Meet the staff building community and support for vulnerable women
JeTon Carey (Senior Director of Women, Children, and Family Services): “It was always the vision of Janice Mirikitani for GLIDE to serve women and families. So I want our Women’s Center to be a hub where every woman who walks through the door of GLIDE can access services in a safe, supportive way. I don’t want to bog them down in bureaucracy: I want it to feel like the service referral is coming from a friend. We won’t just say ‘go over there,’ we’ll do the warmest of warm hand-offs. We’ll make sure they have transportation to the service provider, we’ll ask them, ‘Have you eaten today?’ and all those kinds of questions. Seeing the resilience and strength of the women we support inspires me every day.”
Loria Price (Case Manager): “I’ve been in the community, serving the most marginalized people for over twenty years. I’ve worked for special education, for Children’s Council, and I see how many people are being under-served– especially people of color! People are afraid out there. Just being in a place where they have a voice and an understanding ear can make a difference. I keep in mind that I’m no better than them. I don’t care where they came from– we come from the same place. Sometimes people just drop in and say, ‘Hey, can I get a jacket? I was on the street and my jacket was stolen today.’”
Olivia Onek (Program Coordinator): “I volunteered in high school for GLIDE, and I’m so glad to be back. What I love about GLIDE is you walk in and you can immediately feel the love and acceptance here. I really want to help the community. Women are often overlooked when it comes to services, so we wanted to have a specific space for them, where they can feel safe and comfortable– where they can feel like a human being! We help them with basic needs (like clothes and hygiene kits) and they can also talk to us about what’s going on in their lives.”
Services provided at our Women’s Center in the heart of the Tenderloin
Who We Service
- Experienced domestic violence, sexual assault, or other forms of trauma
- Faced housing instability, including living on the streets or in shelters
- Struggled with substance use or mental health challenges
- Felt isolated and in need of a strong, caring support network
What We Offer
- Support Groups & Healing Circles – A safe space to share experiences, build resilience, and find community.
- Case Management & Advocacy – Personalized support to connect you with resources including housing, childcare, and legal resources.
- Trauma-Informed Counseling & Peer Support – Compassionate care from staff who understand your journey.
- Workshops & Life Skills Training – Tools for self-sufficiency, empowerment, and personal growth.
- Emergency Assistance & Referrals – Help with immediate needs like food, hygiene products, and crisis intervention.
The Women’s Center is a hub of healing, empowerment, and connection for women in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood. Grounded in trauma-informed care and cultural humility, the Center provides a safe, welcoming space where women, especially those impacted by violence, housing instability, poverty, and discrimination, can access comprehensive support to stabilize their lives and thrive. Its mission is to uplift and empower women by providing access to resources, community, and care that nurture healing, resilience, and long-term self-sufficiency.
The Women’s Center is stocked with a variety of supplies that women on the streets commonly need– feminine hygiene products, deodorant, socks, toothpaste, clothing, and more.
Loria and Olivia refer women to a variety of services within GLIDE (we’ve got everything from rental assistance to free diapers) and also help women find services outside GLIDE. They operate with sensitivity to women’s unique needs, for example helping women who have experienced domestic violence find shelter where they aren’t sharing space with men. Even if they don’t have exactly what a particular woman is looking for, they make sure no one walks out empty-handed.
Our Women’s Center also has peer support groups and Fun Friday events to help women build community. One of the groups, The Auntie Wisdom Support Group, draws on a rich and culturally sensitive curriculum. Its goal is to provide a warm, nurturing space led by a wise, supportive Auntie figure, drawing from the rich tradition of Black Aunties who offer guidance, strength, and unconditional acceptance.
The curriculum supports women experiencing trauma in fostering healing, resilience, and joy. In the group, we ask questions that encourage hope, like, “Where do you see yourself in the future?” An example answer? “I see myself in a safe place.”
