>> the hon. london breed: we are here today to sign legislation which will provide an additional $10.9 million in grant resources for small businesses throughout san francisco. and let me tell you why that is so significant.

when we first closed down over a year ago, people who had businesses like hair salons, nail salons, night life venues, places like a lot of these locations here in japantown, they basically had to close and figure out how they were going to close and figure out how they were going to pay their rent, they had to figure out how they were going to support and feed their families. it took us a while to get it together to make sure that we are in a where people were -- people were okay financially. we had to save lives in the decisions we made -- in the decisions we made, but more importantly, we had to think about other ways in which we were going to support our businesses. so the city stepped in, and, of course, deferred fees, tried to provide some immediate relief

at first, starting with chinatown, which was hardest hit because of the discrimination and xenophobia that hit even before the emergency. we helped with a number of loans. mission district and the latino community, a revolving loan fund, places that we knew under no circumstances that could open because of covid. now, the reason why the $10.9 million that we're announcing today is so significant is because it would be provided as grants for many of these businesses, anywhere from $5,000 to $25,000 per grant, and these are for businesses that in the last year couldn't open up for at least six months. businesses like the hair

salons, barber shops, night life venues, and a number of other places that continue to struggle, and restaurants that didn't have the capacity to set up an outdoor shared space or didn't have the support and resources to do the whole delivery systems that some people were able to do. we know that getting access to the p.p.p. loans from the federal government was challenging. we know that here in san francisco we had to make adjustments. we already saw that -- we have already seen that so many businesses have closed their doors for good. many of you know that i grew up in this neighborhood, i grew up hanging up around here, japantown bowl, right across the street, and i know this is an active community. it's not just an active community for people who live

here, it's an active community for people who visit one of the largest japantowns anywhere in the country, and so they suffered a lot. many of the places in here were not open, and we wanted to make sure that when we provided relief, it wasn't just relief that was going to serve businesses that also had access to other resources, it was going to serve those mom-and-pop businesses that we need to make sure as we recover as a city, that they are also able to join us in that recovery, as well. many of those are family-owned businesses. they also hire people in san francisco. i love walking around san francisco and popping my head around japantown or any other commercial corridors where the people who work there are the people who have probably worked there for generations, and

that's why this is so important. we have to make it easy for people to have resources to stay in business in this city. and so today, signing this legislation will ensure that it goes into effect right away; that instead of taking all day to get money to small businesses, we're able to get them a check as soon as possible. we're not here to micromanage how they use it. we know they have employees, we know they have expenses, we know they have back rent, and we need to be here to support them. in san francisco, we provided loans to small businesses up to $1 million. that doesn't include the state and federal resources. that includes fees that we have not just deferred, but fees that we paid off that businesses owed to the city because they weren't making money to pay the city in the first place. so we have to make sure that we're thinking about that

because we sacrificed so much. we sacrificed so much because in san francisco, when we closed down this city, we all did our part. we wore our masks, we socially distanced, we stayed away from our family and friends for the most part, and now, san francisco has much to celebrate. we're one of the densest cities in the country with one of the lowest rates of infection and the lowest death rates in this country, and over 50% of san franciscans have been vaccinated. that's more than the state and national average. san francisco, we should be proud of how far we've come, and we did that because all played our part. now, it's time for us to come back. we're a strong, resilient city, and when we come back, we're going to come back stronger and more resilient than ever

before, and this is $10.9 million is just a start. it's what we need to do along with so many other things that are going to bring our businesses back, that are going to bring our economy back. the city will do its very best to invest resources, but we also need the customers and the people to start to shop local and to return to the businesses that we all know and love. so before we sign this legislation, i want to ask ray who's with the community business district in j-town, i want to invite him up to say a few words about the efforts that we're doing to revitalize this community. i was here just a couple of weeks ago. there were lines of people supporting these businesses, so after this legislation is signed, i'm hoping you'll go in

