graduating with natural, fruity loops, rhymes. all of our music lyrics are clean. he came as an intern, and now he's running the program. that just tells you, we are only creating opportunities and there's a young man by the name of eduardo ramirez. he tells the barber, what's that flyer? and he says it's a program that teaches you computers and art. and i still remember the day he walked in there with a baseball cap, full of tattoos. nice clean hair cut. i want to learn how to use computers. graduated from the program and he wanted to work in i.t.. well, eduardo is a dreamer. right. so trying to find him a job in the tech industry was very challenging, but that didn't stop him. through the effort of the

office of economic work force and the grant i reached out to a few folks i know. post mates decided to bring him on board regardless of his legal status. he ended his internship at post mates and now is at hudacity. that is the power of what technology does for young people that want to become part of the tech industry. what we've been doing, it's very innovative. helping kids k-12, transitional age youth, families, parents, communities, understand and to be exposed to stem subjects. imagine if that mission one day can be in every affordable housing community. the opportunities that we would create and that's what i'm trying to do with this

it is a historic day we are announcing the community meeting we are having on the 20th with china town community college center to talk about the first sober supportive housing hotel not simply in san francisco or california but i believe the nation. i had somebody say how do you know the first in the nation. i researchd and have admit found another that is permanent supportive housing that is sober. what is interesting is that we have over 8,000 single adults live nothing permanent supportive husbanding in san francisco not one building for sober hotels. that is an imbalance that's had this project would fill that gap. >> you know, we did a survey. people don't want sober hotels

they want to be the way things are. we did a survey of the existing residents for you 50 responded. 71% said than i prefer to live in a sober hotel. think of that. there are people saying they poke for the poor and low income and cap recipients the recipients themselves want sober housing. and this project would give it. this project is designed so that people coming in to the hotel have all graduated from recovery programs, 12 mont recovery and sober programs or are existing permanent housing residents supportive housing who want a sober environment. that will tells you well is i ground swell of support for sober living and finally looks like our city is prepared mote this demand. i think our hope is this if this is successful, and once

implement in the spring, that -- others will say, why have we not done more. i talk to people all the time. why people can't understand what do you mean? why don't we. and there is a state law that upon prohibits going to a homeless program with mandated service these are mandated. i don't understand why we would say you can't when you are subdiegz rent you can't require them to have service. also, the residents the voters preferred to give their tax dollars to people who are trying to turn around their lives. i did an interview with a media person. tissued around his life dieing from alcohol over dose now a journalist. it is a way to go. i look arnold and i see people like steve and richard from my office. richard can answer detailed questions about when we have

planned. and crawlford here. tom wolf could not make it. j. j. smith. where are you? >> these other people who have built what is now become a powerful recovery movement. but i wish you were here to hear this reality is without the mayor's support all of our add have kaes for sober hotels would mean nothing. i don't know if it is fair to call the mayor the recovery mayor. i really hope by the mayor takeing political step a step when you see people had oppose interesting different than when we have done. opposition and doing it differented no keep it this way we always done it this wave even if it is wrong. she had the courage to say, let's move in i different direction. so, interviewings her i would say give credit to the mir for

having the political courage to take this on. [applause] and instead i will introduce the head hsh. >> thank you. randled and he thank you to thc for your per inship with the city on this. i want to thank the mayor for her support of the project. and i want to start out by saying this is the beginning. our community engagement process. we are excited that thc will be occupying this building and -- really work to support people through their recovery. and -- in their sobriety. but we also know that we need to reach out to the community and hear from the community about what is needed to make this building and the people who live in it good partners and engaged

partners and neighbors. so we will be starting that process as. today this . is really just us announcing that we are getting red to do this. um -- i want to thank the mayor for her vision to further diversify the housing we provide. i want to thank the recovery community for your on going advocacy for people in recovery in our programs. we hope this new model will bhrt support people in achieving goals. we continue is very hard to be in recovery when you are around people who are not like minded and we thank you is a really wonderful new step for us to supporty people in recovery. i'm excited stand in the lobby of our newest permanent supportive housing and first sober living site the new will offer stability in recovery from