One of the Women Center’s important program goals is ending the isolation of women who experience trauma and domestic violence. We know that it takes most women at least seven attempts to leave an abusive relationship, and community support helps them leave. We affirm them wherever they are on their journey, and let them know we’re here to support them whenever they’re ready to take the next step.
During times when domestic violence is in the news (for example, the Cassie Ventura and Sean “Diddy” Combs story) we see a huge uptick in the number of women coming to the Women’s Center and asking themselves hard questions about their own relationships, seeking support to change their lives. We walk them through it: “Are you safe? What does it look like when you think about leaving? Who could you stay with right now?” Just having someone to talk it all through with can make a difference.
One in seven women in San Francisco are experiencing trauma, and there are cuts to women’s services happening right now. That means so many women will not get the care we need or remain in unsafe situations. It’s like the country is turning the clock back to the 1950’s: we can’t let that happen in San Francisco, one of the world’s most progressive cities!
It’s about more than survival; it’s about dignity and joy
Women deserve not just safety, but also joy. At GLIDE, we recognize joy is important– even a basic human need. So the welcome kits distributed by Women’s Center staff include some joyful items. There are cards handcrafted by our loving volunteers that say things like, “you are so strong,” “you are so beautiful,” and “your community cares about you.”
We also include beauty supplies like nail polish. Living on the street can be a terrible and dehumanizing experience, and feeling beautiful is one way to feel human again. Nice clothes are also important for women going to job interviews.
Spending time in community is another way we foster dignity and joy. That’s why our Women’s Center staff are passionate about arranging Fun Friday events. They come up with different creative options every time– one recent event was a mini spa da, featuring nail polish, essential oils, body lotion, face masks, and little fuzzy socks.
They have also done Bingo Night and a Paint & Snack. Future Fun Friday events may have some future open volunteer opportunities, so keep your eye out! Our partners like Seismic Sisters also put on events that raise awareness for the Women’s Centers.
The newly rebooted Women’s Center already has some wins
Loria was so happy when she was able to refer an unhoused client to prenatal care. The client got all the services she needed, a two week housing voucher, services for her unborn child, diapers for her older child, a spot on the list for housing, and a support group to help her feel less alone.
Loria also finds it incredibly meaningful to do grief work in the support groups. One woman, processing the loss of someone close to her, expressed relief that her departed loved one was no longer suffering through a terribly difficult life. Her sense of grief was combined with a sense of achievement: that in his final months, she did absolutely everything she could for him, she made him smile. Tenderloin is full of grief stories like this one. So many of them go unwitnessed. Much of the important work we do here at GLIDE is the work of witnessing.
JeTon notes that the most common need for the women we serve is wanting long-term and stable housing for themselves and their families. In theory, SF has a Housing First strategy, but in practice, it’s not happening. An increasing number of women and families are sleeping in their vehicles because shelters just aren’t safe enough for them. That’s why having a Women’s Center is so vital– and why we need to dream big about how we can expand the services we offer families and women.
Dreams for the Women Center’s future
In the future, JeTon, Loria and Olivia wish for a larger space, more staff, and even more exciting events for women to build community– perhaps a fashion show! Already women are delighted with the clothing the women’s center provides. They say, “Look at my outfit, y’all!” Looking good and being the center of positive attention builds self-esteem; it is key to gaining the confidence to transform your life.
“The more case managers you have, the more resources you can give people,” observed Loria. JeTon dreams in particular of expanding the number of languages the Women’s Center can speak to better serve the diverse population of the Tenderloin. Olivia adds, “My dream is that our clients will be able to befriend each other and form a real community, where women are excited to come to our events just to catch up.” We also hope to eventually start giving classes on job readiness and behavior health skills.
“I know we’re going to excel,” Loria concluded with great firmness. “We’re just re-opening right now, and we’re small right now. But we have the ideas, we have the passion. I know we can expand our impact on this community.” If you want to help the Women’s Center grow, please go to our donate page and select “Women’s Center” in the drop-down menu under “Designation.”