18 Reasons cooking class

18 reasons

18 Reasons is a nonprofit community cooking school in the heart of San Francisco’s Mission District whose goals include helping people learn how to buy, cook and eat quality food, as well as helping low-income families by addressing food inequity in the Bay Area and through educational programming.

“Our mission is to inspire our community with the confidence and creativity to buy, cook, and eat good food every day,” explains Sarah Nelson, Executive Director at 18 Reasons. “This mission drives our work at 18th Street Kitchen and our Free Community Programming.”

“We live in a food environment where buying, cooking, and eating good food isn’t easy. Individuals and families must navigate deceptive marketing, confusing nutrition advice, and heavily processed products when deciding what to eat.”

This impactful organization works with chefs from around the world and hosts hands-on cooking classes, cheesemaking and fermentation workshops, dinners with farmers and brewers, wine seminars, and more, with most classes booking up completely. These hands-on cooking classes change daily.

“We attract students interested in learning fundamentals, world cuisines, and advanced techniques through a home cooking lens, and gear classes to meet these needs,” says Nelson.

Some example classes include Japanese Baking and Sweets; comforting curries; Croissants, Danishes and Kouign Amann, a special two-day workshop; and recurring favorites like Malaysian Chili Crab; sweet and savory galettes; Scandinavian baking; Flavors of Bordeaux; and Pasta Primers. Other popular classes include Basic Knife Skills and Culinary Boot Camp. Each class features a menu to be cooked or baked, with a new teaching chef guiding the class.

Baking croissants

18 reasons

For Valentine’s Day, 18 Reasons is offering two themed classes: Chocolate, which involves learning how to bake a Flourless Chocolate-Almond Cake with Marbled Chocolate Glaze, Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies with Flaked Sea Salt and more, and Valentine’s Day Feast, which includes learning how to cook a cherry and herb stuffed quail, mascarpone mashed potatoes and more.

18 reasons offers themed classes around other holidays as well, including Chinese New Year in Malaysia; Short and Sweet: Mardi Gras Party; Mid Autumn Festival Mooncakes; Umbrian Easter Feast; and Purim Baking.

“18 Reasons believes in the transformative and healing power of home cooking,” explains Nelson. “We choose to work with chefs that teach from a perspective and appreciation for home cooking as opposed to techniques and/or equipment typical for a commercial kitchen or restaurant.”

“Guests keep coming back, and we see a trend of multiple class takers,” she continues. “Some people enjoy trying new classes, while others gravitate towards a certain instructor or cuisine.”

Supported by these paid classes hosted through its 18th Street Kitchen cookery school, 18 Reasons offers free, hands-on cooking classes and grocery donations to low-income adults, families and kids, and Black and Latinx pregnant women, through its Cooking Matters and Nourishing Pregnancy programs.

18 Reasons is celebrating its 15th year this year, and they’ve evolved and expanded in many ways that include offering Cooking Matters classes in three counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco, and creating three new programs: Planned & Prepped, Food As Medicine (FAM), and Nourishing Pregnancy.

We chatted with Sarah Nelson, Executive Director at 18 Reasons on how 18 Reasons got started, its educational programs, the range of cooking classes they offer and more. Here’s what she had to say.

18 Reasons in the kitchen

18 reasons

How did 18 Reasons start?

The Bi-Rite Family of Businesses created a space in 2008 for community dinners and tastings, meant to connect farmers with the community members buying their products. Executive Director Sarah Nelson began a nonprofit, Three Squares, in 2011 to address food insecurity and the need for many in disinvested neighborhoods to increase nutrition and, ultimately, better health.

18 Reasons was born as a merger between the two — creating a nonprofit community cooking school with cooking classes at our Mission location, as well as free programming at sites within the community.

Talk about the range of paid cooking classes you offer. What can guests expect during these classes?

Our classes are unique because they’re largely powered by volunteers, which creates a greater feeling of community in classes. Our volunteers usually come from people who have taken our classes and want to get more involved in the organization.

We offer classes at a variety of price points, with our most popular Basic Knife Skills class being just $75. It’s important for us to offer classes that match a variety of student interests and budgets. The cooking classes are very communal, often asking people to work in small groups. It’s a fun opportunity to get to know classmates, and to initiate conversations that continue with wine and dinner at the end of classes.

We offer cooking classes that allow students to hone a variety of skills — from fundamentals like sautéing and egg basics, to deep dives into regional recipes and skills like Handmade Noodles of Penang. World cuisine classes are a way for members of a diaspora to connect to their culture through food, and for guests to learn more about regional culinary traditions.

