Anne Wong

Camille Seiberling

Kirstie Dutton

Anya Deepak

Maggie Marks

T. Jones

Anna Dagum

Matt Colley

Dontaye Ball

Adrianna Zhang

• Model civic involvement  
• Encourage age-relevant policy discussions and curriculum 
• Treat youth as genuine partners 

Jorge Medina Dzib

Christy Vong

Meet Christy Vong! Christy (she/her/hers) graduated from Lowell High School (Lowell) in June of 2021. Christy was raised in SF’s Richmond District and not only has fond childhood memories riding the bus with her mother, but as a teenager, she now regularly takes the bus to school or to hangout with friends. Christy always loved the sense of freedom taking the bus provided so she could go anywhere, but it wasn’t until high school when she became conscious about how transportation affects the environment.

Christy didn’t identify as an environmentalist until she attended the 2019 Zero Waste Youth Convergence, a full day event planned by youth for youth to learn, collaborate, and network  with other zero waste youth champions. Inspired by food waste and fast fashion workshops, she joined Lowell’s Eco Club where students explore ways to make Lowell more environmentally friendly. Amidst the pandemic in 2021, Christy and her Eco Club were determined to uphold the yearly Lowell Eco Swap–an event where students exchange clothing to help destigmatize second-hand clothing use, and find clothes a new home. Christy and her fellow club members created a hybrid virtual and in-person strategy to divert clothing from going to the landfill. Whereas in past years, the event took place on campus and was promoted with flyers, this year Eco Swap members took to social media to spread the word far and wide. The members organized swap locations in different neighborhoods around the city making it convenient for students to participate. Christy and her team collected over 1,000 wardrobe pieces during the month-long Eco Swap event, five times more than past years, and 20 percent of those items were rehomed with fellow students. The remaining pieces were sent to thredUP, an online thrift store. 

Through this experience, Christy realized how common and wasteful fast fashion is with high schoolers Now, Christy is more conscious about her wardrobe purchases and how her decisions directly impact the environment.

Christy’s Favorite San Francisco Spot:

Clement Street Farmers Market. During the pandemic, Christy started visiting the Clement Street farmers market every Sunday. Those weekly visit inspired her and she now works with one of the farmers market vendors, Delightful Foods Bakery.  

Pauli Ojea

Meet Pauli! Pauli (she/her/hers) has been with the San Francisco Department of Environment (SFE) for 13 years and is currently on the Toxics Reduction Team. In 2015, Pauli participated in a study where she was  biomonitored for certain chemicals like flame retardants and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS are a class of chemicals that have non-stick and stain resistant qualities, often found in electronics, carpet padding, baby products, takeout containers, and non-stick cookware, amongst others. 

The goal of the study was to better understand how and to what extent chemicals transfer from the environment and objects into human bodies. The study findings shed light on how certain occupations could put people at greater risk of these chemical exposures. For example, fire fighters showed to have higher levels of flame retardant and some PFAS chemical levels than office workers, like Pauli. And, everyone tested in the study had PFAS detected in their bodies revealing that these chemicals are hard to avoid no matter where someone works! Studies like these contribute to making informed policy decisions, and Pauli and the rest of the Toxics Reduction Team rely on data to inform their work at SFE. 

Pauli applies her chemical knowledge to benefit her personal life. She runs through a check list of questions before purchasing any item to prevent chemicals from affecting her and her family’s health or the environment. Questions include, “Do I need this? Can I buy it second-hand? Is the manufacturer mindful about the kinds of chemicals used to create their products? Is there excess product packaging? Is the product sourced from a local business or entrepreneur?” Pauli frequently references the SF Green Business Program so that she can support local businesses that meet high environmental standards.

When asked what motivates her work in the environmental field, Pauli shared that her parents  inspired her. Her father, who was born on the island of Cuba sparked her love of nature, especially the ocean. Pauli has fond memories of her father taking her to the beach in Southern Florida to swim and see all the fish in the crystal-clear water. Pauli’s mother, who was born in Madrid, Spain gave Pauli a deep appreciation for cities and the sense of community they bring. Her parents taught her to be grateful for everything nature gives us, often taking a moment to recognize the joys of nature, “Look at that bird; it’s amazing!” She was also taught never to waste anything. Her family strived for zero waste in the kitchen avoiding throwing away food yogurt containers until they broke. Looking back at her childhood, it’s no surprise to Pauli that she wound up in the environmental field where she applies these strong values to work every day.

