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"They Didn't Know We Were Seeds" Tres Generacíones/Three Voices Live · RAMA Blueprints

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You are listening to the RAMA Blueprints
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Live podcast.
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Tres Generaciones, Three Voices.
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They did not know we were seeds
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on February 27th, 2025 at Brava
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Women for the Arts' Cabaret in
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San Francisco's Mission District,
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we gathered in community with
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three executive directors to
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discuss resilience and nonprofit
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sustainability through these
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challenging times.
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Following is our discussion.
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Well, welcome everyone.
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My name is Socorro Gamboa.
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I'm your host at the RAMA
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Blueprints Podcast.
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I'd like to welcome everyone
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to this beautiful space, to Brava.
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We are on our, fourth show.
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And the title of the show is called,
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They Did Not Know We Were Seeds.
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This is part of a series called,
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Tres Voces, Tres Generaciones.
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We're streaming live from Brava
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in the cabaret.
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I want to begin by recognizing the
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land that we are standing on today.
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We recognize the Ramaytush
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Ohlone as the ancestral homeland.
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The original inhabitants and
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the caretakers of the land.
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We honor their history and
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the connection to the land.
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I want to start off with a quote.
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A quote to give us some direction.
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As to where this conversation
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is going.
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It's a famous quote by an Irish
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playwright, George Bernard Shaw.
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"This is the true joy in life.
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The being used for a purpose recognized
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by yourself as a mighty one.
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The being thoroughly worn out before
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you are thrown on the scrap heap.
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The being a force of nature.
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Instead of a feverish, selfish
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little clod of ailments and
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grievances, complaining that
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the world will not devote itself.
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to make you happy.
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I am of the opinion that my life belongs
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to the community.
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And as long as I live, it is my
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privilege to do whatever I can.
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I want to be thoroughly used up
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when I die because the harder I work.
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The more I live life is no brief
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candle to me.
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It is sort of a splendid torch,
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which I have a hold of at this moment.
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And I want to make it burn as
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bright and possible before I hand it
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over to the future generations."
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End of quote.
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As we gather today, the city, the
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state, the nation and the world are
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facing unprecedented challenges
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demanding a level of resilience
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from individuals, communities and
2:37
systems like never before.
2:40
This panel discussion will
2:41
dive into the multifaceted concept
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of resilience, exploring how we
2:47
can adapt, overcome and thrive in the
2:51
face of adversity.
2:52
The community is facing serious
2:54
budget cuts and potentially the
2:57
eradication of non profit workers,
3:00
and the capacity and existence of
3:02
their organizations.
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I feel that we also have to first
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explain why we chose the title,
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They Did Not Know We Were Seeds.
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it is the second half of a popular
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saying attributed to many thinkers.
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The first part of the saying is, they
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tried to bury us, but they did not
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know we were seeds.
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We have taken that stance that the
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Real Alternatives Program, RAP,
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did not die.
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The doors may have closed, but the
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organization, yeah, it no longer exists.
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Even though its building is shut
3:36
down, it still exists, because
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the RAP philosophy And the spirit
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continues with the leaders that have
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grown and many of you out there too,
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and have blossomed from the seeds
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of RAP's sowing.
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As a production team, we have direct
3:52
experience working with community
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where we've provided guidance and wisdom
3:56
from individuals who have shaped the
3:58
RAP organization and developed the
4:00
philosophy of self determination.
4:03
We are gardeners.
4:05
We are people who come with community
4:07
first in our mind.
4:08
We honor the ancestors and
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the warriors from the past.
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We come from the indigenous folks,
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the people of Turtle Island.
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We are revolutionaries.
4:17
We are poets.
4:18
We are artists.
4:20
We come from working class families.
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We live in the barrio.
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We recall the moment of La Raza
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to remind us not to ever give up.
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We are communicators and storytellers
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in many circles, from the past,
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from the present, and the future.
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We are listeners who have a
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responsibility to speak our
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truth to power.
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We won't ever compromise
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our integrity.