here, have lunch, and start shopping. so grace? [applause] >> thank you, mayor. thank you to japantown, and mayor breed, welcome back to j-town. we are so honored today to stand behind the mayor as she signs the legislation for the small business recovery act, something that's so important for our small businesses, especially our retailers who have had the hardest time during this pandemic. who would have thought that when shelter in place went into effect last march, that one year would have to pass, yet our community is resilient. as the mayor said, san francisco is resilient, as well, and we'll come out of this. the japantown community benefit district has worked closely

with people like steve nakajo and sandy mori from the japantown task force really putting our forces together to help our small businesses because without them, j-town would not be j-town. mayor breed, if times were normal, you would be here to do the kickoff for the cherry blossom festival. we're going to have a hamani, which is a cherry blossom viewing. we also have to give huge appreciation to the mayor's office, the office of economic workforce development, the san francisco department of health, sfmta, and many others who really helped us get the tools we need to keep our small

businesses alive and thriving. so with that, thank you very much, and thank you, mayor. [applause] >> the hon. london breed: thank you so much, grace. and you know, sometimes i get a little comfortable when i come back to japantown because it's like home. i was a supervisor, as well, in this district, and so, so many great people, so many familiar faces, and so i'm so glad to be here. i was just at kasura two weeks ago because from covid, i went from having zero plants to 31. it's a better habit to have than most, and they have some great stuff in there, and so the owner's here with us today, so a business like hers will also have benefit from

legislation like this. sandy mori, steve nakajo, who's also on the fire commission, they work so hard so we can be here today, so with that, let's sign this legislation. [applause] >> i'll take my check now. [laughter] [cheers and applause]

. >> president yee: of the 26 neighborhoods we have in west portal, it's probably the most unique in terms of a small little town. you can walk around here, and it feels different from the rest of san francisco. people know each other. they shop here, they drink wine

here. what makes it different is not only the people that live here, but the businesses, and without all these establishments, you wouldn't know one neighborhood from the other. el toreador is a unique restaurant. it's my favorite restaurant in san francisco, but when you look around, there's nowhere else that you'll see decorations like this, and it makes you feel like you're in a different world, which is very symbolic of west portal itself. >> well, the restaurant has been here since 1957, so we're going on 63 years in the neighborhood. my family came into it in 1987, with me coming in in 1988. >> my husband was a designer,

and he knew a lot about art, and he loved color, so that's what inspired him to do the decorations. the few times we went to mexico, we tried to get as many things as we can, and we'd bring it in. even though we don't have no space, we try to make more space for everything else. >> president yee: juan of the reasons we came up with the legacy business concept, man eel businesses were closing down for a variety of reasons. it was a reaction to trying to keep our older businesses continuing in the city, and i think we've had some success, and i think this restaurant itself is probably proof that it works. >> having the legacy business experience has helped us a lot,

too because it makes it good for us because we have been in business so long and stayed here so long. >> we get to know people by name, and they bring their children, so we get to know them, also. it's a great experience to get to know them. supervisor yee comes to eat at the restaurant, so he's a wonderful customer, and he's very loyal to us. >> president yee: my favorite dish is the chile rellenos. i almost never from the same things. my owner's son comes out, you want the same thing again? >> well, we are known for our mole, and we do three different types of mole.

in the beginning, i wasn't too familiar with the whole legacy program, but san francisco, being committed to preserve a lot of the old-time businesses, it's important to preserve a lot of the old time flavor of these neighborhoods, and in that capacity, it was great to be recognized by the city and county of san francisco. >> i've been here 40 years, and i hope it will be another 40 year >> the hon. london breed: good morning, everyone. let's get right to it. this is not unfamiliar territory for us. many of you remember, when i started at supervisor for district 5, 4-20, although it has been a tradition in san francisco for many, many years, there was one year in

particular that was a little different than most years. we saw thousands of people come from all over the bay area to robin williams meadows to celebrate this unsanctioned holiday, alex, is that what we want to call it, right here in golden gate park? and i think when i was supervisor, i think that was the most complaints that i got from constituents after it was over, the conditions of the park. as much as we want to celebrate here in san francisco, and as supportive as the city has been to continue to see the tradition occur, it has been really challenging, of course, to gather in large groups during covid. now last year, what i really appreciate about people who come here year after year, is we asked you not to, and you