substance use disorder. the initiative is a testament to the city's commitment to addressing the complex needs of individuals experiencing homelessness. and the intent of 935 kaern alines with our notification provide safe and stable housing apgzs with the context of housing first for individual hos have responsiblesed homelessness. >> by offering on site social service we can better support people in their journey. services in a safe sober living space combined will offer a chance at stability and an student to rebuild and a brighter future. >> sober housing representatives a long over due expansion of the city's housing first approach. we see this as a national model for a now version of houseing incorporates sober living for

residents of thank you. >> [applause] >> mayor breed is coming we are able to make it happen. she'll be here in a moment. >> i would like to add i forgot to mention cedric al-akhbar. he is the foundations of our recovery and he is our next speaker. cedric? >> all right. good afternoon. everyone. i thank god that london breed looks in the community and the people for having more transitional housing to help people get to permanent housing. i was speaking to people that is here today and the community. that live here. and wanted to biggest challenges we should have to get the city back on the feet we have to work together. each one of us even with our

difference. and brother shaw, i will encourage to you talk to the leaders in this community and the merchant in this community. to be able to get what they want also in this community and let them be a part of what happens here so they can be a part of making this community better. i do acknowledge you for the way you foal about had and the way you of course about this. i believe we all could be at this table to have that discussion. because one size does not fit all when we have to do in the city in san francisco is stop bickering amongst each other. get our people laying on the street off the street and put them back in responsible, effective and accountability living i thank you. [applause]. >> i want to mention that when you have a building is the entire building is a sober hotel

there is comraderie with the tenants the biggest problem in sro is loneiness we have tenants in the rooms by themselves all day. they want to be part of a community we have events in the hotel to keep people together. the meetings we are having part of the recovery process, make people feel they are not alone. so, we welcome the support in the talking to the merchants and everyone in the community wants to be a part of the process society hotel is part of the community. as well. >> so does anyone before i will take questions before if anyone has questions for the mayor. >> um -- mentioned a safe preventive. [inaudible]. >> why is it taking so long?

we did not have a mayor who supported the movement like this one the drug problem is worse since covid. and there has been my view is this is when we the city on a path but i don't know if you want to answer that question. don't want to blame you. living a year or 2. >> >> not a blame as much as most the funding we have to support people who experienced homelessness is state and federal funding and we believe in housing first housing first approach. what that means we bring people to hozing and believe people neil that is hard to do that before and wrap service around that. this is a different model. it is very exciting we'll be engaging in this model but it is -- it is a moss for people who are on the path to recovery. who can be supported in an environment. we think we need both.

so the city has been focused on housing first. have a lot of that. yes or noly works well. and this is another option for people who need to be around other people who are in a recovery community. >> i see mayor breed entering? >> yes, she is here. >> mayor i'm glad you arrived. because [applause] i had will billed you america's recovery mayor. you came to recovery day in august 18th. and you are supporting recovery hotels you supported recovery every step of the way. so, during that title to be recovery mayor. mayor london breed. [applause] >> thank you, so much. randy. and thank you to whoefrn is joining us here today. we are excite body the possibility of a sober living environment for people who have

struggled with addiction and are in a situation where it is hard to maintain sobriety because of their environment. and when we were in places like the tenderloin community and i met with a number of people there. they were looking for other alternatives. and this possible site presents a possible alternative. let mow say, today we are official low kick out kickoff our out reach efforts. our goal and looking at the site is to reach out and to roach out to the surrounding community and to talk to the community about what this means. i will tell what you this means. what this means are people who have been clean and sober for a year having a place to maintain sobriety. it means making sure the people who are here are not impact other people's sobriety.

and this means that we have plans in place so if someone gets to a moves to a different direction, our goal is to not 3 them out on the streets but take them out of the environment in order to place them in another location that could provide a lot more wrap around supportive service. this facility, our goal in this facility has everything to do with clean and sober living. >> and so what that means again is having out reach efforts with the merchant specials people who work and live in in community it begin those discussions. there is still a process that will occur this will -- go through the department of supportive services. and ultimately, again, it is so critical for us to think about other opportunity. and thinking about other locations outside of the

tenderloin community. thinking about places where all people belong in the city and county of san francisco. that especially is important for the recovery community. as someone who grew up in public housing where during the height of the crack epidemic and saw lives destroyed, and changed and saw the lack of support and resources that were really available to help people turn lives around; it has been critical for us as a city to think about our investments. to think about the community differently and realizing that it is not one size fits all. not one program and that is it. it is a multitude of programs. it is sober living. it is sober recovery. it is making sure that we meet the needs of people where they