Pauli’s favorite San Francisco spot:  

“The gardens outside the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park are impressive, and there’s always a musician or two bringing some extra joy to the space!” 

Mario Flores

Meet Mario! Mario (he/him/his) has lived in San Francisco for almost four decades and grew up in Glen Park and the Excelsior neighborhoods. In his daytime job, Mario helps jumpstart people’s career in civil service and trades in the wastewater and transit industry. In his free time, Mario helps to produce events with Carnaval SF, events which cultivate and celebrate the diverse Latinx community and preserve their cultures. 

Mario was a part of the production team that helped spread the word about the great resources available at Carnaval SF this year over Labor Day weekend. Carnaval SF held a two-day health fair and provided residents in the Mission district with free COVID-19 testing, groceries, employment resources, and handed out free SF Environment reusable bags to all attendees. 

Mario actively engages with public programs and services available to him in San Francisco to help protect the environment. He said, “Knowing that cars are harmful to the environment, I stopped driving four years ago and have since chosen public transit and walking as my main modes of transportation. I turn unused lights and water off to save electricity and water. I also recycle and compost at home."

Conscious of how food consumption and production impacts the environment, Mario grows and tends his own tree garden including three plum, two pear, two apple, and a lemon tree. When the trees bear fruit, he loves sharing the fruit with neighbors and friends to avoid food waste. 

Mario made these choices to be a part of the climate crisis solution–to make a positive impact on his and his loved ones’ health, finances, and peace of mind. To live a healthy life, Mario says we need to take care of our environment and each other to ensure food and other necessary resources are available to all.

Mario’s favorite spot in San Francisco: Glen Canyon Park. Growing up by the park, Mario always enjoyed the trails, sitting on a giant rock to look at the tall trees, and walking under the trees observing the plants and butterflies near the creeks.  

Claudia Espino

Meet Claudia, Claudia Espino (she/her/hers) has been with SF Environment since 2009. Claudia is an Energy Efficiency Coordinator on the Energy Team helping residents save money on their energy bill, minimize energy waste, and lower their environmental impact to combat climate change. 

In June, Claudia pivoted to support the City of San Francisco’s COVID-19 response as a Bilingual Contact Tracer. As a Contact Tracer, Claudia contacted individuals who may have had exposure to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. She interviewed individuals and provided them with self-quarantine guidelines. She also provided additional information needed for testing and other city social services like food assistance.  

The hardest-hit demographic in San Francisco is Latinx, and almost all of Claudia’s interviews were conducted in Spanish. Claudia empathized as she listened to residents recount their stories. As a Latina immigrant from Mexico City, Claudia related to the interviewees’ struggles and worries because she experienced similar financial struggles growing up. Some residents even shared home cold remedies, reminding Claudia of her mother nursing her back to health with tea and rubbing her chest and back with peppermint ointment.

As Claudia’s role involved helping some of the most vulnerable and challenged residents in the Latinx community during the pandemic, she always approached her conversations from a place of compassion. On the calls, Claudia made a concerted effort to exude positivity, hope, and empathy through her tone and responses to help uplift the interviewee’s spirits. Claudia used her personal experience, language, and interpersonal skills to build trust and connect with individuals to get them the support they needed. 

Thank you, Claudia, for leading with empathy and compassion!

Claudia’s tip for the community:
“Whenever possible, share health advice and positivity! Sharing hope and appreciation for what we already have, not what we lack, is necessary and valuable.” 

Jocelyne Novoa

Meet Jocelyne Novoa! Jocelyne (she/her/hers) recently celebrated her 1-year anniversary on the School Education Team at SF Environment. In her role as Environmental Education Aide, she helps transform the school education curricula to be more culturally relevant and inclusive for the Latinx and Chinese community. 

Since she was young, Jocelyne aspired to be an educator just like her encouraging teachers. As an educator today, she pushes the envelope to find ways to ignite students’ curiosity about their surroundings and environment. To do so, Jocelyne and the School Education Team have diversified the curricula by translating collateral and school presentations to Spanish and Chinese and incorporated English Language Learner (ELL) strategies like speech pacing, nonverbal cues, and visuals.  

