2023 has marked a major milestone for GLIDE on so many fronts, including a return to community that has uplifted the Tenderloin and all of San Francisco.
Beginning in July with our return to indoor dining service, we’ve since expanded our Legal Clinic services, to both online and in-person; we received a $1M check from the state of California to support our infrastructure needs; our Center for Social Justice helped secure $950M to fund the Universal School Meals program for the state of California, and we heralded the arrival of our new President & CEO, Dr. Gina Fromer.
But if it’s one event that our beloved supporters anticipate more than anything, it’s GLIDE’s premiere annual Holiday Jam in November. This year, we are celebrating Cecil William’s 60th anniversary at GLIDE!
This will be a night filled with a star-studded cast of inspiring musical artists all led by our Mistress of Ceremonies KQED’s Priya David Clemens.
Thursday, November 9, at 7:00 pm (PST).
Visit www.glide.org/holidayjam and get your tickets today!
Why should you attend this year’s Holiday Jam? Read on!
Show your support by making a difference in someone’s life! When you support GLIDE, you are at the forefront of giving people a chance at recovery and turning their lives around.
While GLIDE’s Free Meals program is among our most visible, we also offer a plethora of support by means of such actions as rental assistance, providing on the street harm reduction techniques to combat mental illness and drug addiction, and establishing the Janice Mirikitani Family Youth and Childcare Center (FYCC) which offers low-income families educational resources to help stabilize their lives.
As a human services agency, GLIDE is at the forefront of a mission to break the cycles of poverty and marginalization. When you support GLIDE, you participate in a movement rooted in empowerment and recovery.
Holiday Jam Entertainment!
This year’s Holiday Jam will showcase a superfecta of artistic power unlike anything we’ve presented before.
Legendary songwriter, composer, and producer, Valerie Simpson will perform a tribute to her music ( highlighting many of the songs composed in collaboration with her late husband, Nick Ashford).
GLIDE was lucky enough to snag masterful blues guitarist, producer, composer, philanthropist and founding member of multi-platinum rhythm and blues group, Tony! Toni! Tone!, D’wayne Wiggins.
Activist and prolific R&B and soul visionary, Goapele will perform some of her most stirring music to delight her fans.
And rebel soul singer Martin Luther McCoy rounds out the star-studded line-up who will be performing his distinct blend of jazz funk fusion music.
San Francisco’s varied and colorful history includes the Holiday Jam!
Friends and supporters have been gathering to raise funds for GLIDE every November for over 20 years. In San Francisco, the Holiday Jam is a tradition hosted by Co-Founders Rev. Cecil Williams, Janice Mirikitani, and now our new President and CEO Dr. Gina Fromer. Artists, poets, comedians, and political changemakers come together to perform.
GLIDE family and staff enjoy the show, eat GLIDE’s famous fried chicken, and celebrate love and community. Past attendees included Robin Williams, Maya Angelou, and Bobby McFerrin, to name but a few!
For 60 years, the GLIDE Ensemble and The Change Band have united people with different beliefs and life situations to sing about freedom, honesty, love, and hope. Led by Musical Directors Vernon Bush and Zoe Ellis, the Ensemble has teamed up with a “who’s who” of notable musicians such as Sammy Davis Jr., Leonard Bernstein, Marvin Gaye, Bono, Bobby McFerrin, Maya Angelou, and Joan Baez.
Since its humble beginnings on Christmas Day, 1966, with just 10 singers and jazz legend John Handy, the GLIDE Ensemble and Change Band has expanded to over 100 voices and eight musicians. Don’t miss out on this special performance!
GLIDE’s Holiday Jam is the premiere event to celebrate GLIDE’s service in San Francisco and supporting our programs and breathing life to those who’ve fallen through the cracks but are looking to get back up again.
Let’s honor Cecil Williams and his incredible legacy of social and civic activism!
The 2023 GLIDE Annual Holiday Jam: Keep On will take place on Thursday, November 9, at 7:00 pm (PST). Visit www.glide.org/holidayjam and get your tickets today!
