Volunteers from GLIDE and the Civic Joy Fund partnered with our Cecil Williams Community Ambassadors (CW Ambassadors) to make the Tenderloin a better place. After learning about GLIDE’s unconditionally loving service model, 38 community members and CW Ambassadors collected brooms, grabbers and trash bags at began cleaning the neighborhood.
“It was really special to see that not only are we picking up trash and doing a cleanup, but we are maintaining clean streets,” said GLIDE’s Director of Volunteerism & Corporate Partnerships, Lindsey Coonan. “One of our unhoused neighbors that we met out on the trash pickup, we let them know about our lunch service and then I actually saw them at GLIDE’s lunch.”
CW Ambassadors also helped volunteers learn more about the Tenderloin. “One of our GLIDE Cecil Williams Ambassadors was able to point out to all the other volunteers, specific interactions he has had,” said Tessa Staff, from GLIDE’s Volunteer Department. “When we were at different cross-streets he shared interactions with community members that made his day, or where he was able to improve someone’s life by giving them resources or connecting them with GLIDE. It was awesome to hear him tell stories. And the program has only been going for 45 days and hearing the impact he and the other ambassadors are having was really awesome.”
The Civic Joy Fund is an independent and apolitical non-profit, teaming up with local artists, musicians, small businesses, volunteers and community leaders. The organization aims to bring more art, music, color, energy and joy to SF’s city streets – the most public of civic spaces – to assist in economic recovery and diverse projects that make our city of San Francisco so great.
Volunteers participating in the clean-up crossed the political divide, but they came together to make a difference in their community. Volunteers spoke with community members in multiple languages and shared resources and snacks with those in need.
As they walked from block to block, community members recognized the CW ambassador’s purple vests and showered the do-gooders with kindness. “One thing I really enjoyed was all the community members passing by and saying thank you” said Samara who organized the event with Civic Joy Fund, “it helped us keep going and gave us strength and motivation to keep cleaning up trash.”
GLIDE’s CW Ambassadors is funded by Mayor London Breed’s 30×30 plan to revitalize San Francisco. In the weeks and years to come, GLIDE will invite you to join our CW Ambassadors in future neighborhood cleanups. We will have a purple vest waiting and hope to see you soon!