Jocelyne and her team’s goal is for students to learn sustainable habits, understand their impact on the environment, and feel like they are active members of the environmental movement. Jocelyne saw first-hand how language barriers impact her Latinx community growing up. Her classmates would miss out on portions of the lessons because they had to attend ELL classes and her parents struggled to help her with homework as English was not their native language. Jocelyne hopes that by removing language barriers, more students will having the opportunity and tools to further their sustainability education.

Jocelyne’s favorite San Francisco spot : The area near Pier 39. Jocelyne has fond memories of her family strolls through Great Meadow Park at Fort Mason and catching Pokemon Go! 

Cindy Dzib

Meet Cindy Dzib! Cindy (she/her/hers) is a proud San Franciscan born and raised in the Mission District. In August, she celebrated her first year with SF Environment on the Communications team helping residents stay informed and inspired through SF Environment’s digital media channels, including social media.

Prior to joining SF Environment, Cindy had never identified as an Environmentalist. But in hindsight, she realized her experiences growing up contributed towards caring for and protecting the environment. Growing up in San Francisco, Cindy learned how to compost and recycle in elementary school and she participated in many school-led initiatives aimed at reducing waste like the beautification of classroom garbage cans. At home, she learned empty yogurt containers were not trash, but reusable containers to store leftovers. And when plastic bags replaced paper bags, Cindy and her family reused plastic bags as small garbage bags. 

When the Checkout Bag Ordinance went into effect in 2013, Cindy was unbothered by the extra bag charge because her grandma had taught Cindy her old ways. She was reminded of the times when she would accompany her grandma shopping in the market during her visits to Yucatán, México. Her grandma would always bring a colorful reusable sáabukan — Maya for bag. Pictured, Cindy is carrying her favorite reusable bag — a modern take on a sáabukan. This is her favorite bag because it is easy to clean, the long handles support heavy groceries runs, and it reminds her of her grandma.

Cindy’s favorite spot in SF:

“Tank Hill. Tank Hill is one of my favorite SF spots because you get an amazing view of the City and it’s less crowded than other popular locations like Corona Heights and Bernal.“ 

Eduardo Portillo

Eduardo (he/him/his) was born in Los Angeles and moved several times before moving to San Francisco in 2011. He graduated from Gateway High School this past June and will be attending San Francisco State University to study Civil Engineering in August. This was his third time participating in the City’s San Francisco Youth Works internship program. This summer was special because his internship at SF Environment this summer solidified his career aspirations to work at the intersection of sustainability and engineering.   

For six weeks starting in June, Eduardo supported SF Environment’s Marketing and Outreach team. At first, Eduardo didn’t understand what Marketing and Outreach had to do with the environment as he was only familiar with more conventional environmental careers like conservation, policy, and energy, to name a few. This summer, Eduardo supported transportation demand management and learned about the importance of strategic communication and outreach to disseminate pertinent information to SF residents. Additionally, Eduardo strengthened his networking skills by conducting informational interviews and shadowing different teams at SF Environment, like the Zero Waste Construction & Demolition team.

Eduardo says his curiosity and yearning for learning is what contributed to his positive experience at SF Environment. He shared, “Ever since I got into Environmental Sciences, I’ve become more conscious of the world we live in and how the environment is impacted. This experience [at SF Environment] has impacted my life on a personal level because it answered questions I had. I constantly wondered how I could add an environmental aspect to Civil Engineering. Thanks to this internship, I discovered what I want to focus on: demolition and green building.”

Pictured: Eduardo sharing his favorite reusable bag. This colorful bag is his favorite because it’s durable and versatile. It can be used as a shopping bag or as a great beach bag as it allows the sand to flow through and making it easier to clean. This bag also carries a sentimental value because his grandma gifted it to him when she visited from El Salvador years ago. 

Eduardo’s favorite spot in SF: “Lands' End -there's a bench on the side of a cliff that can only be reached by going off-trail. It's a nice place to meditate.” 

Juliana Lamm-Perez

Meet Juliana Lamm-Perez(she/her/hers)! Juliana recently finished her summer internship with SF Environment as a San Francisco Youth Works Intern virtually supporting SF Environment’s Policy and Communications team. 