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Because we are one community.
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What we learned from community organizing
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in San Francisco is that it is a place
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where you learn to access power, which
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builds a stronghold and a pathway
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to influence the direction that the
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community dictates.
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Unfortunately, the concept is now
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being challenged.
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Community leaders who have the
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needs of community in mind have a
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duty to develop organizational
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resilience so that the organizations
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can respond resourcefully to
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the inevitable future changes.
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In this community, the Latino Parity
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and Equity Coalition was founded by many
5:21
people that are sitting here today
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and some of you in the audience and
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some of you out there to focus on
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issues and look at the increased
5:29
displacement of homelessness
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and poverty and access for our
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many communities.
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This is a true example
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of resilience and action.
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Historically speaking, we've
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been down this road before.
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Sure.
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But some of us are still alive
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and kicking to tell the story.
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In 1999, the Mission District
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organization RAP found itself facing
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imminent closing.
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And during this closure, RAP was
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still providing services for over
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1, 500 youth and had received services
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through case management, violence
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reduction, substance abuse prevention
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and community advocacy, engagement
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and juvenile justice advocacy.
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We can't say enough of the
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impact that this closure had on the
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entire community.
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And 26 years later, we find ourselves
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almost facing invisibility from a
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city that is turning its back on the
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essential work of nonprofit community.
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Community workers, which are an
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integral part of the fabric of
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San Francisco.
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And the city's priorities.
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That's right.
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They've shifted with a new administration
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in place to say the least.
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And at a federal level, the
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atrocities that the new administration
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is encouraging further deepens
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the impact on everybody's life.
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Community leaders have a huge task
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before them to continue to steer
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these community vessels through
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the perfect storm of uncertainty and
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provide support to staff and
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the constituents they serve.
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Their work is certainly cut
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out for them In tonight's
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discussion, we'll hear from executive
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directors that have been on the front
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line sustaining the work and overcoming
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the obstacles.
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We hope to examine a few of the
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strategies that they have used that
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build resilience and overcoming many
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of these struggles.
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Let's begin by hearing from our
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community leaders, our warriors, our
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esteemed panelists.
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We have with us today Mario Paz,
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Executive Director at Good Samaritan,
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Lariza Dugan Cuadra, Executive
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Director at CARECEN, and Celina
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Lucero, Executive Director at
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Horizons Unlimited.
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Let's give them a big hand, since
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they're here.
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They will share, they will share
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with us their insights, their
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wisdom, on what resilience means
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to them, and how we can collectively
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strengthen our capacity.
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So to prepare the panelists, to be
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fair, we sent them a question and
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they'll be answering a question with a
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brief statement.
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"Through the years of community field
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of social justice in this work. Tell us
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how you have managed to stay present in
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your beliefs while sustaining a steady
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pace of leadership, especially through
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the most challenging times. of fiscal
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challenges, intense scrutiny, and
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political upheaval." We're gonna
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start with Celina Lucero, on my left.
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Celina: Hello, everyone.
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It's great to be here.
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Excited and nervous.
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I know this is a important
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conversation.
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Thank you, Socorro, for having us here.
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I think for me, reflecting on
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that question is, really deep.
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And I always want to go to my roots.
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It's so important, right, to honor
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those that make it possible for
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us to be here.
9:06
It's important for me when I'm
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introducing myself.
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That I share, that I am the proud
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daughter of Marlene and Luis Lucero.
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The youngest of nine siblings.
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Some of who are here today and it's about
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familia and strength and what we do.
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So that's a, a big piece of it.
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But reflecting on this, I came
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across a quote and that really
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resonated with me about leadership in
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general, the essence of leadership, but
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also personally like my own
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leadership style.
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So I want to share it with you all.
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And it says, the one who plants
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trees knowing that they will never
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sit in its shadow has at least begun
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to understand the meaning of life.
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And that, that struck me.
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That struck me.
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So, I want to say it again, and I
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invite you all just for a quick second,
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just bear with me.