followed our health guidance. you followed the health orders and you stayed away from golden gate park and prevented that from being a super spreader in our city, and we thank you for that. now i know that man of you thought we -- many of you thought we would be celebrating and that we would be in a better place. we are in a better place. we've seen the case numbers go down in san francisco. we've seen the hospitalization numbers go down in san francisco, and we've vaccinated at least 50% of san franciscans with the first dose of the vaccine, but we are not there yet, we are not at a place where we can have large number events, so what does that mean? that means this year's 4-20

celebration are cancelled. robin williams meadows will be fenced off and unavailable for access to any member of the public. it means we will be patrolling the area and on the lookout for mass events in our city. because the bigger issue for us is, the issue we don't want to see, is san francisco to go backwards. we only need to look at what's around a number of variants in the united states and what's happening in michigan. as much as we are tired about the virus and as much as we are excited about reopening, we are still not at a place where we can have large scale events, large gatherings of people. we don't want to go backwards. yesterday, i went to brett hart elementary school in the bayview-hunters point

community. i can't tell you how excited i was for those children who were going back into the classroom finally. when i had lunch at a thai restaurant in the soma area, the owner asked, mayor, when are we going to bring businesses back? my business is suffering. people are still struggling. we are not completely 100% open, but we are in a decent place. in fact, we expected to have more news about going into the yellow sooner rather than later, and we have not gotten that news. so the point is, as grateful as we are as to where we are as a city, and how we have kept the infection rates down, how we are one of the densest cities in the country with one of the lowest death rates anywhere, as

grateful as we are with where san francisco is, we're still not where we need to be, and so i'm asking members of the public who were making plans, which we know were happening on-line, on social media, we're making plans to go to -- media, were making plans to go to san francisco on 4-20, unfortunately, we will not be able to provide the space or the support for large scale events anywhere in our city. we need everyone to celebrate at home, responsibly, with your mask, in limits numbers in whatever way, shape, or form, and be patient with us because as we begin to reopen, we can look back and be proud of the sacrifices that we made here in san francisco to get us to this point. so i just want to -- we have a number of folks here to speak to talk specifically about what's going to happen so you

can know, that even if you want to come any way, it's going to be virtually impossible for you to get to the location that you're trying to get to because it will be fenced out -- fenced off, it will be patrolled, and unfortunately, we will not be able to allow it this year. and with that, i want to introduce dr. grant colfax about where we are, and phil ginsburg, and a number of other speakers, and we're happy to answer questions after everyone's had an opportunity to speak. thank you so much. >> good morning, everybody, and thank you, madam mayor, for the introduction and your tremendous leadership during this unprecedented time. i'd also like to thank director ginsburg in the rec and park department for inviting me to be here for this important event. i'm here today to applaud the

people of san francisco for the sacrifices that you have made and for following our health guidelines throughout this pandemic. your hard work and commitment has helped us beat back three surges, including our winter surge, and we continue to move forward with reopening. but i'm also here with words of caution. i am, we are watching with concern about what's happening in the -- in the mid western part of the country, including and especially in michigan, as well as in other parts of the world, including europe, and just yesterday, the director of the c.d.c., recommended that michigan go into another lockdown to bring its surge under control. i think we can all agree that's certainly the last thing that we want to see here in the state and in san francisco. i think we need to take the possibility of a fourth surge

seriously, and gatherings like the 4-20 events we've seen in previous years could set us back. i applaud the efforts that organizers have done in cancelling the event. thank you. and i encourage everyone who looks forward to this annual event, if they choose to do so, to enjoy this day from home. we are making great progress on vaccinations. we are now vaccinating in san francisco over 12,000 people a day, but we are still not at that point where we can let our guard down. we still need to do, in addition to the vaccines that we know can slow the spread of the virus, masking, social distancing, avoiding nonessential travel and limiting gatherings with people outside of your household.

