It’s been a whirlwind few years, and there’s no community we’d rather be on this journey with than you! Be on the lookout for our end-of-the-year wrap-up, with a look back at the past year’s legislative victories, neighborhood projects and organizing efforts. In the meantime, we have a round-up of all the ways that you can support your local small businesses and give back to our community this holiday season.
Have a safe & relaxing holiday season,
Aaron, Sunny, Calvin, Melody and Sarah
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District 3 Holiday "Shop Local" Guide
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It’s been an especially tough time for small businesses the last couple of years, and many continue to need our love and support as we emerge from the pandemic. So while it’s tempting to lean on the convenience of Amazon, please consider perusing your neighborhood commercial corridor for some thoughtful only-in-SF gift-giving. In partnership with the Office of Small Business, our office compiled a partial list of some of our favorite Legacy Businesses and “shop local” neighborhood destinations.
From gift certificates to Club Fugazi’s critically-acclaimed “Dear San Francisco” acrobatic show in North Beach to Upper Chinatown’s newest women-owned jewelry & gift shop with rotating vendors and tea tastings, Abacus Row, to Lower Nob Hill’s Lowkey Skate Shop , there’s a perfect gift for that special person on your list. There’s also plenty of local shops to help deck your tables with cheer, from Habibi Wine collective’s drinkable goodies in Russian Hill to Lower Polk’s New India Bazar and woman-owned Jade Chocolate in Chinatown. Finally, please support our legendary SF Flower Mart, one of the last grower-owned wholesale markets in the United States, who source the flowers for many of our local florist shops. Whether you’re looking for the perfect wreath, floral arrangement or thinking ahead to Lunar New Year, they have you covered. Thank you for shopping local!
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Vanessa Lovato of Polk Street Florist is up early to pluck the best flowers at SFFM, and Raul at Rafa’s Wholesale is ready to design your dream holiday centerpieces!
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Kwanzaa is an African-American celebration of life that is observed from December 26th to January 1st. Dr. Maulana Karenga introduced the values-based festival in 1966 to the United States as a ritual to welcome the first harvests of the season. Whether you celebrate Kwanzaa or are looking for gifts to support those who do, here are a couple of local links to check out:
Honeycomb Kids Club - Co-founded by local Black educator, mother and activist, Brittni Chicuata, Honeycomb Kids Club is a digital platform that nurtures children of the Black diaspora through educational programming and social activities. They have beautiful Kwanzaa kinaras in their gift shop that support their mission to provide content that promotes self-love, joy, and self-awareness.
Secret San Francisco Black Business Short List - We love this citywide short list of San Francisco Black-owned businesses you can support all year long - especially District 3 faves, ReLove Vintage in Middle Polk and Red Bay Coffee Roasters in the Ferry Building! Not listed but also a delicious must-visit: Da Flora Restaurant in North Beach. |
Supporting Community & Giving Back This Holiday Season
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| San Francisco has been kept alive during the pandemic (literally) by a host of tireless and dedicated service providers and non-profit organizations, who are on the ground every day supporting our homeless residents, our children and our seniors and disabled. We constantly hear from constituents asking how they can get involved in our District 3 community, and we’d like to share just some of the organizations (and their busy elves!) doing incredible work, in the event that you’d like to donate, volunteer or organize a community building event. Let us know what organizations you are finding time to support. |
| Self-Help for The Elderly - Our office has always worked closely with Self-Help for the Elderly, but we were truly blown away by their work during the pandemic. We rallied volunteers to help them package hundreds of meals for home-bound seniors in our Chinatown SRO’s, and their senior safety escort program has made a difference for many more. Whether it’s volunteering for one of their events, donating to their Legacy Tree campaign or hiring one of their cleaning services, there are many ways to support their deeply committed mission. |
The Lower Polk TAY Navigation Center - Transitional Age Youth (TAY) homelessness has been on the rise for years, with 80% of TAY youth living without shelter. The City purchased 888 Post Street in the midst of the pandemic, and Third Street Youth Center & Clinic took over operations. Since then, Joi Jackson-Morgan and her team have been doing herculean work to serve their residents, as well as their own fundraising to hire full-time behavioral health clinicians and security staff. They’re always looking for donations, including hygiene products, clothing, shoes and funds. Special thanks to the Lower Nob Hill Neighborhood Alliance for organizing a holiday clothing drive for our neighbors at the Nav Center. |
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Joi Jackson-Morgan accepting LNHNA’s holiday clothing drive gifts from neighbors.