18 Reasons class

18 reasons

Talk about the three food education programs you offer — in what ways have you seen these make an impact on the community?

Cooking Matters

Cooking Matters is a 6-week series of classes that pairs hands-on cooking practice with culturally appropriate nutrition discussions and healthy grocery donations.

We offer series for kids, teens, adults, and families in both English and Spanish. Topics covered include knife skills, learning about nutrition labels, food groups, and balanced eating, and how to use and choose vegetables, whole grains, and fruits.

84% of participants increase healthy food preparation, and 82% increase how often they eat fruit, vegetables, whole grains, or low-fat dairy.

Planned & Prepped

Planned & Prepped is a series for adult graduates of a Cooking Matters series that focuses on meal planning, prep, and storage on a budget.

This program was created in response to the question from Cooking Matters participants, “I’ve built a solid foundation of skills and want to keep learning more – what comes next?”

Food As Medicine (FAM)

FAM is a long-term, specialized Cooking Matters series tailored for participants with poorly controlled diabetes. FAM helps participants manage their diabetes using nutritious food, cooking skills, and nutrition education.

It is funded by CalAIM and in partnership with Contra Costa Health Services doctors, who support by recruiting participants and providing medical supervision and nutrition expertise during classes.

87% of participants report improvement in their blood sugar and 33% of participants report improvement to their A1C.

Nourishing Pregnancy

Nourishing Pregnancy is an innovative cooking and health program serving Black and Latinx birthing parents in the last months of pregnancy and first months postpartum. Over 16 weeks, participants take prenatal cooking and nutrition education classes and postpartum support classes.

Black and Latinx birthers typically receive medical care in white-dominated settings. All facilitators in Nourishing Pregnancy identify as Black or Latinx, and create a sacred space of social support and belonging.

Nourishing Pregnancy has dropped low birth weights of babies born during the program to zero!

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San Francisco – Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that nearly $30 million in new federal funding is headed to San Francisco to support vital community projects. These investments – which will support neighborhood-serving organizations that are helping meet the needs of Bay Area families – were included in the government funding package signed into law today by President Biden.

“The new federal funding headed to our City for critical community projects is a major victory for San Francisco families,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. “Thanks to Democrats’ tenacious negotiating, this year’s government funding package delivers deeply needed federal funds for projects across the country that help meet specific needs of our communities. From easing food insecurity and homelessness to expanding vital health services to caring for local veterans, these investments will help us seize the biggest opportunities and tackle the biggest challenges that San Franciscans face.”

A full list of San Francisco community projects receiving funding for Fiscal Year 2023 include:

• San Francisco General Hospital Foundation on behalf of Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center – $1,000,000 for the Transform Mental and Behavioral Health Fund
• San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium – $2,200,000 for Community Health Center Improvements
• Larkin Street Youth Services – $1,550,000 for Services for Youth Experiencing Homelessness
• HealthRIGHT 360 – $2,500,000 for the Integrated Care Center
• Mission Neighborhood Centers, Inc. – $2,000,000 for Child Care Facilities Expansions
• The National AIDS Memorial – $750,000 for the Center for Health and Social Justice
• Chinatown Media and Arts Collaborative – $2,500,000 for Edge on the Square Chinatown Media and Arts Collaborative Building Renovation
• Friends of the Children – SF Bay Area – $750,000 for Friends of the Children Bayview Youth Center
• Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center, Inc. (LYRIC) – $2,000,000 for Youth Center Renovation
• United Playaz, Inc. – $4,000,000 for 1044 Howard Building Purchase and Improvements
• Project OpenHand – $1,451,000 for Community Nutrition and Wellness Expansion
• San Francisco Recreation and Park Department – $3,000,000 for Japantown Peace Plaza Renovation
• The Friendship House Association of American Indians – $750,000 for the Village SF Urban Indian Project
• Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy – $3,000,000 for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area Energy Production and Storage Project
• San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency – $2,500,000 for Bayview Community-Based Transportation Implementation

“We are deeply appreciative of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s leadership to secure funding to provide timely and comprehensive mental health services for San Francisco,” said Kim Meredith, CEO of San Francisco General Hospital Foundation. “Not only will our Transforming Mental and Behavioral Health program draw together experts to develop innovative models for treating the mental health needs of the predominately underserved and underinsured population that Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital serves, but it will also help find solutions to the national effort , including the systemic causes of homelessness not just in this District, but nationwide.”

