Tenderloin Talk Live is a quarterly event presented by TLCBD meant to strengthen our community connection, encourage dialogue on neighborhood issues, and provide the community an opportunity to engage with and help guide our neighborhood serving programs.
During the September 7th event held at the Hamilton on O’Farrell Street, we actively engaged the community in Quality of Life issues affecting the neighborhood. Five staff members facilitated working groups comprised of approximately ten audience members each.
We cannot overstate our appreciation to the community members who chose to participate. Similarly we are grateful to our guest speaker, Kim Jackson, for sharing her experience with the Golden Gate Avenue Block Safety Group.
Among attendees were a majority of residents, staff from neighborhood organizations, city departments, as well as business and property owners. The discussions were not easy, at points charged, aptly representing passion for the neighborhood. Opinions, suggestions, and ideas were as diverse as the issues complex.
As part of the working exercise, groups were challenged to provide solution-focused responses to four questions. Presented below are the first three questions with a sampling of replies to each.
1. What has changed?
-The scenario: You’ve fallen asleep for one year. You wake, and the TL has changed for the positive. What has changed?
· The drug dealers are gone
· The sidewalks are cleaner with more/clean trashcans.
· Police are walking foot patrols in the day and evening
· People are using new, green, public space and are comfortable being outside engaging with their neighbors
· There are more public restrooms
· Small businesses have opened that are unique to the TL
· The community is involved in making community decisions
2. How did this happen?
What occurred to enable positive change in the Tenderloin?
· Job training programs, partnerships with corporations to provide employment options to drug dealers. A corner to corporation program.
· Safe injections site established
· Police have formed strong community relationships and increased police presence.
· Community/Residents are involved in many ways:
-By holding the City accountable for services and investment
-By attending community events
-By engaging in the decision process on community issues
-By cleaning their blocks
· More resources are invested in the Tenderloin
-Developers through community benefit agreements
-Corporations in job programs and quality of life investments
-City in cleaning, public restrooms and police resources
· The community has come together to create/develop a set of core values and mission statement.
3. What Can I/We Do?
What action steps can you take, right now, to work towards positive change?
· Volunteer for neighborhood cleanups and take responsibility of the sidewalks
· Participate in block groups, special events, and activations
· Advocate for the neighborhood and its people through:
-Letter writing to state and local government
-Public comment at City Hall
-Outreach and education
-Organizing and growing neighborhood voice
-Increasing neighborhood voting power
· Build relationships to:
-Broaden community connection outside their current networks
-Form non-traditional allies
· Advocate for compassion/respect of all community members
4. What is the CBD’s role?
How can the Tenderloin CBD help you achieve your action steps, what support can the CBD provide?
This is a question we will continue to work to answer with action. Among the replies, community members sought for TLCBD to:
· Be an advocate and convener for community members, serve as a conduit for stronger community connection among diverse stakeholders
· Work to facilitate a block-by-block strategy to address quality of life issues
· Be an informational resource by amplifying community news, events, and resources
· Advocate and leverage for more resources, services, and investment
We are grateful to the community for coming together to work with us in beginning this process. We will continue to hone a strategy and action plan in order to work together to make these positive changes for our neighborhood. Stay tuned for the next Tenderloin Talk Live in December.
Those of you who expressed an interest in working directly with TLCBD will be hearing from us soon if you have not already. If you would like to get involved with us in our efforts to affect positive change in the neighborhood, please contact us:
512 Ellis Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
Phone: (415) 292-4812
Email: [email protected]
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