibly important part of what we do in this office. it's an interesting place to be, i have to say. my colleagues across the state have been wonderful and have been very welcoming and share their knowledge with me. in my day-to-day life, i don't think about that role, being

the only asian american assessor in the state, i just focus on being the best i can be, representing my city very well, representing the county of san francisco well. by being the only asian american assessor, i think you have a job to try to lift up and bring as many people on board, as well. i hope by doing the best that you can as an individual, people will start to see that your assessor is your elected leaders, the people that are making important decisions can look like you, can be like you, can be from your background. i grew up with a family where most of my relatives, my aunties, my uncles, my parents, were immigrants to the united states. when my parents first came here, they came without any relatives or friends in the united states. they had very little money, and they didn't know how to speak english very well. they came to a place that was completely foreign, a place where they had absolutely nobody here to help them, and i can't imagine what that must

have been like, how brave it was for them to take that step because they were doing this in order to create an opportunity for their family. so my parents had odd jobs, my dad worked in the kitchens, my mom worked as a seamstress sewing. as we grew up, we eventually had a small business. i very much grew up in a family of immigrants, where we helped to translate. we went to the restaurant every weekend helping out, rolling egg rolls, eating egg rolls, and doing whatever we need to do to help the family out. it really was an experience growing up that helped me be the person that i am and viewing public service the way that i do. one of the events that really stuck with me when i was growing up was actually the rodney king riots. we lived in southern california at the time, and my parents had a restaurant in inglewood, california. i can remember smelling smoke,

seeing ashes where we lived. it was incredibly scary because we didn't know if we were going to lose that restaurant, if it was going to be burned down, if it was going to be damaged, and it was our entire livelihood. and i remember there were a lot of conversations at that time around what it was that government to do to create more opportunities or help people be more successful, and that stuck with me. it stuck with me because i remain believe government has a role, government has a responsibility to change the outcomes for communities, to create opportunities, to help people go to school, to help people open businesses and be successful. >> make sure to be safe, and of course to have fun. >> and then, i think as you continue to serve in government, you realize that those convictions and the persons that you are really help to inform you, and so long as you go back to your core, and you remember why you're doing what you're doing, you know, i think you can't go wrong. it's funny, because, you know,

i never had thought i would do this. i became a supervisor first for the city under very unusual circumstances, and i can remember one day, i'm shopping with friends and really not having a care in the world about politics or running for office or being in a public position, and the next day, i'm sworn in and serving on the board of supervisors. for many of us who are going through our public service, it's very interesting, i think, what people view as a leader. sometimes people say, well, maybe the person who is most outspoken, the person who yells the loudest or who speaks the loudest is going to be the best leader. and i think how i was raised, i like to listen first, and i like to try to figure outweighs to work with -- out ways to work with people to get things done. i hope that time goes on, you can see that you can have all sorts of different leaders whether at the top of city government or leading organizations or leading teams,

that there are really different kinds of leadership styles that we should really foster because it makes us stronger as organizations. >> take advantage of all the wonderful information that you have here, at the vendor booth, at our seminars and also the one-on-one counseling. >> i wouldn't be where i was if i didn't have very strong people who believed in me. and even at times when i didn't believe in my own abilities or my own skills, i had a lot of people who trusted and believed i either had the passion or skills to accomplish and do what i did. if there was one thing that i can tell young women, girls, who are thinking about and dreaming about the things they want to be, whether it's being a doctor or being in politics, running an organization, being in business, whatever it is, i think it's really to just trust yourself and believe that who you are is enough, that you are enough to make it work and to

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.

>> the commission will come to order. i will take roll call. [roll call] i would like to take the opportunity to introduce a guest and our audience and we will have a long-standing working relationship. she is the new -- the mayor's new health policy director. shelley? [applause] do you want to say hello to us or are you good where you are? [indiscernible] >> hi, everybody. you are rather welcome to call me shelley. i have havehe