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| Italian Community Services - During the pandemic, ICS stood up a food pantry for Italian homebound seniors and families in North Beach, as well as working with our office to welcome a new tenant to the historic Club Fugazi. Through their educational and cultural programs, ICS works to preserve the Bay Area’s strong Italian traditions, language, and culture - something that provided hope and community to many isolated immigrant seniors during the pandemic. For more information or to volunteer, contact info@italiancs.org. |
| North Beach Citizens - NBC is the only homeless drop-in center in the area. Their programs are designed with a holistic focus on the well-being of those that we serve, bringing food, housing, and stability to those who need it most. Since 2001, we have helped hundreds of our neighbors transition from homelessness to housing and from crisis to community. |
| NEXT Village SF - NEXT Village SF is a neighborhood nonprofit providing services and support that empower members to live independently in their own homes as they age, with an emphasis on the northeast side of the city. Whether it’s volunteering as a companion or organizing neighborhood programming, or helping to deliver groceries or get seniors to their medical appointments, there are many ways to support this established neighborhood organization. |
| Episcopal Community Services - ECS has long been a leader in providing homeless support services and shelter, but during the pandemic they stepped up to operate hundreds of units of permanent supportive housing, primarily in Lower Nob Hill. In the past year, they’ve served over 13,000 people, helping provide them with housing, job placement and wrap-around services. We’re hoping to organize more events in Lower Nob Hill where you can meet these service providers and help build a better community for all. |
| Five Keys - Five Keys was founded in 2003 by the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department (and the incomparable Sunny Schwartz) as the first accredited charter high school in the nation to provide diploma programs for adults in county jails. Today, Five Keys offers high school education, vocational skills, life skills classes and access to college and workforce programs, with an emphasis on recovery, employment, family and community. They have taken over operations of several permanent supportive housing and homeless sites in District 3, and are currently operating the successful community ambassador program in Lower Nob Hill. Learn more about how to get involved! |
| Tel-Hi Neighborhood Center - As a member of our District 3 Youth & Children workgroup, TelHi staff joined our office for weekly calls to coordinate everything from food pantry service and meals to staffing Distance Learning Hubs and getting supplies to our students. We helped coordinate PPE & mask distribution to our seniors and service providers through their hub in North Beach, and we’ve supported their Beacon programming at Francisco Middle School and Futurama afterschool program at Galileo High School, and advocated with them for wifi services at North Beach Place. We’re thankful for their work to nourish, empower, educate and care for our children, families and toddlers. There’s so many opportunities to volunteer, check them out! |
| Community Youth Center - CYC operates culturally competent violence prevention, victim services, workforce development and afterschool youth programming in Chinatown and Lower Polk. They were also a steadfast member of our pandemic working group, quickly jumping in to serve our monolingual and immigrant families when the schools and their resources shut down. |
| Raphael House: Raphael House in Lower Nob Hill has been helping low-income families and families experiencing homelessness strengthen their family bonds through stable housing and financial independence since 1971. More than 85% of all Raphael House families go on to achieve long-term housing and financial stability. The permanent supportive housing program is 100% privately funded and welcomes community support. |
| San Francisco Safehouse - SF Safehouse operates two safe housing sites in District 3 for womxn who are experiencing housing instability as a result of sexual exploitation or human trafficking. We worked closely with them during the pandemic to ensure that woman-identified survivors would have a safe place to isolate during the shutdown, and access to holistic health, education and therapy resources. They are a leading member of the Women’s Housing Coalition, which is working to bring an integrated housing project that serves multiple woman-identified residents in District 3. |
Holiday Celebrations Highlights
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There’s plenty to do and see in District 3 this holiday season! Below is just a small sample of the festive holiday events that are open to the public. If you’re looking for light displays, giant Christmas trees to visit for a photo opp, or nighttime illuminated strolls, there’s something for everyone!
Stroll through the holiday lights in Huntington Park across from Grace Cathedral (where you can enjoy a candlelit concert!) and then pop over to the iconic Fairmont Hotel for a glass of champagne and a tour of their lifesize gingerbread house. We joined our SFPD & SFFD command staff for some holiday cheer after the Nob Hill Association Protector of the Year awards. |
| There’s also the incredible tree and ice skating rink at Union Square, along with this year’s Winter Wanderland , open to the public daily from 12 noon-7pm through Saturday, December 24th. And while you’re at Union Square, check out the newly christened Central Subway, culminating in a stop at the Rose Pak Chinatown Station. Disembark on Stockton Street and make your way to holiday shopping and delicious food adventures in Chinatown! |
Finally, a note of appreciation and farewell to our 2022 fall interns who came from programs across the city, including Youth Works, Gateway High School, Lowell High School, and the University of San Francisco McCarthy Center’s Fellowship. They each brought their own unique experiences and interest in local government and public service. We loved having them in the office, and helping create opportunities to learn and grow through policy and constituent work. If you happen to come by the office, say hello. And if you’re looking for internship opportunities, learn more here or email Sarah Souza in our office.
We’ll be operating with modified holiday hours during the winter legislative break and through the New Year but you can call the front office at 415.554.7450 to book an appt.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
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Board of Supervisors | District 3 | Aaron Peskin
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