RealTalk Blog

by Janice Mirikitani There are women who are moving.There are women who have said what must be done:            Our grandmothers who carried us on their shoulders,            wove memories of prisons/canefields/refugee camps    without self pity.            Our mothers/mine who stood in a River of Silence            snuffed her dreams and stilled her life, incarcerated in            World War II internment camps,...

Isoke Femi on the spiritual roots of African American music and the power of harmony Music has always played an essential role in resisting oppression and advancing social justice, including at GLIDE. In honor of Women’s History Month, we sat down with Isoke Femi, Maven of Transformative Learning in GLIDE’s Center for Social Justice, to...

Reflections of a powerful young voice from the global movement for justice Bee Ling recently came to GLIDE’s Center for Social Justice as part of the International Research & Exchanges Fellowship (IREX) on tolerance and conflict resolution. Having Bee here with us was a rare and very special opportunity. We learned from her, and we...

Reflections on Client Advocacy, or What Is a Case Manager? (Part 2) Walk-In Center client advocate Nikki Dove says her role at GLIDE is a constant reminder of how hard life can be. “Working here isn’t easy,” Nikki explains. “It’s not for the faint of heart or cold of heart. You’ve got to have humility....

Reflections on an African American role model LeRon L. Barton has been an active GLIDE community member since 2014. He currently serves as the Co-Chair of the GLIDE Racial Justice Team that grew out of the Ferguson Rally held at GLIDE. The Racial Justice team has interviewed African American youth about race issues with the...

Nancy Goh is among GLIDE’s most dedicated volunteers, a loving soul and an inspiring member of this community. Not only is she a regular in GLIDE’s Daily Free Meals program, but she has incorporated raising awareness and support for GLIDE into her passion for running. Below, Nancy reflects on the reciprocal nature of volunteering and the...

Reflections on the Complexity and Compassion of Case Management Demarco McCall describes his occupation and its greatest challenge in the same breath: “a Housing Case Manager in a city without housing.” The reality is that case managers at GLIDE must meet the diverse and complex needs of the most vulnerable members of San Francisco’s unhoused community even...

GLIDE Harm Reduction Services director Paul Harkin demystifies fentanyl and shares the known solutions to the opioid crisis Given the recent news about the dramatic rise in fentanyl-related deaths in San Francisco last year, we’re reposting this interview with Paul Harkin from August. This day and everyday, it’s important to remember that there are things...

Education Director La Monica Hopkins reflects on 20 years at GLIDE’s Family, Youth and Childcare Center It has been over 20 years since La Monica Hopkins first joined the staff at GLIDE’s Janice Mirikitani Family, Youth and Childcare Center (FYCC), but her connection to GLIDE goes back much further. There have been many changes at...