we will be introducing this week what we call the enhanced orange tier. but i want to remind people that outdoor gatherings are limited to 25 people with same households with masking and social distancing. starting on the 15th, outdoor gatherings with increase to 50 people with masking and social distancing with no household restriction, and with food served, that restriction drops to 25 people. so that is progress, and i know we are all eager to make even further progress and to put this chapter of limitations behind us, but let's continue to take the precautions necessary for now. finally, i also have to mention that if you are going to purchase cannabis, we encourage you to procure your gear from licensed businesses and not from the street. cannabis from licensed retailers is tested and safe

for consumption. and again, i want to thank all san franciscans for your on going support during this challenging time. when it's your turn, get vaccinated, do the right thing, and let's get through this pandemic together. thank you. >> the hon. london breed: thank you, dr. colfax. now, i want to introduce the new captain for park station, captain padrini -- am i saying your name right? all right. captain padrini. >> thank you, mayor breed, dr. colfax, director ginsburg, and [inaudible] my name is [inaudible] padrini, and i'm the captain of park station.

we know that 4-20 is an event that has been held here in the park for a long time, and many look forward to celebrating. unfortunately, we won't be celebrating this year. san francisco has come so far in response to the covid-19 pandemic, and we just can't afford to let our guard down now. as you heard others mention already, the area of golden gate park where all have gathered to celebrate 4-20 day, that area will be closed. the city will be erecting and installing fencing and barriers to limit and control access. san francisco police officers, working with our partners, park rangers and parking patrol officers, will prevent access to these areas and keep traffic moving. we are prepared to do enforcement if necessary, but we're asking for your cooperation by celebrating

safely at home or in your neighborhood. so again, please celebrate virtually this year so that, hopefully, all can celebrate in person next year. thank you. >> the hon. london breed: thank you, captain. you're, like, the third captain that we've worked with at park police station to deal with some of the challenges at 4-20, and the third one to say you look forward to it, as well. so with that, i want to introduce the director of the rec and park department, phil ginsburg. >> thank you, mayor. i want to thank the mayor, our health director and d.p.h., the office of cannabis, all our partners here in this effort to continue to keep our parks joyous and safe. it's been a long year for us all, but our parks all over the city have been places where

we've been able to pursue our physical and mental health. we're almost there, but we're just not ready to party. so as the mayor alluded, and as captain padrini alluded, there will be no party here at hippie hill in robin williams meadow on 4-20. officers will be disbursed, making sure there are no large crowds. consider me director buzzkill. getting outside is fine, right? 4-20 is a holiday. celebrate it, but getting outdoors is not. you can celebrate in your

household by live streaming 420hippiehill.com. our goal here is to maintain our treasured open spaces as places where we can, again, pursue physical and mental health. we welcome people to enjoy their parks. get out and enjoy a park. in san francisco, we have 225 of them. all of us live within ten minutes of a park, and if you're coming from someplace else, there are amazing parks and open spaces all over the bay area, the peninsula, and marin. use them. thank you. >> the hon. london breed: thank you, phil. but when you go to the park, make sure you know you cannot

gather in groups larger than 25 with a maximum of three households, so we will be enforcing the health order throughout san francisco. enjoy our parks but follow the rules. and as i mentioned to you before, this event initially has grown into something that none of us could ever have imagined, like the pandemic. the fact is because we're san francisco, we didn't just shut our doors and say, it's not going to happen. we're going to end it, we decided to figure out what was the most effective way to make it safe, what was the most effective way to recover our expenses in terms of our cost. how were we going to make it the kind of event that you can celebrate, enjoy san francisco like many other events that occur here. we put our heads together, phil ginsburg and i and others, and

fortunately, we have identified a native san franciscan who said -- we didn't go to him, he came to us. he said he wants to make it safe, he wants to work together. he owns a business on haight street, born and raised in the city, and really wanted to support this gathering, and as a result, put together a number of sponsors and entertainment and a number of resources to cover expenses related to transportation and things that are necessary to make this event happen, and we created an amazing partnership. and i think since this partnership has started, alex, you were only able to do one so far? is it two? so at this time, i want to introduce alex aquino who is really -- three?