“The San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium and its member clinics serve over 100,000 low income vulnerable San Franciscans,” said Deena Lahn, Vice President, Policy and External Affairs of San Francisco Community Clinics Consortium. “During the worst parts of the Covid pandemic and continuing today, our community clinics remained open to provide information, vaccinations and treatment to communities who would otherwise be ignored. The funds provided through the Community Project Funding will fund critical equipment and renovation to help meet the needs of our patients and ensure that we can continue to provide high quality, up to date medical care for our hard working patients, regardless of their ability to pay .”

“We are incredibly grateful to Speaker Pelosi’s leadership for supporting our FY23 Community Project proposal,” said Sherilyn Adams, Executive Director of Larkin Street Youth Services. “With these critical resources Larkin Street will be able to amplify our efforts to stably house and improve economic Outcomes for youth experiencing homelessness in San Francisco by providing immediate access to shelter, transitional housing with intensive case management, and educational programming to help close the post-pandemic learning gap.This funding will also support progress towards our collective long-term goal of ending youth homelessness in San Francisco.”

“Congresswoman Pelosi’s community project funding to fully renovate the current administrative floor of HealthRIGHT 360’s Integrated Care Clinic in San Francisco will exponentially expand capacity of client assessments for substance use disorder treatment intakes, and will allow us to continue our focus of treatment on demand for those that need the most help by providing better access to treatment,” said Vitka Eisen, Chief Executive Officer of HealthRIGHT 360. “Thank you, Congresswoman Pelosi, for continuing to bring important federal funding home to San Francisco to address our underserved and often marginalized communities that need the most help, and for living our mantra that healthcare is a right, not a privilege.”

“The MNC Family is more than grateful and appreciative to Speaker Pelosi for her continued support and generosity, that will impact and improve young lives for generations ahead,” said Richard Ybarra, Chief Executive Officer of Mission Neighborhood Centers. “These funds will advance the completion of our new Inspiring Children early care campus at 1240 Valencia (former police station).”

“The National AIDS Memorial is deeply appreciative of Speaker Pelosi’s support of funding our work toward building a National Center for Health & Social Justice in San Francisco,” said John Cunningham, Chief Executive Officer of the National AIDS Memorial. “Still relevant today, the Center will transform the enormous human tragedy exacerbated by societal indifference and the triumphs and lessons of the AIDS crisis into an enduring movement so that never again will a community be harmed due to stigma, prejudice, discrimination, or hate. San Francisco has long stood at the forefront of our nation’s fight for social justice and the Center will educate and inspire compassion and action in its citizens, the nation, and the global community.”

“Speaker Pelosi’s ultimate legacy is that of a tireless and fearless public servant,” said Malcolm Yeung, Founding Board Member of the Chinatown Media and Arts Collaborative. “No issue is too big and, equally important, no issue is too small. The Speaker’s leadership means everything to our Chinatown community.”

“This appropriation is a significant contribution to Edge On The Square, anticipated to be the soul and new icon of Chinatown,” said Mabel Teng, Executive Director and Founding Board Member of the Chinatown Media and Arts Collaborative. “We are rolling up our sleeves to build the unprecedented Asian American storytelling platform with a just vision of America through the lens of immigrants.”

“Friends of the Children extends our sincere gratitude and thanks to Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi for her unwavering commitment to supporting children in Bayview Hunters Point,” said Timothy Waters, Executive Director of Friends of the Children – SF Bay Area. “This funding to secure the acquisition of the Bayview Youth Center will enable Friends of the Children – SF Bay Area to continue on our path to mentor and serve 400 children. By creating an incredible space for our program, this support will positively impact generational change as our paid, professional mentors further the hopes and dreams of the youth and families we serve.”

“These federal funds will increase the current LYRIC space by 40% which will allow us to serve more LGBTQQ+ youth, especially trans and non-binary youth, here in San Francisco,” said Adam-Michael Royston, Vice President of LYRIC. “The LYRIC center is the second oldest LGBTQQ+ youth center in the country and with trans youth under attack across the country we have seen a tremendous increase in our services – specifically mental health and gender affirming care and these funds will allow us to serve more than 3,000 youth in San Francisco a year.”

“We are so appreciative to be included in the Community Project Funding!” said Rudy Corpuz, Executive Director of United Playaz. “Our project to purchase and rebuild 1044 Howard Street/United Playaz Way would not have happened without these important funds! This new building will become home to our literacy program Real Playaz Read and our growing ReEntry program serving individuals coming home from incarceration. It Takes The Hood To Save The Hood!”