are and we match the people with the solutions that they need in order to live a clean and sober life. >> today representatives a part of the commitment the city is trying to make to reach those goals. in addition to the 150 units located in this space, what i'm excite body are the wrap around supportive service this come with that. to make sure that we are not leaving people on their own but continuing to be that resource to be that partner. partners like the salvation army. positive direction, equal change with cedric. tenderloin housing clinic with randy shaw and so many who care about the work this we need to do as a city to not only talk about our belief in helping people to get clean special sober. but when we are invest nothing that sobriety. that is when we are here today to talk about to launch this

effort. which includes a community out reach effort. we are grateful to be here with our various partners. we have so much work to dom we know but i think a project like had could be a game change and transformtive and exciting for so many people who deserve a second chance to live a life free and clean and sober in the city and county of san francisco. thank you very much. [applause]. >> that's why i called you. >> just to be clear for the people who are here to protest, we want to make sure we have an opportunity to sit down and meet with you and talk to you. about your concerns. and to be clear this is in the has been 100% approved today as i said, it is a part of kickoff the out reach efforts which will definitely occur.

because our goal is to not intrude on a neighborhood it is to be a part of a neighborhood. we want to make sure that we upon listen and hear you out. we come in peace. to have these conversations. we this afternoon there are some bheem have not been directly out reached tochlt but want to make that commitment today this our goal is to sit down and be able to have this conversation as we go through this process. our hope is you understand this this is not about providing treatment. this is not about providing anything other than a safe living environment to be clean and to be sewn and contribute to the businesses and the surrounding community. and we want to work with to you talk about how we can do that i want to make that very clear. >> thank you. >> [applause] >> great any questions.

>> [inaudible] >> i will say we are complying with the legally required noticing period on the 20th. >> why do we. [inaudible]. >> i can respond to this. >> and let me say, there is a process associated with this. there is still will be a meeting to talk this where your voices could be heard well is a plan to do a robust process to talk to various merchants and community groups. we have been in touch with a number of agencies. that are part of this community. and have gotten a lot of positive feedback as far as recommendations which is why

this place is looked at as a sober living facility where you have to be clean and sober for at least a year before this is an option. the conversation will continue, this will not be the last opportunity. we are here to announce that this is something we are trying to make happen in the city of san francisco. so i want to be very clear that this is still an on going conversation. in order to accept feedback and hopefully you know get to a place where we can all be on the same page with the understanding that this is going to be a complex and hard conversation to have. we are here to listen and work with the community and why we did this before now is to announce what the city is doing to make sure that we are expressing we are committed to providing alternatives options for people to have clean and sober living and this possibility presents itself as

an option to do that. >> are there other questions? >> [inaudible]. can you say more about what services will be offered and relapse sns >> richard will run our program. why don't you come and answer that question about. richard who -- running the program. >> yes. what is the question. what service will be offered and how will relimited partnerses be treat when they occur. >> every client will have a relapse prevennes plan in the first 30 days. we will have relapse groupos site and support groupos site. we'll reach out to the 12 step programs and have aa and na meetingos site and other recovery activities. >> it will be we will have recovery support specialists that will be working directly with cloinlts and also have

recovery case managers. >> erika. >> hi. [inaudible]. i have a question about security. will there be security detail in front whether it is [inaudible], anybody will be patrolling? >> there is no security now, is there? we don't anticipate outside security. this will be a peaceful hotel. and its a peaceful area. we don't anticipate problems. >> any other questions? >> now. second question. >> the home committee meets march 7th. march 7th.

okay. look if you have questions or think of we'll be here if you k have technical questions like the methods. recovery richard is the expert. he can answer and will explain it. i continuing is a special day i was talking to the times and i said i open karen bass is paying attention what london broed is doing. hope it miss to l.a. after this. >> i will add. with the work that we are doing here in san francisco we have been able to help over 15,000 people exit homelessness in general. and part of that has toefrg do with trying to help address some of the issues this exist. out on the streets of san francisco, which residentsment. residentses and businesses say they want us to deal with the people who are struggling out on the streets of san francisco and