three? we've known about three traditionally in the city. technically, you're not supposed to smoke in the park, but we're trying to understand and be open-minded about this. we get it, and we have worked with alex over the past couple of years, and i want to introduce him now to say a few words. >> and good morning, everybody. is it still morning? good afternoon. thank you, mayor breed, director ginsburg, for having me this afternoon. it's best for our public and public safety and health. we encourage people not to gather. instead, take advantage of some of the great live streams that we're producing this year in the safety and comfort of your own home. we have a great show lined up

this year by burner, hosted by michael blackson, paul rodriguez, and bob saget. we are working with weedmaps for a free live stream, hosted by snoop dogg, rocky, and more. these will be benefiting local businesses and local entities. so please go to 420hippiehill.com. >> the hon. london breed: thank you, alex, and thank you so much for putting together an alternative where people can still enjoy 4-20. a lot of folks we know this year and this past year have had to do virtual events.

many people have adapted, and 4-20, no different, and fingers crossed, you'll all be able to return and enjoy golden gate park next year. i also want to recognize the director of the office of cannabis for the city and county of san francisco, marissa rodriguez. thank you for being here today, and at this point, happy to answer any questions that you may have. [inaudible] >> the hon. london breed: yeah. i definitely was saddened and disappointed and concerns when i heard about the johnson & johnson vaccine being removed, but unfortunately, we've had this challenge before.

we know with a separate vaccine not related to covid, the pfizer vaccine, they talked about that, and my hope is that not a lot of people were impacted, and we're going to continue to do vaccines. we have other vaccines which have not been problematic. i have not had any symptoms or have experienced any clots related to the johnson & johnson vaccine. of course, i'm disappointed because it's a one-and-done vaccine that we all have encouraged other people to get. what we don't want people to do is to be discouraged from getting vaccines period. if i had to do it all over again, i'd still get the vaccine, and in light of the new information, probably would choose another option. those options have been in circulation and available to people even before the johnson & johnson was available. so i would say to those people who have received the johnson &

johnson, to definitely contact your primary health care provider or reach out to the place where you have received the vaccine, like a number of the community places we have available. this is a set back, but it's not going to stop san francisco from moving forward and doing everything we can to provide vaccines to the public. [inaudible] >> the hon. london breed: so what was asked was about the new sobering center i announced today. let's just back up, because this goes back to even when i was on the board of supervisors and my support for safe injection sites. now, we know that people struggle with addictions in various capacities, whether it's drugs, alcohol, gambling, there are a number of addictions that people face, and just because we don't want to see them doesn't mean they're just going to go away,

so we can't keep doing things the same way we've done them and expect to get a different result. we have some amazing programs like delancey street and healthright 360, but people using drugs that create psychosis can sometimes do permanent damage to folks who may not necessarily be able to say, i need help, and we see that playing out on our streets every single day. so what was important for me is to not let it play out on the streets, so get people in a safe, clean environment with health care professionals who understand people working with addiction, and hopefully, those people are able to get the help and the support that they need. and i will also say that as

much as we want to see people get help, we all -- i mean, i have had family members that have struggled with addiction. we all know that until someone says i need help, it's a whole different process to getting them help. so hopefully, these sobering centers and safe injection sites for people will help prevent overdosing, will help present an option into treatment or some form of support, because we want to make sure it's easier to access help than it is to access drugs and alcohol on our streets, and that's what this sobering center is about. [inaudible]

>> the hon. london breed: do we have that information or do we need to get back -- [inaudible] >> the hon. london breed: okay. i think we need to get back to you on the data because we haven't received the latest numbers from the controller's office as to the financial impacts on the city's resources, but you know that we provided equity grants for many of our equity applicants, people who were disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs, and making sure that they have opportunities to have capital to open up these businesses, but we do know, sure, that cannabis and a number of other businesses have thrived as a result of this pandemic, and we'll have more data probably at another time. [inaudible]