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If you feel comfortable,
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just close your eyes for me.
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Words are so powerful, but it's
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not just about hearing them.
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It's about feeling them.
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So I want you to really feel
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those words.
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And I'm gonna say them again.
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So, the one who plants the trees,
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knowing that they will never sit
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in its shadow.
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has at least begun to understand the
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meaning of life.
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And that was big for me.
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You know, when I think about that,
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I think about selflessness,
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I think about sacrifice, I
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think about patience, right?
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I think about waiting for the, the
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fruits of the tree to come through.
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and our young people, right?
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So when I think about this, I
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think about the young people in
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our community, they are my why.
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Right?
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They're why I do this work.
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They're why I came into this work.
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Why I continue to do this work.
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They're why when I'm tired and nervous
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and worried and feel like I don't have
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the answer, and when I'm hopeful and I'm
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experiencing the wins and successes
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and defeat, they're really my why.
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And for those of you that know a
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little bit about my story, I have the
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honor of being the executive director
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at Horizons, but I was a young
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person there.
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Many of my family also participated in
11:15
programs, so I know they say don't take
11:17
the work personally, but the work is
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personal, right?
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So it's a full circle moment.
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But just kind of, again, reflecting on
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the question, again, when I think of our
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young people, they keep me motivated
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to, to continue to do this work.
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We're big on youth leadership.
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Many of our staff at Horizons are
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former young people.
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And it's really, I think, in addition
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to keeping our young people centered
11:40
in the work, it is about being
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part of a larger ecosystem, right?
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We don't do this work alone.
11:46
We're not meant to do this
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work in silos.
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We're meant to be part of a
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larger collective.
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So it's also about coalition building.
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It's about partnership.
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I think that's what keeps all of us
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alive in this work.
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I know it sounds cliche but it is
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strength in numbers and I think as
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a community we believe that and
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we step into our power with that.
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So a little bit about, you know,
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reflecting on this question.
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Thank you so much.
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Socorro: Oh, thank you, Anne.
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That was powerful.
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Very powerful.
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I, I just want to add, yeah Celina
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is a youth from this community.
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I think right up here, right?
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And also, and born and raised
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in Horizons Youth Rapp High
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School graduate.
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You know, so when we talk about the
12:26
seeds and we talk about the sowing
12:28
of the seeds, it's truly a reflection.
12:30
Thank you for your comment.
12:31
Yeah.
12:32
That was beautiful.
12:33
Thank you.
12:33
Next, we're going to go to Lariza
12:35
Dugan Cuadra, the Executive Director.
12:38
Of of CARECEN.
12:39
Lariza: Thank you.
12:39
So good evening.
12:41
Everyone is such an honor to be here.
12:44
Good evening to everyone tuning in,
12:46
through facebook and other social
12:47
media channels that's such a big
12:50
question, but thank you for getting us
12:53
started, Celina.
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CARECEN's 39 years this year, Central
12:57
American Resource Center, and when we
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talk about seeds, it's such a blessing
13:03
and such an honor.
13:05
to work with our people, for
13:08
our people in this community.
13:11
And our founders had a vision that
13:13
we should have institutions that
13:15
were led by our own community,
13:17
where our community could build the
13:19
vision and continue the work, right?
13:21
Because all the wins that we've had
13:23
in this community have been wins
13:24
that we fought for.
13:26
So it's a great honor to work
13:27
at CARECEN.
13:28
It's a place where we understand
13:30
each other.
13:30
But really committed to a clear north
13:34
and our vision for social justice,
13:36
our vision for inclusion, our
13:37
vision for equity and a vision
13:39
where our own communities build
13:41
institutions for generations forward.
13:44
And our norte continues, like
13:46
we're, we haven't reached that.
13:47
And I think being really clear about
13:49
our vision for social justice,
13:50
for inclusion, for equity, for all
13:53
people across not only San Francisco,
13:56
the Bay Area, the nation, the globe,
13:58
that gives us focus, but it also
14:00
allows us to be flexible as we face
14:02
various challenges in these 39 years
14:05
of our existence and also as we
14:07
face challenges in community with our
14:10
allies and greater San Francisco.