part of addressing it making sure we make investment in possible places like this to change people's lives. i believe this we can come together on this. i believe that this account be an extraordinary opportunity to work together. and to make sure that we create an environment where the people who live here and the merchants who live here. feel the people who will be a part of the community can be the supporters and protectors. i seen it happen before. in the district that i used to represent we had a very similar situation. i stein at the embarcadero navigation center people were opposed this environment. and the people who are part of that navigation center the people who protect the merchants and the communities and keep the area clean and free of the

challenges that existed there before. so, we could look at this as an opportunity to come together and to make sure that we are doing everything we can to uplift people. while we are supporting the businesses and uplifting the businesses as well. this could be looked at as an opportunity. let's not let this be a chance for people to divide us. we have been through a lot during the pan dem and i can as a result real came together and the city is strategier. we left lane is sensitivity around upon what happen 2 years ago during the rise of antiasian hate violence in our city and in fact, this year we have looked at the numbers ap i hate dropped. by over 90% in san francisco. because people that we worked with african-american in the community. chinese-americans in the city became the ambassador and it is people who protected our seniors on the streets of san francisco.

this is when we want to be able to do. is use this as an opportunity to support this community. to support the merchants and protect the people who live here and make sure that the folk who is are part of living at the new environment that they become embed in the the community in the way that uplift this community. so i want to be clear, we want to do more than just sdendz on a neighborhood and not become a part of one we want to work with the community. you have my commitment in terms of conversations that need to happen. and in terms of the out reach this needs to happen. we want this to be a win situation i'm hopeful we can get there. thank you all for being here today. [applause]. thank you and that's all. enjoy the day. thank you.

[music] >> san francisco is known as yerba buena, good herb after a mint that used to grow here. at this time there were 3 settlements one was mission delores. one the presidio and one was yerba buena which was urban center. there were 800 people in 1848 it was small. a lot of historic buildings were here including pony express

headquarters. wells fargo. hudson bay trading company and famous early settlers one of whom william leaderdorph who lived blocks from here a successful business person. african-american decent and the first million airin california. >> wilwoman was the founders of san francisco. here during the gold rush came in the early 1840s. he spent time stake himself as a merchant seaman and a business person. his father and brother in new orleans. we know him for san francisco's history. establishing himself here arnold 18 twoochl he did one of many things the first to do in yerba buena. was not california yet and was

not fully san francisco yet. >> because he was an american citizen but spoke spanish he was able to during the time when america was taking over california from mexico, there was annexations that happened and conflict emerging and war, of course. he was part of the peek deliberations and am bas doorship to create the state of california a vice council to mexico. mexico granted him citizenship. he loaned the government of san francisco money. to funds some of the war efforts to establish the city itself and the state, of course. he established the first hotel here the person people turned to often to receive dignitaries or hold large gatherings established the first public school here and helped start the public school system. he piloted the first steam ship

on the bay. a big event for san francisco and depict instead state seal the ship was the sitk a. there is a small 4 block long length of street, owned much of that runs essentially where the transamerica building is to it ends at california. i walk today before am a cute side street. at this point t is the center what was all his property. he was the person entrusted to be the city's first treasurer. that is i big deal of itself to have that legacy part of an african-american the city's first banker. he was not only a forefather of the establishment of san francisco and california as a state but a leader in industry. he had a direct hahn in so many things that we look at in san francisco.

part of our dna. you know you don't hear his anymore in the context of those. representation matters. you need to uplift this so people know him but people like him like me. like you. like anyone who looks like him to be, i can do this, too. to have the city's first banker and a street in the middle of financial district. that alone is powerful. [music] >> 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

>> i'm connie chan district one supervisor and welcome to the richmond. >> i'm an immigrant and came to san francisco china town when i was 13 years old with my mom and brother. my first job is at the community organizer for public safety with san francisco state. and land in the city hall and became a legislative aid to sophie maxwell. went through city departments when kamala harris was our district attorney i'm proud to

represent the richmondad district supervisor. [music] we have great neighborhood commercial corridors that need to be protected. the reason why we launched the neighborhood business for supporting the [inaudible] for 15 years special more. we have the legacy business program the business around for 30 years or more and thought, you know, we gotta make sure the next generation contains for generations to come. am i'm ruth the owner of hamburger haven we came back on july 11. we were opened in 1968 at that time i believe one of the owners