“For 37 years, Project Open Hand’s mission has been to serve meals with love to the Bay Area, providing life-saving nutrition for residents who need it most,” said Paul Hepfer, Chief Executive Officer of Project Open Hand. “The funds allocated to our organization by Congresswoman Pelosi will ensure that our programs and capacity continue to reach those in critical need of the medically tailored meals that we provide. On behalf of our clients and our staff, Project Open Hand would like to convey our sincerest appreciation for this funding and recognition of the important work that our founder, Ruth Brinker, began back in 1985, and that we continue to this day.”

“We are so grateful to Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her steadfast support of the Japantown Peace Plaza renovation,” Phil Ginsburg, General Manager of San Francisco Recreation and Park Department. “For 110 years, this space has been vital to generations of Japanese American, Asian American and Pacific Islander families and is one of only three Japantowns left in the US With $3 million in federal funding, the Peace Plaza will continue to flourish as an essential open space that is home to so many community organizations, small business, and artists.”

“This investment contributes to the development of the Village SF, a six-story building in the heart of the city that provides cultural programs, social services, housing, and medical and dental care, for the 9,000 Native Americans and Alaska Natives who live in San Francisco,” said Gabriel Pimentel (Apache), Executive Director of Friendship House Association of American Indians. “The Village SF is just the beginning of Friendship House’s vision for a thriving and healthy Native community in the heart of every city in America.”

“The park partners of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area are grateful to Speaker Pelosi and for this federal community project funding that will bring to life the dream of a solar project within the Presidio. Addressing climate resilience in Bay Area national parks is a priority, as we continue to ensure these park lands serve as places of welcome and belonging for people from San Francisco and across the world for decades to come,” said Christine Lehnertz, President & CEO, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.

“Installing solar panels in the Presidio will save energy costs and further our goal of being a carbon-neutral park,” said Jean Fraser, CEO of the Presidio Trust. “This project will educate the Presidio’s millions of visitors about the power Americans have to reduce climate change by using alternative energy sources.”

“This award will generate broad and important safety benefits that are directly aligned with community needs and values ​​in Bayview-Hunters Point,” said Jeffrey Tumlin, Director of Transportation at San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. “It will have a direct impact by improving pedestrian and bicycle safety in the Bayview Neighborhood, one of San Francisco’s most disadvantaged communities. Specifically, this project will improve pedestrian safety along the 3rd St. corridor, improving resident access to transit, local businesses, parks, and community centers.”

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Golf cart handyman accused of groping, exposing himself to Mesa 55+ community

Residents of the Leisure World community in Mesa claim John Grefe exposed himself to them, hugged and groped them and made inappropriate comments.

MESA, Ariz. – A handyman who police say exposed himself to at least five people within a mesa community has been arrested.

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office says it received several reports of inappropriate sexual contact and indecent exposure on April 11 at the Leisure World community, located near Power Road and Southern Avenue.

“The calls for service centered around similar incidents where the subject identified as John ‘Jack’ Grefe had exposed himself or inappropriately hugged/touched victims servicing their golf carts at their residence,” MCSO said in a news release.

Grefe, a resident of Leisure World, was known within the community to fix golf carts.

Investigators say they interviewed five known victims who all said Grefe had groped them, exposed himself, or made unwanted inappropriate sexual comments to them.

On Oct. 12, Grefe what arrested and booked into jail after a warrant was issued. Grefe is accused of eight counts of sexual abuse and two counts of indecent exposure.

The post Golf cart handyman uncovered himself to residents of Mesa retirement neighborhood: MCSO appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced the launch of a new guaranteed income program for the city’s transgender community on Wednesday.

The Guaranteed Income for Trans People (GIFT) Program will provide low-income transgender residents with $1,200 each month, up to 18 months to help address financial insecurity within the community.

In a statement, the City of San Francisco said: “GIFT is one of several programs the City is developing, implementing, and evaluating to identify how to best support San Francisco residents and promote economic stability and recovery.”

The city also said that the new pilot program is the first guaranteed income initiative to focus solely on transgender people and will provide 55 eligible participants with temporary income. Additionally, the city said it will provide the same individuals with “wrap-around” direct services, such as gender-affirming medical and mental health care, case management, specialty care services and financial coaching.

MORE: San Francisco launches new pilot program giving some pregnant women $1,000 a month

“We know that our trans communities experience much higher rates of poverty and discrimination, so this program will target support to lift individuals in this community up. We will keep building on programs like this to provide those in the greatest need with the financial resources and services to help them thrive,” said Mayor London Breed in a statement.

