Episode 1: Part ONE of Finding Home Live Panel

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Event Images courtesy of Sloan Larsen Event Photography www.sloanelarsen.com all other images courtesy of our panelists and their organizations

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"Our philosophy is simple: without rest, there is no healing. We open our doors so that people can have a safe space to rest, restoring a basic dignity often lost on the streets.”- Lydia Bransten

With a Supreme Court ruling allowing cities to ban public sleeping and San Francisco facing a $790 million dollar budget deficit, we bring back five organizations from our special Covid-19 series to delve into the complex challenges facing the city’s unhoused community. 

Our distinguished panel of experts, Mary Carl, Sammy Rayner, Erica Kisch, Meghan Freebeck, and Lydia Bransten discuss innovative solutions such as women-specific shelters, family reunification programs, comprehensive range of support services services, sacred space for sleeping and guaranteed basic income, all designed to provide stability, dignity, and long-term support.

Through personal stories and community-driven approaches, these panelists reveal the realities of homelessness and the transformative impact of collaborative action. Watch, listen, and dive deeper into the powerful stories shared, and learn more about the organizations working tirelessly to make a difference for San Francisco’s unhoused neighbors.

Sammie Rayner-Co-Chief Executive Officer, Community Forward SF

Sammie brings years of experience as an entrepreneur and leader focused on bringing innovation, human-centered design, and compassion to care for the most vulnerable individuals. Before joining Community Forward SF, Sammie co-founded and served as Chief Operating Officer at HandUp, a fundraising platform for human service nonprofits that scaled across the United States. Sammie’s initial passion for designing programs to alleviate poverty started in West Africa, where she co-founded and served as Executive Director for Lumana, a microfinance organization in Ghana. She frequently speaks at social good events such as TEDx and the National Nonprofit Technology conference. Sammie earned a bachelor’s degree in business entrepreneurship from the University of Washington. When not at work, Sammie spends time with her son, Rayner, loves being outdoors, teaching or practicing yoga, and bringing her community together around food. 

Erica Kisch - Chief Executive Officer,Compass Family Services

Erica Kisch celebrated her 30-years anniversary with Compass and has served as Chief Executive Officer for the past twenty-two years. Before coming to Compass, Ms. Kisch worked with teenage boys in residential treatment and then went on to found the Homeless Children’s Network in 1992, which continues to provide clinical services and advocacy to San Francisco’s homeless children and their families. Ms. Kisch holds a Master of Social Welfare degree from the University of California at Berkeley and has been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker since 1993.

Lydia Bransten-Executive Director, The Gubbio Project

Lydia Bransten has been a dedicated advocate for the homeless community in San Francisco for many years. As the Executive Director of The Gubbio Project, she has played a crucial role in providing a safe and welcoming space for unhoused individuals to rest during the day. Under Lydia's leadership, The Gubbio Project has become a beloved institution in the city, known for its compassionate approach to supporting some of the most vulnerable populations. Lydia has been vocal about the challenges faced by people experiencing homelessness, emphasizing the need for stability and dignity in their lives. Lydia envisions a future where the most vulnerable populations in San Francisco receive the stability and dignity they deserve. She believes that people experiencing homelessness are often an afterthought in society and aims to change that by providing a safe and welcoming environment at The Gubbio Project

Mary Carl-Executive Director,Miracle Messages

Mary has spent over two decades in the nonprofit sector working on issues of equity, homelessness and health. Prior to becoming Executive Director of Miracle Messages, she was the Executive Director of California at Health Leads working closely with community partners, local public health departments and health care systems. Prior to Health Leads, Mary was the Director of Program from Building Opportunities for Self Sufficiency, a leading homeless service provider in Alameda County, CA.

Mary started her work in supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities and mental illness. Currently, Mary sits on the Board of Directors for Courageous Women and is the Treasure of the Board of Directors for the Ability Challenge. Growing up, Mary lived in Buffalo, NY and spent her summers in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Home is now Richmond, CA to her, her two children, rottweiler puppy and partner. She holds a Master of Health Care Delivery Sciences from Dartmouth College, MPH from University of North Carolina and a BA from State University at Buffalo.