Starting in June, Juliana spent six weeks learning about the actions we can all take to help the environment. She also gained insight into how City government and departments work. Part of Juliana’s responsibilities  included finding articles and City legislation to share in a weekly departmental press update. Juliana learned a lot in six weeks, she said, “I learned a lot about SFE in general, but also about my City! In terms of clean energy and making the most out of our materials (recycling, compost), San Francisco is amazing! I’m so proud to call it my home.” Juliana took home new skills she can apply to future  jobs, such as best communication practices with hard of hearing folks, social media marketing, and presentation skills. Additionally, Juliana has always been the go-to person for recycling and sorting questions amongst her friends and now, after her time with SF Environment, she’s become a zerowaste expert.

They say accessories can reveal a lot about your personality, so we asked Juliana to share her favorite reusable bag with us. Pictured is Juliana’s favorite bag—gifted to her at a women of color in independent schools conference.

Juliana’s favorite spot in SF: “Golden Gate Park! I live super close and there’s so much to do—whether it’s going to a museum, looking at flowers, having a picnic, or just enjoying nature.” 

Jessian Choy

Jessian (she/her/hers) has been with SF Environment (SFE) since 2007 and is a City Toxics Reduction Analyst on the Toxics and Healthy Ecosystems team. Jessian works with stakeholders across City and County of San Francisco departments to adopt and implement safer practices in the disposal of toxic products, pest management, green product use, and green purchasing. 

In April, Jessian served as a Disaster Service Worker at the SOMA CityTest Site. As Greeter, Jessian directed car traffic and guided cars through the test to get the individuals in and out in the most efficient way possible. In her short two weeks, she bonded with other SOMA CityTest Site staff and made friends with the security guards, custodians, and other City Staff. Of course, Jessian kept her Environmentalist hat on; as she made friends, she made sure everyone was up to date on the safer products for cleaning and SFE services and resources like SFApproved.org. 

After completing her two-week assignment as a Disaster Service Worker, Jessian jumped back into action to support her team’s latest project with SF Environment. Jessian and her team developed a Safer Cleaning Guide for COVID-19. Many common disinfectants contain harmful chemicals, especially harmful for asthmatic folks, so they created tips for residents and businesses on where to find safer cleaners.   

Jessian’s tip for the community:

Make sure you’re using cleaning and disinfectant products properly—read the instructions carefully. You might think that when you clean you're killing COVID-19 on surfaces, but you might not be. Or you might be using cleaners that can trigger asthma.  

Mike Jenkins

Meet Chef Mike! Chef Mike (he/him/his) has been the Executive Chef for the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital for the past four years and oversees his department’s participation in the San Francisco Green Purchasing Program. As part of a City-wide initiative, all departments participate in San Francisco’s Green Purchasing program buying products that are safer for everyone’s health and environment. Chef Mike went above and beyond for the hospital’s patients and was recognized with a Buy Green Team Award in June.

Each year, Chef Mike serves half a million meals to patients at the General Hospital. Recently, under Chef Mike’s management, his kitchen switched to paper straws and installed two water stations, which resulted in saving thousands of plastic straws and 80,000 plastic water bottles from polluting our oceans. To him, a chef’s role is more than just making meals, he shared, “As a chef, we have a duty and part to play to keep the environment safe and clean.” 

Chef Mike has played an integral part in laying a foundation at Zuckerberg General Hospital that will continue to leave an impact on human health and the environment for years to come. Chef Mike is grateful his purchasing power has a positive impact on his community. He said, “health and wellness are synonymous and as an Executive Chef serving our most vulnerable population, I am fortunate to have the opportunity to be very intentional about Green Purchasing and sustainability measures.” 

Chef Mike is inspired by the Green Purchasing program because not only does it maximize operational costs, but it intentionally and strategically uses collective buying practices to influence vendors and manufacturing companies to adhere to sustainable practices that directly affect public health. 

Chef Mike’s favorite spot in San Francisco: Green Apple Books and Schubert’s Bakery on Clement Street. 

Kelly Gaherty

For the past year, Kelly (she/her/hers) has been a Green Business Associate on the Toxics Reduction and Healthy Ecosystems team at SF Environment. Kelly supports the San Francisco Green Business program, which provides sustainability resources to help businesses implement environmental practices in their day-to-day operations. 

In April and May, as part of her Disaster Service Work (DSW) assignment, Kelly served on the Community Branch team at Moscone South. While on the Community Branch team, Kelly educated and informed San Francisco communities on COVID-19-related topics through online community engagement events. Working closely with community organization partners, district supervisors, and City departments, Kelly and her team organized multilingual webinars to address resident needs. Webinar topics included economic recovery loans, food insecurity, and mental health and emotional well-being, amongst others. Behind the scenes, Kelly managed the technical coordination along with community feedback. 