Transgender communities, experience poverty and economic instability at disproportionate rates according to the city.

“The US Transgender Survey, which is the only largescale study of trans people in the United States, in 2015 found that 33% of trans people in California were living in poverty,” said Pau Crego with the San Francisco Office of Transgender Initiatives.

That percentage is compared to 12% of people in the general population that were living in poverty.

VIDEO: Translatina advocate brings life-saving work to San Francisco after fleeing home in El Salvador

The city also noted that the percentage among transgender people who are also Black, Indigenous and People of Color is even higher.

Lyon-Martin Community Health Services and The Transgender District are leading program design and implementation of the program, with support from the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development and other agencies.

“We hope that our guaranteed income program will be the beginning of a reparative process to change the inequities experienced by our communities, help them survive in a world that is constantly debating their right to exist, and empower them to engage in healthcare services in a meaningful and life-changing way,” said JM Jaffe, executive director of Lyon-Martin Community Health Services.

MORE: Trans March returns to San Francisco amid heightened tensions over Roe v. Wade ruling

Applications will be accepted from Nov. 15 through Dec. 15 this year.

According to the program’s website, applicants must meet the following qualifications:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Identify as transgender, nonbinary, gender nonconforming, or intersex
• Not be receiving more than $600/monthly in income
• Reside in the City and County of San Francisco
• Be willing and able to complete a survey every 3 months, and submit a complete application.

TAKE ACTION: Local resources for LGBTQ+ issues

The GIFT program is San Francisco’s third guaranteed income program. It follows the Abundant Birth Project, launched in 2020, and the Guaranteed Income Pilot for Artists, launched in 2021.

In 2023, the city said it will launch two additional guaranteed income programs geared towards youth.

If you’re on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live

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Golf cart handyman accused of groping, exposing himself to Mesa 55+ community

Residents of the Leisure World community in Mesa claim John Grefe exposed himself to them, hugged and groped them and made inappropriate comments.

MESA, Ariz. – A handyman who police say exposed himself to at least five people within a mesa community has been arrested.

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office says it received several reports of inappropriate sexual contact and indecent exposure on April 11 at the Leisure World community, located near Power Road and Southern Avenue.

“The calls for service centered around similar incidents where the subject identified as John ‘Jack’ Grefe had exposed himself or inappropriately hugged/touched victims servicing their golf carts at their residence,” MCSO said in a news release.

Grefe, a resident of Leisure World, was known within the community to fix golf carts.

Investigators say they interviewed five known victims who all said Grefe had groped them, exposed himself, or made unwanted inappropriate sexual comments to them.

On Oct. 12, Grefe what arrested and booked into jail after a warrant was issued. Grefe is accused of eight counts of sexual abuse and two counts of indecent exposure.

The post Golf cart handyman uncovered himself to residents of Mesa retirement group: MCSO appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

In the lazy hours of a late Sunday afternoon, a steady stream of customers passed under the dark green awning of Polynesian Island Luau. According to its patrons, the takeout-style restaurant and retail shop — where shark tooth necklaces dangle from the ceiling, racks of floral shirts line the walls, and the owner’s granddaughter runs the register on the weekends — is the last of its kind in the Bay Area.

“I come here whenever I can,” said Lori Peneueta, 40, who drove from Sacramento to visit the market, which straddles Geneva Avenue on the border of San Francisco and Daly City. “This is a part of my heritage, and it’s one of the only places I can really feel that.”

To the left of the 22-year-old business, there’s a KFC and a Taco Bell. Across the street, the hulking mass of a Dollar Tree. Sitting beside a four-lane highway, Polynesian Island Luau has witnessed the decline of nearby Visitacion Valley’s once-vibrant Pacific Islander community. But now, it may have a front-row seat for its comeback.

After more than seven years of on-the-ground organizing, the neighborhood stands poised to become part of a new Pacific Islander Cultural District. On Tuesday, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is expected to adopt legislation creating such a district, making it the 10th cultural district in the city.

Polynesian Island Luau owner Lafi Conway, right, chats with a customer of her takeout-style restaurant and retail shop Friday, Nov. 11, 2022.

Stephen Lam / The Chronicle

“There are a lot of Pacific Islanders across the area, so to have a place of our own would be really cool,” Polynesian Island Luau employee Thana Puni, 18, said from behind a tray of steaming plantains coated in coconut cream. “I would feel great if (the district) happens.”