Meghan Freebeck-Chief Executive Officer & Founder,Simply the Basics

Meghan is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of the global nonprofit, Simply the Basics. Simply the Basics is the nation’s largest hygiene bank, with a tremendous impact for making hygiene more equitable and accessible. The organization has been recognized in the Washington Post, SF Chronicle, and at the World Wide Women festival. Simply the Basics has a global reach across over 200 cities and distributed more than 3million hygiene products. 

Prior to this role, Meghan was the Chief Executive Officer of Project Homeless Connect, the Deputy Director of San Francisco Suicide Prevention, Director of Communications for the Chicago Shakespeare Project, and Community Relations Manager for the Lincoln Park Community Shelter. 

In her spare time, Meghan sits on the Board of Directors for the San Francisco Shakespeare Project and runs a community support group for people struggling with infertility and pregnancy loss. 

Community Forward SF

Community Forward SF established in 1978, supports individuals experiencing homelessness. It offers diverse programs for women, older adults, and those with severe medical and mental health needs. Focused on stability and thriving, it connects vulnerable individuals to essential services across its network of programs. At Community Forward, we believe in the power of paths— paths that lead out of homelessness toward safety, health, and self-sufficiency. Support Community' Forward's Pathway Forward end of year campaign. 

Our network of programs is designed to work in tandem to meet clients at every stage of their need, with a special focus on three core populations: cis and transgender women, older adults, and those with severe medical or mental health needs. Our mission is to help vulnerable individuals of SF get off the street, find comprehensive services, and achieve stability so they may thrive. Find out more about about our programs: Women’s services, Medical and Behavioral Health, and Supportive Housing. Please donate to support our work and we’d appreciate your Volunteering to support our community. And meet one of program participants Eva and find out more about her Story.

Compass Family Services

At Compass Family Services, we’re passionate about helping homeless and at-risk families become stably housed, emotionally and physically healthy, and economically self-sufficient. Compass was founded in 1914 as Travelers’ Aid San Francisco to provide assistance to the 18.5 million newcomers who visited the city of San Francisco for the 1915 World’s Fair. Since then, our history has followed the trajectory of San Francisco's history, serving the most vulnerable populations during the Great Depression, World War II, immigrants and refugees from Asia in the 1950's, and homeless youth during and after the Summer of Love. Today, while helping families secure long-term housing, Compass Family Services provides the most comprehensive range of support services designed specifically for those in distress. Get Involved through volunteering, fundraising and hosting a drive. Give back through our various giving programs.

Families for Families: This event is our annual touchpoint for families in the community who want to volunteer to help the families we serve. The community comes together to make lasagna, apple crips, blankets and other crafts for families, while learning about family homelessness.

Adopt-a-Family: Every year, Compass matches hundreds of families with individuals and groups from the community. These community members shop to fulfill the wishlists of our clients, ensuring they have a magical holiday season. You can find more information on the event and register on their website.

The Gubbio Project

History - Founded in 2004, The Gubbio Project provides a safe haven for those experiencing homelessness in San Francisco's Tenderloin. Inspired by the story of St. Francis and the wolf of Gubbio, the project fosters understanding and connection between housed and unhoused neighbors.

Originally a program of St. Boniface Neighborhood Center, The Gubbio Project became an independent non-profit in 2007. By offering respite and resources, they help build a stronger community where everyone feels valued and supported.

SANCTUARY AND SACRED SLEEP¬ Lack of sleep is one of the most critical health issues for the homeless. An average of 100 unhoused neighbors seek safety and rest on the pews in the sanctuary of St. John's the Evangelist in the Mission. No questions are asked when our guests walk into the churches; in an effort to remove all barriers to entry, there are no sign-in sheets or intake forms. No one is ever turned away; all are welcomed, respected and treated with dignity. The spaces are all ADA accessible.

SANCTUARY SUPPORT SERVICES - The Gubbio Project has offered the following services to all guests at St John’s the Evangelist for the last 5 years.

• Blankets: Gubbio gives out approximately 150 blankets per month.

• Socks: On average, 100 pairs of socks per week are distributed.

• Hygiene Kits: include shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and soap. 

• Gubbio gives out an average of 75 hygiene kits, 75 razors, and 50 toothbrushes each week.

• Referrals to Outside Services and Resources: 

• All of Gubbio's Hospitality Leaders are responsible for referring Gubbio guests to outside agencies and resources.

