Today is the start of Women’s History Month. I will be highlighting women owned businesses in the District throughout the newsletters this month. If you have any suggestions for women owned businesses, please send them to me. 

In addition, March 16, 2021 will be the City's one year anniversary of the first shelter-in-place ordinance. It will also mark a full year that our schools have been closed. On Thursday, February 25, 2021, my resolution, "Urging the City and County of San Francisco to Support and/ or Fund San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) Class of 2021 Senior Activities" was passed in the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee. The full board will vote on this resolution on Tuesday, March 9, 2021. I will be working collaboratively with SFUSD, Human Rights Commission,  Department of Children, Youth, and Their Families, Recreation and Parks Department and Department of Public Health to create a in-person graduation experience for Class of 2021, given that our COVID-19 positivity rates continue to decrease. We will be providing SFUSD seniors with Senior graduation signs and gift boxes. As you may know, the majority of the students attending SFUSD reside in District 11. It is exciting to be able to make an impact on students that have had a tough, isolated year. 

Please note - if you miss my weekly newsletter, you may find it later on the Board of Supervisor’s website. Click HERE to read past newsletters. 

Although our City Hall Office is closed to the public due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we are still here to serve you. If you have any difficulty during this time, please do not hesitate to reach out. We are available by email: safaistaff@sfgov.org or by phone 415-554-6976 (leave a message and we will call you back). You can also check for updates on my Twitter , Instagram, and Facebook. Stay safe and healthy.

 

Sincerely,

Supervisor Ahsha Safai 

Please click HERE for housing resources, eviction prevention programs, and other  financial assistance related services offered to District 11 residents and all San Francisco residents. 

The new resource hub "Casa de Apoyo" at 4834 Mission is holding spaces on Fridays for Spanish Speaking families to get a free Lawyer if they are dealing with any kind of landlord harassments or eviction. If you are facing any difficulty, please reach out to my office at SafaiStaff@sfgov.org and we will connect you with a housing resources available to all residents. 

• Ensure the transparency of OEWD's grantmaking practices.  
• Review, rank, and comment on grant applications in the category that's specific to their expertise. 
• Meet in a virtual setting where panel discussions may be recorded. 
• Receive compensation for each application reviewed. 

• It’s a great networking opportunity.
• Learn about people, organizations, and projects in the works.
• You have a voice in deciding funding recommendations for project proposals.
• It’s all virtual this year.
• Panelists receive payment. 

• A strong connection to one or more of San Francisco’s communities and neighborhoods (you do not need to currently be a resident to apply).
• Practicing professionals with deep knowledge and experience in diverse categories such as: growing a business, career and vocational training, community organizing, promising practices for nonprofits, event planning and programming, emerging technologies, innovative solutions for social change, facility, and capital needs. 
• Experience growing economic opportunities for businesses or individuals, and in advancing cultural and racial equity.
• Someone with an interest in taking a behind-the-scenes look at the grant-making process. 
• Someone who is representative of both San Francisco’s demographics and the specific 2020 applicant pool in terms of race/ethnicity, gender, LGBTQ, and differently-abled representations.

Food Pantries Open in District 11
Below are active food pantries in the Excelsior and OMI neighborhoods:
 

• • San Francisco-Marin Food Bank: Covid Home-Delivery Service Intake Form 
  • Password: SFMFB 

• 65 years or older, OR
• Have an underlying health condition that puts them at greater risk for complications from COVID-19, OR
• Have difficulty attending a food pantry due to a physical or cognitive disability.

Please visit the following link for a schedule of food pantries open in San Francisco sponsored by the SF Marin Food Bank: https://www.sfmfoodbank.org/find-food/

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission New Website

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission launched a redesigned website that offers users a better mobile experience, a more modern design and content available in up to seven different languages. The revamped website also introduces a new web address, www.sfpuc.org, to better tell the whole story of the water, power and wastewater services the utility provides. 

As part of the soft launch of www.sfpuc.org, and to allow for users to adjust to the new site, the SFPUC's existing website, www.sfwater.org, will still be available to the public for a short period of time even as the agency continues to promote and redirect people to the new website. 

Bridge to Excellence Scholarship

Mayor London N. Breed announced this year’s Bridge to Excellence Scholarship Program is now accepting applications. The Bridge to Excellence program will provide scholarships to highly-motivated graduating high school seniors from low-income and under-resourced communities in order to help overcome financial barriers they face to attend college.

The Bridge to Excellence Scholarship Program will provide students from San Francisco public high schools with $2,500 each in scholarship awards. This is the third year of Mayor Breed’s Bridge to Excellence Scholarship. Last year, the Bridge to Excellence program provided 14 students with scholarships. Funding for the scholarship comes from the generous sponsorship of business and philanthropic partners.

To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must be a San Francisco Unified School District high school senior graduating in spring 2021 with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.20. Applicants must demonstrate a significant financial need and be the first in their family to attend a four-year college.

The application window will be open until Wednesday, March 31, 2021. The Mayor’s Office will review all qualified candidates and notify recipients by the end of April. Interested students can apply at: sfmayor.org/bridgetoexcellence