Since the inception of the program in 2018, San Francisco has recognized cultural districts in Japantown, the Castro and the Mission to both honor and preserve diverse communities. Pacific Islander leaders hope the recognition and resources that come with such a designation will mark a turning point in a community long forgotten by the city.

“My goal is that 100 years from now, our community doesn’t have to suffer anymore,” said Gaynor Siataga, the director of San Francisco’s Pacific Islander Community Hub, a new community-based organization in Bayview. “They can go somewhere they belong, somewhere people understand them, and have some sense of identity and belonging here in this wonderful city.”

But with generations of entrenched disparities — and the risk of losing more community members to rising costs of living — those pushing for the cultural district know that this week’s vote is just the beginning.

Floral shirts and fabrics hang from the walls of Polynesian Island Luau on the northern edge of Daly City, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022.

Stephen Lam / The Chronicle

A small community with a deep history

According to data from the 2020 census, the Pacific Islander community makes up just 0.4% of San Francisco’s population. Despite its size, the population has roots in the city more than a century old.

In the mid-1800s, Native Hawaiians made up 10% of the population in Yerba Buena, the settlement that later became San Francisco, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior. During World Wars I and II, the U.S. military recruited Samoans, Tongans, Fijians and other islanders as it expanded its reach across the Pacific. But once World War II ended, many of the employment opportunities did too — leading to an exodus of Pacific Islanders to San Francisco.

Some came for jobs at the Hunter’s Point Naval Shipyard. Others were recruited to work in farms in and around the city. Still others were sponsored by the Mormon Church, encouraged toward the city for missionary labor after helping build a temple in Hawaii.

By 1985, San Francisco’s Pacific Islander population reached its peak, according to the cultural district’s “resolution document,” which was drafted by community leaders to make a case for the cultural district. But as of the 2020 census, San Francisco’s Pacific Islander community numbered just over 2,150. And in the past decade, the number of Pacific Islanders in Visitacion Valley — the neighborhood where the community first took root — dropped by more than 50%, from 33 people to 15.

In the years since peak migration, the community hasn’t just dissolved in size. It’s also been hit by stark socioeconomic challenges.

Even before the pandemic, 29% of the Pacific Islander community in San Francisco lived below the poverty line with a median per capita income of just $25,930 — the lowest of any ethnic or racial group — according to a 2020 report from the Regional Pacific Islander Taskforce. That data found nearly 15% of the community was unemployed, and nearly 23% lived in overcrowded households. According to the cultural district’s resolution statement, 73% of Pacific Islanders in San Francisco are now in public housing.

“I grew up with, and in, those disparities,” Siataga said. “But when I saw the data, it broke my heart.”

Reliance on public housing, she added, “has been generational. That’s our reality and it’s been our reality, and it’s sad because we know that our ancestors that migrated here came for that American dream. And yet, we’re still stagnant.”

Those disparities exacerbated with the pandemic. Pacific Islanders in California contracted COVID-19 at nearly twice the state’s overall rate. By May 2020, the community had the highest death rate of any racial or ethnic group.

Mareta Eelua, left, and Faye Ia assemble candy lei five days before a Nov. 15 hearing of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to establish a Pacific Islander Cultural District in the city.

Stephen Lam / The Chronicle

Today, city data shows the COVID-19 case rate for Pacific Islanders still outstrips all other communities: it’s more than double the rate of the city’s American Indian, Black and Hispanic populations, and more than four times that of white San Franciscans.

According to those pushing for the Pacific Islander Cultural District, these statistics are, in part, due to a lack of culturally attuned resources. For 20 years, there was just one fully funded community-based organization serving the population — the Samoan Community Development Center. But Siataga said that despite critical efforts, the organization wasn’t meeting the full range of services Pacific Islanders needed.

Because of that, community leaders say Pacific Islanders became “invisible” across the Bay Area, sinking toward the lowest levels of the city’s socioeconomic indicators.

Efforts with, for and by the community

During the initial phases of the pandemic, five of San Francisco’s Pacific Islander-serving organizations formed the SALLT Association, which aimed to strategically fill gaps they saw widening across the community. By coordinating across entities, SALLT began providing COVID-19 response services, counseling, employment assistance, housing support, language and translation services, and other programming, working alongside the Samoan Community Development Center to do so.

During the same year, Siataga — who has both Samoan and Latino roots — suggested creating a cultural district in the area after seeing its success for the Latino population in the Mission. But while the Latino community in San Francisco was growing, the Pacific Islander community was shrinking. With such small numbers, many felt like accomplishing such recognition would be impossible, Siataga said.