Reflecting on her four weeks with the Community Branch, Kelly reiterated the importance of listening, “I learned how important it is to listen to the community and their voices—it's key to helping each other to make our communities stronger.” Quickly transitioning into a new role was challenging for Kelly, but she found her work developing efficiencies to advance the Community Branch’s work extremely rewarding. 

Kelly’s tip for the community: Choose safer cleaning products and disinfectants. Common household cleaning products and disinfectants contain harsh chemicals that can cause harm not only to the environment but to your health.   

Briana Zhen 

Briana (she/her/hers) has been a Residential Zero Waste Associate at SF Environment (SFE) for the past four months. As the SFE liaison for residents and property managers, Briana provides tools and resources to increase zero waste program participation to help SF reach its Zero Waste goal. 

In May, Briana was deployed as a Disaster Service Workers to support the Community Branch (CB), which collaborates with San Francisco community-based organizations to address the challenges our most vulnerable residents are experiencing during the pandemic. Briana was tasked with synthesizing meeting notes, producing daily progress reports, managing spreadsheets, and creating an onboarding and offboarding process for new Disaster Service Workers. 

Briana saw firsthand how CB incorporates equity into their operations and goals and inspired Briana to continue these efforts at SF Environment. CB’s work prompted Briana to reflect on the equity concerns surrounding the COVID-19 virus. She said, “The coronavirus has exasperated inequalities that already existed. We need to move towards a regenerative, inclusive society. "The coronavirus has exasperated inequalities that already existed. We need to move towards a regenerative, inclusive society. There is a lot of work to be done to combat COVID-19 and to address other crises like climate change, and it will take an intersectional approach to develop solutions for a more resilient SF. “

Briana’s tip for the community: Learn about food labeling. Use-by dates indicate when a product should be eaten. Sell-by dates inform retailers of the date the product should be sold by or removed from store shelves. Best-by dates are a suggestion for when a product should be eaten for best quality. 

Rina Lopez

Rina (she/her/hers) has been with SF Environment for five years conducting audits and calculating ways to help SF residents save money on their energy bill by making their homes more energy efficient. In light of the current pandemic, Rina switched from speaking energy at SFE to speaking Spanish—the second most spoken non-English language in SF—as a Disaster Service Worker. 

Since May, Rina has served as a Remote Bilingual Contact Tracer working alongside global medical experts and public health professionals to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Rina works with COVID-19 positive individuals to identify those who could have possibly been exposed to the virus. She then follows up with the potentially exposed individuals to collect information about their demographics, medical history and symptoms, and details about their current living situation. After the first call, Rina asks them to quarantine for 14 days and then she follows up with a daily text or call to monitor their health and symptoms. 

Rina’s work is essential in the City’s efforts to combat COVID-19 in an equitable way, a disease that is disproportionately affecting communities of color. Data shows Latinx and Black communities are among the most impacted by COVID-19 in San Francisco and the Greater Bay Area. Having Spanish-speaking staff like Rina on the Contact Tracer team is one way SF has been able to break down cultural and linguistic barriers to care for the Latinx community.  

Reflecting on her experience as a Bilingual Contract Tracer, Rina shared, “Being a civil servant is a privilege. I have learned so much and am still learning from my experience working with colleagues to solve issues, update policies, and develop processes to combat COVID-19 as a City.” 

Rina’s Tip for the community:

We must change our habits and slow down if we are going to continue living on this planet. Flattening the curve of climate change and environmental destruction is just as important as flattening the curve of COVID-19 cases. It’s a perfect time to formulate and refine your ideas and put the planning and strategy in place to make them happen. Consume less, waste less and enjoy life more! 

Winnie Liu

This is Winnie Liu’s (she/her/hers) first year with the San Francisco Department of the Environment (SFE) as an Environmental Outreach Aide. Winnie has served as a Disaster Service Worker (DSW) twice during the City’s COVID-19 response. In March, she was assigned to San Francisco’s Emergency Operations Center as an Outreach Coordinator and in April and May she served as a City Greeter at the SOMA CityTestSF site alongside other SFE colleagues. 

For Winnie’s first DSW assignment in March, Winnie conducted residential door-to-door outreach to spread the word about the shelter-in-place health order. She also reached out to local essential businesses, such as restaurants and grocery stores, to reinforce social distancing practices amongst customers and workers.