of mestart today went through a guy named andy in the early 70s and my father took it mid 70s. >> originally was just a burger joint. open late nights. then it changed over the years and became the breakfast staple. we specialize in breakfast, brunch come lunch now. i love this neighborhood. i grew up here. and it feels like home. i walk down the block and recognize people of people say hello. you say hello you talk and joke. has that familiar environment that is enjoyable and i have not experienced anywhere else. there are many things i would like to see improve ams the things we might see are making sure that our tenants stay housed our small business in tact and those are the solutions that will contain to push to

make sure that you know our communities can take root, stay and thrive. >> i'm proud of you know, welcoming folks to the richmond. everyone loch its we got farmer's market every sunday there. the you see really business at the noaa. ice cream at toy folks and going to chop for book like green apple. and that's when you like the deal is pizza place haall families love. you will see a lot of great chinese shops that is readily available for everyone. >> and that is just thein are richmond there is more to do in the richmond. what is love is the theatre. >> i mean adam and with my wife jamie, own little company called cinema sf we operate the balboa

theatre. the vocabularying theatre on sacramento and soon the 4 star on clement. >> balboa theatre opened in 1926 and servicing this outer richmond neighborhood since then. and close on the heels the 4 star opens since 1913. >> when you come in to a movie theatre, the rest of the world has to be left behind. but you get e mersed in the world that is film makers made for you. that is a special experience to very much we can all think of the movies that we saw in the big screen of with everybody screaming or laughing or crying. it is a shared human experience that you get when you go in to places that are gatherings and artist presented to you. >> a shared experience is the most precious. and the popcorn.

[laughter]. at the balboa especially, we stroif to have movies for people of every generation from the pop corn palace movies on the weekend mornings, for families and kids. this is for everybody of all ages. >> what is great about the richmond is it is a neighborhood of the immigrants. belongs to immigrants not ap i immigrants you will see that there are also a huge population of rush wrans and ukrainian immigrants they stay united you am see that the support they lend to each other as a community. and cinderella bakery is another legacy business. if you go on the website it is known as a russian bakery. the first thing you see their pledge to support the ukrainian

community. you will see the unity in the richmond i'm so proud of our immigrant community in the rich monthed. >> my dad immigrate friday iran the reason he stayed was because of the restaurant. has more centamential value it is the reasonable we are in this country. when he had an opportunity to take over the instruct he stayed that is why we are here part of our legacy and san francisco history and like to keep it going for years to come. >> another moment i'm proud to be supporting the richmond and the only asian american woman elect in the office and as an immigrant that is not happen nothing 3 decades. you see it is my ability to represent especially the asian-american community. in my case the chinese speaking

elders in our community that really can allow me to communicate with them directly. i'm program director of adult day centers. i have been here for 7 years i love to help the communities and help and the people with disability. i foal a connection with them. i am anim grant i love helping our community and new immigrants and improvements. >> if you want nature, richmond is the neighborhood to go we are between ocean beach heights and golden gate park. >> i love the outer richmond. for me this is the single best neighborhood in san francisco. everybody knows each other.

people have been living here forever. it is young and old. the ocean is really near by. and so there is that out doors ocean vibe to it. there are places to seat golden gate bridge it is amazing. businesses are all small mom and pop businesses. houses get passed down generation to generation. it has a small town feel but you know you are in a big city at the same time. it's got a unique flavor i don't see in other neighborhoods j. it is about being inclusive we are inclusive and welcome the communities, anybody should feel welcome and belong here and shop local, eat local. we believe that with that support and that network it come in full circle. it is passing on kinds knows. that's when richmond is about that we are together at once.

welcome to the richmond. [music] >> i think a lot of times we get in adult lives we are afraid to follow our passions and think life can't be that easy. but i truly do believe i followed my heart this time in my journal in city government i did not know that is where my passion lied. i kept following it and ltd. to great opportunity to serve the city. [music] >> i'm katy tang the executive director of the office of small

business. >> small business contributes to san francisco's economy. they provide the bulk of employment in the city and employing a million people in san francisco. and roughly 90% of the businesses are defined as small businesses. so, they contribute to the economy but also just the quality of life. small businesses are more then and there a place of transaction it is a community center. a play where people gather. know each other and form memories about the city. >> at the office of mall business i run a team this helps report all mall businesses in san francisco whether they are looking to stfrt a new business or expand or perhaps they are feeling with issues. our office is here as a point of information for anyone with a business that has 100 or nower