“At first, it was really challenging,” said Siataga, speaking of the first time she mentioned setting up a cultural district. “This community has never seen the resources, support or backing that other communities have seen, so when I first started talking about the cultural district, (the community) said things like: ‘That’ll never happen.’”

Still, she and others got to work.

Siataga encouraged elders to write down their stories, which they compiled into the district’s resolution document to demonstrate the community’s impact on San Francisco and their legacy dating back decades. They got in touch with Supervisor Shamman Walton, whose district encompasses the southeast corner of San Francisco home to many Pacific Islanders. And they dug into the data, trying to better understand what the Pacific Islander community was up against — a difficult task when across not just the city, but also the state, Pacific Islanders were consistently being grouped with the larger Asian community.

Palusami, a popular Polynesian delicacy made with beef, coconut milk and taro leaves, sit wrapped behind a counter at Polynesian Island Luau on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. Customers sometimes travel from quite a distance for the traditional Samoan food.

Stephen Lam / The Chronicle

By disaggregating that data, a clearer picture of the community’s challenges began to emerge, allowing leaders like Siataga to better pitch the mission of a cultural district and the things it could accomplish.

According to the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, cultural districts provide a funnel for representative policymaking, helping leaders from minority communities take a seat at the city’s decision-making tables. They allot funding to employ those in charge of the cultural district, who together work on a specifically tailored three-year plan.

The Pacific Islander Cultural District will receive the typical annual funding award for cultural districts: $230,000 of hotel tax funds to support the team coordinating the vision for community-led social programs, services and resources in the new district.

Tino Felise, the neighborhood program coordinator at the Samoan Community Development Center, said the cultural district will focus on affordable housing, entrepreneurship and retail development, particularly for smaller mom-and-pop stores.

“Hopefully, establishing this cultural district will help us re-establish our population and make sure this is a place Pacific Islanders can continue to call home,” said Felise, who worked with Siataga to get the cultural district proposed.

Some of this work will draw on the successes of other cultural districts. In the Mission, the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District has implemented policies to halt displacement and gentrification, according to Calle 24 Council President Eric Arguello.

Polynesian Island Luau has been selling its merchandise from a storefront on the border of San Francisco and Daly City for more than two decades.

Stephen Lam / The Chronicle

By placing “special use protections” on incoming development in the Mission, the district has reduced the number of large renovations in the area — developments that would make it impossible for smaller, community-owned businesses to eventually take over those spaces, Arguello said.

“The legislation helped us maintain a healthier balance to protect smaller businesses, and helped us stabilize rent by maintaining smaller spaces for mom and pop stores,” Arguello said.

Still, Arguello noted, each cultural district is led by the needs of that community — and each has its own challenges and solutions.

“The coolest thing about this is that it’s all going to be done by the community,” said Iose Iulio, a housing specialist at the Bayview YMCA, and part of the team behind the Pacific Islander Cultural District. “When you listen to the community and what they really need and want, it’s more likely that they will use the services you provide.”

In some ways, Polynesan Island Luau is San Francisco’s Pacific Islander community in a nutshell. It’s held on in a rapidly changing city, and it’s been witness to inconceivable challenges. But still, it’s standing — and it’s ready to welcome its community back home.

“We get people coming from as far as Seattle to taste our food,” said Lafi Faletoese, the granddaughter of Lafi Wilson, Polynesian Island Luau’s owner. “But there are so few (Pacific Islander-owned businesses), a lot of people don’t know about us. … (Having the Pacific Islander Cultural District) would bring a lot more needed recognition for each and every Polynesian culture that exists.”

Elissa Miolene is a freelance journalist based in San Francisco. Twitter: @elissamio

The post San Francisco’s Pacific Islander group has virtually disappeared. Can a particular district deliver it again? appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

“Everybody should have access to a beautiful place, good music, good food, good wine,” said Arcana founder and curator Naz Khorram. “Basically, an extended version of my own living room in my own personal home was what I was really striving for.”

Whether you’d like to become a plant parent or add to your existing collection, Arcana offers hundreds of carefully selected options to fill your space.

“We handpick every single plant, choosing plants and pots that go together to create some sort of vibe that you can kind of imagine in your space,” explained Plant Specialist & Interiorscaper Anna Trautman. “It’s a place where you actually get to see living things as a form of art. It’s also a place for community.”

A plant shop and teahouse by day and wine bar-restaurant by night, Arcana serves as an oasis that connects the community through sustainable offerings.

