There’s more to serving the people of the Tenderloin than providing free meals: GLIDE fights every day against the interlocking systems that cause our people suffering.  On the evening of August 1st, we threw a Social Justice Mixer to bring our advocacy community together and to unveil our plans for building power together.  

At the mixer, we urged people to sign up or renew their engagement with the Justice Warriors volunteer program.  Of the 101 people who registered for our event, 13 were joining the volunteer program for the very first time. Currently we have more than 300 Justice Warrior volunteers in our program. They support GLIDE’s policy agenda with whatever level of direct action feels most comfortable to them: attending marches, making phone calls, writing letters, leaving public comments, or raising awareness.  

If we grow our program to 1,000 Justice Warriors, we will truly be a force to be reckoned with! Are you ready to join us?  Sign up here to specify what kind of support you can offer and what issues interest you most. Justice Warriors fight for racial reconciliation and repair, safety for homeless people, safe paths out of substance use, and an end to poverty, among other things.   

At the mixer, Center for Social Justice staff also presented plans for a new Justice Warriors Council.  This council will lead in planning campaigns, organizing advocacy with the Justice Warriors, and throwing other mixers in the future.

Social Justice Academy graduates, as well as anyone who has been signed up for our Justice Warriors program for over a year, are all eligible to apply. Please contact Erick at earguello@glide.org to receive an application.  

             (From L to R: Justice Warriors Steve Dalton, Mike Ilaw, and Joshua Siebalt)

“I’ve been coming to GLIDE for years,” said Tenderloin resident Steve Dalton. “I did not know about the Center for Social Justice Warriors program. There is so much I care about in this neighborhood, particularly as it concerns senior citizens. I care about homelessness and other inequities in the TL too.

Perhaps you, like Steve, have been connected to GLIDE for a long time without knowing about our Justice Warriors program. Now is the time to sign up!   

We love how our community is full of ideas and energy for improving the Tenderloin.   

“Something that comes to mind after listening to this great session about Justice Warriors is maybe GLIDE could create something akin to a ‘GLIDE Village’ for seniors,” said Miki Ilaw. 

 And Joshua Siebalt added, “I have a podcast. I interview unhoused people to try and increase empathy and awareness… Especially after the recent Supreme Court decision, we need to do better at increasing empathy for the homeless.”  

We’re grateful for how many of our community members have been pursuing advocacy efforts of their own all these years. We plan to continue holding these social justice mixers quarterly to swap stories and join forces. We hope to see you at the next one!