In 1890 Alice Griffith (below R) and Elizabeth Ashe (L in framed photo) founded the Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Center (TelHi) to provide critical services such as healthcare, childcare, and education to immigrants. Similarly, in 1897, Donaldina Cameron (below C) turned what was then known as Presbyterian Home (now Cameron House, below R) in Chinatown into a refuge, helping rescue over 2000 young immigrant women from indentured servitude and human trafficking, and teach them vital employment skills. To this day, both these neighborhood centers continue to be a vital hub of activity and support for their surrounding communities. 

San Francisco Neighborhood Centers Together (SFNCT) carries on the legacy of these pioneering social activists, supporting the eight San Francisco neighborhood centers by helping them speak with a collective voice and provide high quality services to residents in need.

According to Danny Sauter, the Executive Director of SFNCT, "Alice, Elizabeth, and Donaldina were champions of community service and their legacy continues on now some 134 years after they founded TEL HI Neighborhood Center and Cameron House, respectively. They were tireless in their pursuit of serving immigrant families and low-income workers of the North Beach and Chinatown neighborhood.s From a health clinic to job training to childcare, they blazed a trail of providing services that the growing neighborhood needed." Reflecting on March being Women's History Month, Sauter noted, "It's no coincidence that our two oldest centers, TEL HI and Cameron House, both have women at the core of their founding. More than a century later, we are still benefiting from their courage and vision of uplifting their communities and looking out for those who need support."

Danny Sauter, Executive Director of SFNCT

Neighborhood Centers are there for anyone in the community, from cradle to cane. They provide low-barrier services so that anyone can walk in and get a bit of assistance from a provider who has a long history of working in their neighborhood. This trust and cultural understanding is the foundation of the centers - the oldest center in Chinatown (Cameron House) is celebrating 150 years of service this year! From childcare and after-school programs for youth to wellness classes and social events for older adults, these centers have a variety of programs to match the needs of their respective communities. Especially today when loneliness is an epidemic, it's so important to have these community spaces available to fight isolation and bring neighbors together. 

Danny notes that running the Centers is not without significant challenges. Hiring and retaining staff is a challenge. This intersects with housing and transportation: Many staff cannot afford to live in San Francisco but need to be on-site every day at the centers. They also are struggling to keep with the increased demand for older adult programs in San Francisco. Older adults are the fastest growing age group in San Francisco, and more services are needed to support them to age in place in their communities while fighting isolation. 

SFNCT has made significant investments in professional development of the 300+ staff across their centers. They hold monthly staff training to help them navigate complex situations in their jobs and advance more quickly. This year they started a Staff Scholarship Program, which awards two $3,000 scholarships annually to those selected to help pay for professional development. The initial winners are using this scholarship to fund professional certificates, class hours, and attending industry conferences.

To better serve older adults at the centers and in our communities, the SFNCT supports the establishment of "Senior Advisory Councils" at our centers which allow for older adults to have an active role in planning the programs we offer to ensure they are relevant, culturally-appropriate, and serve their needs. 

The TelHi Senior Advisory Council

New Paragraph