“From our plant-based food to our natural wine to the tea, everything is pretty environmentally focused and inspired,” said Operations Coordinator Andy Garcia.

For Arcana founder Khorram, the shop’s location and welcoming vibe hits close to home.

“It’s a very immigrant-dominated neighborhood, that’s why I really connected with it,” they said. “I’m queer, I moved here when I was 18, and I specifically wanted to come to San Francisco because as a very young Iranian came out of that culture, people didn’t have an open mind about it.”

Khorram displays the Rainbow Flag inside Arcana as a symbol of the love and community they feel in San Francisco, with the intention of sharing positivity and light with all who visit.

“I just wanted to have a big flag raised as a sign for all the other 18-year-olds that are moving into this city from their own countries and their own backgrounds to feel what I felt, ‘Oh, that’s a safe place to go,'” said Khorram.

For more information about Arcana, visit here.

For the latest updates about workshops, design services, and more, follow Arcana on Instagram.

The post Arcana welcomes you to a group lounge within the coronary heart of San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

“Everybody should have access to a beautiful place, good music, good food, good wine,” said Arcana founder and curator Naz Khorram. “Basically, an extended version of my own living room in my own personal home was what I was really striving for.”

Whether you’d like to become a plant parent or add to your existing collection, Arcana offers hundreds of carefully selected options to fill your space.

“We handpick every single plant, choosing plants and pots that go together to create some sort of vibe that you can kind of imagine in your space,” explained Plant Specialist & Interiorscaper Anna Trautman. “It’s a place where you actually get to see living things as a form of art. It’s also a place for community.”

A plant shop and teahouse by day and wine bar-restaurant by night, Arcana serves as an oasis that connects the community through sustainable offerings.

“From our plant-based food to our natural wine to the tea, everything is pretty environmentally focused and inspired,” said Operations Coordinator Andy Garcia.

For Arcana founder Khorram, the shop’s location and welcoming vibe hits close to home.

“It’s a very immigrant-dominated neighborhood, that’s why I really connected with it,” they said. “I’m queer, I moved here when I was 18, and I specifically wanted to come to San Francisco because as a very young Iranian came out of that culture, people didn’t have an open mind about it.”

Khorram displays the Rainbow Flag inside Arcana as a symbol of the love and community they feel in San Francisco, with the intention of sharing positivity and light with all who visit.

“I just wanted to have a big flag raised as a sign for all the other 18-year-olds that are moving into this city from their own countries and their own backgrounds to feel what I felt, ‘Oh, that’s a safe place to go,'” said Khorram.

For more information about Arcana, visit here.

For the latest updates about workshops, design services, and more, follow Arcana on Instagram.

The post Arcana welcomes you to a neighborhood lounge within the coronary heart of San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

“Everybody should have access to a beautiful place, good music, good food, good wine,” said Arcana founder and curator Naz Khorram. “Basically, an extended version of my own living room in my own personal home was what I was really striving for.”

Whether you’d like to become a plant parent or add to your existing collection, Arcana offers hundreds of carefully selected options to fill your space.

“We handpick every single plant, choosing plants and pots that go together to create some sort of vibe that you can kind of imagine in your space,” explained Plant Specialist & Interiorscaper Anna Trautman. “It’s a place where you actually get to see living things as a form of art. It’s also a place for community.”

A plant shop and teahouse by day and wine bar-restaurant by night, Arcana serves as an oasis that connects the community through sustainable offerings.

“From our plant-based food to our natural wine to the tea, everything is pretty environmentally focused and inspired,” said Operations Coordinator Andy Garcia.

For Arcana founder Khorram, the shop’s location and welcoming vibe hits close to home.

“It’s a very immigrant-dominated neighborhood, that’s why I really connected with it,” they said. “I’m queer, I moved here when I was 18, and I specifically wanted to come to San Francisco because as a very young Iranian came out of that culture, people didn’t have an open mind about it.”

Khorram displays the Rainbow Flag inside Arcana as a symbol of the love and community they feel in San Francisco, with the intention of sharing positivity and light with all who visit.

“I just wanted to have a big flag raised as a sign for all the other 18-year-olds that are moving into this city from their own countries and their own backgrounds to feel what I felt, ‘Oh, that’s a safe place to go,'” said Khorram.

For more information about Arcana, visit here.

For the latest updates about workshops, design services, and more, follow Arcana on Instagram.

The post Arcana welcomes you to a neighborhood front room within the coronary heart of San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.