employees. >> i was growing up i had many ideas of when i wanted to do. i wanted to being an olympic swimmer. and i wanted to men be an architect, you name it i had many ideas for what i wanted do when i grew up. and i never anticipated entering in politics. this opportunity came along wh started working for former supervisor carmen chu and she became the district 4 sunset district supervisor. that was my firstent row in politics and government in a different level. and so when i was finishing up my time working for legislative aid i thought, i will go off and do something else. may be explore opportunity outside of city government what was then approached by this opportunity to also serve as a

district 4 supervisor. if not the traditional route that many people think of when you enter in politics. a lot know that is manage than i want to do and run for office. that was not part of my culture and upbringing with manage my parents were wondering why i wanted to go in that role this legislation and important because so many women when have it return to work after having a child feel embarrassed or don't feel comfortable asking their supervisor for will any lactation accommodations. i saw it as an opportunity you could use the position where you have tools creating legislation and pass laws and where people listen to to you help the community and pass cause catharsis important to the city and individuals. my family immigrated to the united states from taiwan.

and they came here in pronl probably late 20's almost 30. and so, they came also in the knowing english limp barely read or write but had to quickly understand english to i can't haveigate services and find a job in america. i grew up in the san francisco sunset district i spent most of my childed hoo up until i went off to college. so when i started working in city government, i think i had mixed reactions about my involvement working government because for some of our parents generation, there is i bit of distrust in government. i think there are questions about why i was entering in this field of work. i think you know when i went in city government i thought about my parents like so many other who is have to navigate city services and resources english

first language and help the individuals both navigate, intercept that is on an application approximate signage. it is fulfilling to mow to help people like my parent and feel like government is there to support them and not to harm them. my parents are happy that i retired early from politics and being a district 4 supervisor i could have continued on for a couple more years approximate decided to leave early. i think that over all they were able to see some of my work appear in the chinese newspaper. through that they were able to see i was able to help communities in a tangible way. >> the member of the board of supervisors. >> transportation authority. for the city and county of san francisco. congratulations. >> i think about one importance when i was worn in as district 4 supervisor. years ago, and someone actually came up to me during the swear

nothing ceremony and said, wow, i'm traveling here from canada, and i just i could not believe i saw an asian female worn in in this role a leadership role this meant so much that someone would say that and felt they were inspired by the scene. so -- i hope that as more people see people that look like them and more women coming in positions of leadership than i feel they can doing the same. person this inpyred me is carmen chu who is our city add administrator but also was district 4 supervisor when i worked with her as a legislative aid. at this point, i too, was skeptical of going in politics. i saw someone who had herself never seen herself in politics. got thrown into it and put her heart and soul and dedication to

serve people. and it gave me the confidence to pursue that same job and i honestly would not have either chosen or accepted or considered serving on the board of supervisors were not for carmen. >> if you want to make your business accessible. >> in my role in city government where i have seen the most challenge is people who don't know you and you are here to serve and help them that they classify you as our city government and here to hurt you. so, people will talk to you and -- and just you know treat you disrespectfully. and sometimes i noticed that they might do more to me as a female compared to my male colleagues. but you know i try to be empathetic. one of the most significant barriers to female empowerment we feel like we have to be 100% meeting all of the

qualifications before we think that we are qualified to do a job. if we look at a job description or an opportunity to come your way well is self doubt about whether you can fulfill the obligations of that role. i think that the confidence is huge and sometimes i think we make up for it by trying to gain more experience. more and more and more in whatever we can put under our belts we'll feel better. that may not be the case. we might be qualified with when we have already accomplished. i started rock climbing indoors a couple years ago as an activity to try to spends time with my husband and also to try something new and i finds that rock climbing there are so many parallels to life. you know when i'm on the wall

i'm concentrating and trying to make it to the next piece without falling. there are daying you think i'm not making progress. you come back and wow, i hit another level. and so i feel like in our daily lives and w we think we are not making enough of i change in the city. and sometimes we have to take out time to reflect every day as long as you try and give it your all and you look back you will have made a significant contribution there is no limit to where you go in terms of rock climbing. i want to reminds myself of that in terms of daily life. >> follow what it is you are interested in, what makes you feel excited about wake up every day. you never know and be open to all the possibilities and opportunity.

[music] please stand by for the san francisco board of supervisors meeting of march 5, 2024. >> good afternoon and welcome to today election day march 5, 2024 board