In her most recent role as City Greeter, Winnie helped guide people entering the test site to reduce exposure.  Although her City Greeter responsibilities were very different from her typical work as an Environmental Outreach Aide, Winnie commends her supervisors for making her transition as smooth as possible.

Reflecting on her two DSW experiences, Winnie is humbled to have seen, first hand, how the City operates and functions during a disaster. She shared, “As a City worker, I felt I needed to do my part to give back. I really hope that with our support, our City will go back to normal soon”. Winnie says that even in moments of exhaustion, a simple thumbs-up or “thank you” is all it took to re-energize.

Winnie’s tip for the community: Wear a mask when you go out. When you use a disposable one, put it in the black bin after use. 

Monica Dwight

Monica (she/her/hers) will be celebrating her first year on the School Education team at SF Environment in August! As an Environmental Education Associate, she visits San Francisco K-12 public and private schools to conduct free presentations, assemblies, and trainings that support Ecoliteracy. But, just like the San Francisco School District, Monica and her team quickly adapted to shelter-in-place orders and shifted to an online format providing digital learning resources and live presentations. 

During the month of June, however, as a Disaster Service Worker, Monica served as a Greeter at CityTestSF where she welcomed individuals who were looking to get tested for COVID-19. Monica used nonviolent communication that she usually uses in the classroom to provide strong customer service to individuals getting tested using big, clear motions to guide cars through the test site. Schools might have closed, but all of those hours practicing big arm motions for the Water Cycle Boogie did not go to waste!

Collaborating with other City departments and external partners to strengthen community resilience moved Monica. She said, “I feel really grateful for the opportunity to directly support our community on the frontlines during this pandemic. I’m a believer that tough times bring people together, so I feel lucky to be a part of a great team of people supporting an important cause. I’m reminded of this when individuals getting tested thank us for our service. In addition to the medical workers and my fellow City staff, I feel especially grateful for some of our lesser known heroes risking their health by working to maintain clean facilities and provide security for CityTestSF staff as well.”

Monica’s tip for the community: Monica shared, “During this pandemic I conducted a self-sustainability audit so that I can practice green purchasing when I must buy new products. Whether it’s watching a plastics documentary, making gifts by upcycling, or supporting activism for environmental justice, this is an opportunity to slow down and establish behaviors to live a greener life."

Christopher Lester

Christopher Lester (he/him) has been on the Toxics Reduction and Healthy Ecosystems team as Special Waste Disposal Analyst at the San Francisco Department of the Environment for the past 3 years. In response to COVID-19, during the month of April, Christopher helped staff the Food Bank's Home Delivered Groceries Program. Through the Program, volunteer drivers pick up pre-bagged groceries from the Food Bank warehouse and deliver them to residents who are unable to visit the Food Bank's public "pop-up pantry" food distribution events. While on assignment, Christopher worked with three other City employees from other departments like the San Francisco Public Library and the San Francisco War Memorial to staff the volunteer driver grocery pick up station. His team’s responsibilities included set up, driver check in, providing instructions and information, troubleshooting the delivery mobile app, and coordinating with warehouse staff to ensure enough groceries were available for scheduled pickups.

Christopher shared that this critical work strongly aligns with SF Environment's strategic goals of Strengthening Community Resilience and Amplifying Community Action. By partnering with the Food Bank, the City provided additional staffing to scale up grocery distribution at a time of tremendous need—when many residents are out of work, afraid, or unable to go to the grocery store. The Home Delivered Groceries Program’s mission is to serve the most vulnerable San Francisco residents who cannot or should not leave their homes. 

Christopher was most struck by the impact a relatively small group of people made through collaboration, innovation, and simply showing up in times of need. Non-profit staff, City government workers, and volunteer drivers from the community worked together to make the program a success. The Food Bank quickly adapted its program for COVID-19 social distance guidelines. Fellow San Franciscans stepped up as volunteer drivers to give back to their neighbors. Together, the approximately 50 volunteers and staff helped hundreds of households have access to food.

Christopher’s tip for the community: “Now is a great time to rid your home of all the old, toxic products you no longer use! Clean out your garage, your medicine cabinet, under your kitchen sink, wherever you have them stashed away. And please don't put them in the trash, recycling, or compost! SF Environment and Recology have many free and convenient disposal options for you to safely get rid of them.”