>> the hon. london breed: i'm going to let dr. grant colfax answer that question. >> good morning again. so right now, we have the capacity to put over 20,000 vaccines in arms. we're doing an average of 12,000 because of the lack of supplies. i think the johnson & johnson, we're following the f.d.a.s and c.d.c.s lead on that and putting a pause on johnson & johnson, but because of the decrease in supplies that the state announced this week, we're getting a third less vaccine. this week, we've only gotten 500 doses of johnson & johnson. we'll put those on pause, but we don't anticipate disruption in the scheduled appointments,

and we'll continue to follow the situation closely. [inaudible] >> no cancellation will be as a result of this. we have very small part of johnson & johnson, so we're continuing to focus on getting the vaccines into arms that we do have, the vast majority of which are moderna and pfizer. >> the hon. london breed: all right. thank you. thank you. >> roughly five years, i was working as a high school

teacher, and i decided to take my students on a surfing field trip. the light bulb went off in my head, and i realized i could do much more for my students taking them surfing than i could as their classroom teacher, and that is when the idea for the city surf project was born. >> working with kids in the ocean that aren't familiar with this space is really special because you're dealing with a lot of fear and apprehension but at the same time, a lot of excitement. >> when i first did it, i was, like, really scared, but then, i did it again, and i liked it. >> we'll get a group of kids who have just never been to the

beach, are terrified of the idea, who don't like the beach. it's too cold out, and it's those kid that are impossible to get back out of the water at the end of the day. >> over the last few years, i think we've had at least 40 of our students participate in the city surf project. >> surfing helped me with, like, how to swim. >> we've start off with about two to four sessions in the pool before actually going out and surfing. >> swimming at the pool just helps us with, like, being, like, comfortable in the water and being calm and not being all -- not being anxious. >> so when we started the city surf project, one of the things we did was to say hey, this is the way to earn your p.e. credits. just getting kids to go try it

was one of our initial challenges for the first year or two. but now that we've been doing it three or four years, we have a group of kids that's consistent, and the word has spread, that it's super fun, that you learn about the ocean. >> starting in the morning, you know, i get the vehicles ready, and then, i get all the gear together, and then, i drive and go get the kids, and we take them to a local beach. >> we usually go to linda mar, and then occasionally ocean beach. we once did a special trip. we were in capitola last year, and it was really fun. >> we get in a circle and group stretch, and we talk about specific safety for the day, and then, we go down to the water. >> once we go to the beach, i don't want to go home. i can't change my circumstances at home, but i can change the

way i approach them. >> our program has definitely been a way for our students to find community and build friends. >> i don't really talk to friends, so i guess when i started doing city surf, i started to, like, get to know people more than i did before, and people that i didn't think i'd like, like, ended up being my best friends. >> it's a group sport the way we do it, and with, like, close camaraderie, but everybody's doing it for themselves. >> it's great, surfing around, finding new people and making new friendships with people throughout surfing. >> it can be highly developmental for students to have this time where they can learn a lot about themselves while negotiating the waves. >> i feel significantly, like, calmer. it definitely helps if i'm, like, feeling really stressed or, like, feeling really

anxious about surfing, and i go surfing, and then, i just feel, like, i'm going to be okay. >> it gives them resiliency skills and helps them build self-confidence. and with that, they can use that in other parts of their lives. >> i went to bring my family to the beach and tell them what i did. >> i saw kids open up in the ocean, and i got to see them connect with other students, and i got to see them fail, you know, and get up and get back on the board and experience success, and really enjoy themselves and make a connection to nature at the same time. >> for some kids that are, like, resistant to, like, being in a mentorship program like this, it's they want to surf, and then later, they'll find out that they've, like, made

this community connection. >> i think they provided level playing fields for kids to be themselves in an open environment. >> for kids to feel like i can go for it and take a chance that i might not have been willing to do on my own is really special. >> we go on 150 surf outings a year. that's year-round programming. we've seen a tremendous amount of youth face their fears through surfing, and that has translated to growth in other facets of their lives. >> i just think the biggest thing is, like, that they feel like that they have something that is really cool, that they're engaged in, and that we, like, care about them and how they're doing, like, in general. >> what i like best is they really care about me, like, i'm not alone, and i have a group of people that i can go to,