Get Involved through donations, volunteering and donating needed items to support the community members that we serve through our wishlist.

Miracle Messages

Overview Miracle Messages is an award-winning 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that helps people experiencing homelessness rebuild their social support systems and financial security, primarily through family reunifications, a phone buddy program, and basic income pilots.

Mission Statement - Miracle Messages is on a mission to end relational poverty on the streets and, in the process, inspire people everywhere to embrace their unhoused neighbors not as problems to be solved, but as people to be loved.

Vision -We envision a world where no one goes through homelessness alone, and where no one feels helpless on this issue.

Our Work:

• Reunion Services - Reunion Services connect unhoused neighbors to long lost family and friends with the help of our network of volunteer digital detectives.

• Miracle Friends - Miracle Friends matches individuals experiencing homelessness with volunteers from around the world for weekly phone calls and texts to check-in and say hello.

• Miracle Money - Basic Income cash transfers & social support for people experiencing homelessness

• Get Involved through volunteering, donating, sponsor, and refer an unhoused neighbor

• Research on Miracle Messages’s Direct Giving work USC website on Miracle Money and the RCT

• Reunited over 1000 families

• Over 275,000 minutes of Miracle Friend conversations

• Over $1,124,000 distributed to Miracle Messages participants through Miracle Money

  About Miracle Money:

  Miracle Messages is in the final stage of a basic income of $750/month for 12 months to 103 unhoused individuals in SF, Oakland, and LA. Findings from the midterm research show a 60% drop in unsheltered homelessness and a 2x likely exit from homelessness. These impressive findings are from the Randomized Control Trial evaluating the impact of basic income and social support (in the form of a phone buddy) for unhoused individuals in CA, in partnership with USC (led by Professor Ben Henwood); the three segments to the RCT are a basic income + phone buddy arm, a phone buddy only arm, and a waitlist control arm. (interim report)

  Final report will be ready at the end of 2024/early 2025. 

  Needless to say, this reinforces Miracle Messages belief that trust-based relationships with direct financial assistance can help alleviate homelessness for many unhoused individuals, and inspire other funders, agencies, and service providers. In this next phase of the Miracle Money program, Miracle Messages aims to expand the number of people receiving monthly payments to 500 participants, while testing innovative approaches for building trust and program enrollment, and establishing an emergency fund for participants. By distributing $5 million annually in direct cash to over 500 individuals and rigorously evaluating the impact will result in significant positive outcomes for individual participants and compelling evidence to influence funders, policymakers, and service providers. 

  Couple additional articles/documents on our work:

  • USC website on Miracle Money and the RCT

  • USA Today (media coverage from Dec 2023)

  • LA Times (cover story May 2023)

  • LA Times (Dec 2023)

  • Guardian (mostly just on the phone buddy program, Dec 2023)

Simply the Basics

Simply the Basics has a goal to make hygiene more Equitable and Accessible for everyone. As such, we have launched the first large-scale Hygiene Bank in the nation. The purpose of our "Hygiene Bank" is to ensure organizations serving those experiencing homelessness and low income communities always have access to their most basic needs, and redistribute the items they do not need to reduce waste. We remove the dehumanization of handouts, and empower our most underserved community members to have the dignity and benefits that come with good hygiene and choice.

Hygiene and public health are intimately interwoven, and poor hygiene is an inevitable result of homelessness. Establishing proper hygiene is key to a sense of self and better health. When people don't have access to necessary and quality hygiene products, many consequences will develop ranging from reduced self esteem to unemployment to serious diseases. Simply the Basics provides basic hygiene to programs and people, thus building a healthier community and stronger homeless programs overall. 

Additional programs include the Hygiene Locator: The Simply the Basics Hygiene Locator™ is a network of hygiene services across the globe that connects people in need with local hygiene services making finding what they need most more equitably and efficiently. It also helps donors find nearby organizations in need of their product donations, helping to reduce waste.  Access the map to find a hygiene bank or distribution center near you. 

And also the Hygiene Bank Association: Established in 2022, the Simply the Basics Hygiene Bank Association™ is the first ever alliance of nonprofit and community hygiene services to work together in the goals of improving and increasing access to hygiene!

Get involved through volunteering and donating . Find out more about Hygiene Health and Simply the Basics work.

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