and, also, surfing is fun. >> we're creating surfers, and we're changing the face of surfing. >> the feeling is definitely akin to being on a roller coaster. it's definitely faster than i think you expect it to be, but it's definitely fun. >> it leaves you feeling really, really positive about what that kid's going to go out and do. >> i think it's really magical almost. at least it was for me. >> it was really exciting when i caught my first wave. >> i felt like i was, like -- it was, like, magical, really. >> when they catch that first wave, and their first lights up, you know -- their face lights up, you know you have them hooked. >> i was on top of the world. it's amazing. i felt like i was on top of the world even though i was

probably going two miles an hour. it was, like, the scariest thing i'd ever done, and i think it was when i got hooked on surfing after >> hello, everybody. thanks for coming out. today is a bright, sunshining day, turning our faces toward the sun and looking to help recover our businesses. we are couraging you to take the -- encouraging you to take the small business challenge, and the small business challenge, is for the month of may, can you shop and dine at only small businesses. with that, i'd like to

introduce mayor breed, who's been such an advocate for small businesses. it's been a pleasure to work with her office in creating shared spaces, so with that, mayor breed. [applause] >> the hon. london breed: hello, everyone. i am really excited to be here at manny's, with manny, who is not just the owner of this really wonderful space, but a commissioner with sharky on our small business commission, when we put these two together, they make magic happen, and part of that magic is really advocating fiercely for small businesses in san francisco. throughout the pandemic, they have been key for pushing for

supports and fee and permit waivers for a number of small businesses in san francisco, especially for the people that they play. in san francisco, i'm proud that we stepped up early on. we waived fees, we provided grants and loans and no interest loans and other resources to small businesses. in total, san francisco has provided about $75 million throughout the course of this pandemic, not including state and federal resources, but to help our small business community. last week, i was in japantown, announcing an additional $10.6 million in grants for small businesses who could not get access to p.p.p. loans and some of the other resources. because when san francisco starts to open, what's important to me is that we all recover together, and what that means is making sure that we

support one another. not just through city resources, but by going to our local stores and our businesses and our communities. now since this pandemic began, i am really proud that i would go out and walk in the neighborhoods, i would go to some of the these businesses, i would just walk down the street if i needed to pick up a plunger for my toilet or anything else -- go to the local hardware store or anyplace where i needed anything, and you know what? if we just take a moment to look around us, all the things that we may typically honestly order on amazon, we can find them right here in shops right here in our city right here in our neighborhood. [applause] >> the hon. london breed: now although i appreciate the selection and fast delivery of amazon because i have needs, i

also appreciate and want to keep in business mom-and-pops, like sammy, who he and his mom get up every morning at 4:00 to make it to their dry cleaners at 6:00 to get all the machines ready and do all the work. this is a family-owned business, and i've been going here because i was a kid, and because people aren't getting things dry cleaned as much, they've been struggling. it's important to me, as someone who uses them, it's important for me to continue to use them even when it's a small thing and i could probably clean it myself. it's important for me to support plant stores during the pandemic. i went from zero to 31, and i think now, i have 33. as soon as i walk past or drive

past any plant store, i have to go in. there's an aquarium on clement street that has not just fish but really good plants. there's furniture stores right here in the mission? what's the name of fiona's place? >> harrington furniture. >> the hon. london breed: it's a third generation irish family that owns it. you can go visit fiona, and she can get you anything that you want. there's something about connecting to your community. there's something about connecting to the small businesses in your community. it helps them stay in business, but it also helps us stay a

better community as a whole. some of you remember food land. it turned into another store, but we all called it food land, and we knew everybody that worked there because that's what being in the community is about. when we take the time to do that, something different happens. we connect, we connect with community. so what we're asking people to do for the month of may is to connect with community, to connect with our small businesses, to go out of your way, to go out of your way -- well, not just go out of your way, but to make effort