14:13
I also think of La Gallinita,
14:16
La Gallinita Roja story.
14:18
I use that a lot at work.
14:20
And I think it's a great parabola,
14:22
right, to illustrate that La Gainita
14:24
Roja, if you don't know the little
14:26
red hen story, she had a clear vision.
14:28
She was like, I want to make bread.
14:30
I want to make the best bread.
14:31
And she went through the process of
14:32
planting the seeds.
14:34
And every step of planting the
14:36
seed, watering it, plowing the
14:38
soil, taking care of it, harvesting
14:41
it, grinding it, every step that
14:44
she took, she invited community,
14:46
the rest of the farm, to join her.
14:48
And everybody was really busy, but
14:50
she stuck to that vision of, I'm
14:51
making bread, and What I love about
14:54
that story, and I think it's similar
14:55
to CARECEN, is like, like, nothing
14:57
stops us, right?
14:58
we have that vision.
14:59
We're going to invite
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community along.
15:02
But the other part of the story is
15:04
that when she's done baking that bread,
15:06
and that beautiful smell comes out
15:07
of that kitchen, it draws the whole
15:09
farm together.
15:11
And that's, I think, really important
15:14
for us at CARECEN, is being able to
15:15
show community what it is that that
15:18
vision looks like.
15:20
And that moral of the story is
15:21
like, okay, we're still gonna share
15:22
the bread, right?
15:23
We, we called on you to be with
15:25
us, to work with me, but now the
15:27
bread is cooked, we're gonna share
15:29
it with everyone.
15:30
And we, we're confident that after
15:32
that kind of spirit of we're going to
15:34
push through, we're going to show what
15:36
this vision looks like, that then
15:38
everyone else joins.
15:40
And that ultimately we have to just
15:41
keep doing the work no matter what,
15:43
because we are about social justice.
15:46
and it's hard work, right?
15:47
And sometimes you're alone in the work.
15:49
And I think as a non profit sector.
15:50
we only have one little seed, right?
15:52
We gotta take care of it as
15:54
the most precious possibility,
15:57
and that we come together to then,
16:01
multiply that work and multiply that
16:03
bread making and continuing to share
16:05
that vision of how it is that we do
16:07
it and that it does take a lot of work.
16:09
Personally I feel blessed to
16:11
do this work.
16:11
I think in Central America and, and
16:13
other parts of the global south doing
16:16
the kind of work that we do here
16:18
You know, it's a high risk job very
16:21
high risk job you'd be politically
16:23
persecuted . We have allies across the
16:26
globe that don't have the level of
16:28
resources don't have the kind of freedom.
16:30
Don't have the the conditions that
16:32
we are so blessed to have locally
16:34
even despite the challenges.
16:36
So whenever I kind of feel a little
16:38
down, I, I just remember it's such
16:40
an honor to get paid to do this work.
16:42
It's such an honor to work with
16:44
our communities.
16:45
And it's such an honor to work with
16:47
these two colleagues on this panel and
16:49
so many people in this audience
16:50
and across the community because
16:52
really that does sustain us through
16:54
the hard times.
16:56
Socorro: Thank you, Lariza.
16:58
I also want to mention that Lariza
17:01
does come from the RAP Familia.
17:04
And uh, we share a story, you know,
17:06
just when I first met her and she,
17:08
came into those RAP doors and started
17:10
working and we were able to connect and,
17:13
saw the potential and I'm grateful
17:14
to you for all the work you've
17:15
continued to do and so proud of you.
17:18
Just so proud of you.
17:19
Thank you for the work.
17:20
And now we will hear from Mario Paz.
17:23
Mario Paz is the executive director
17:25
of Good Samaritan.
17:26
We have a rich history.
17:28
A long history, a connection and Mario
17:30
and I met when he was the contracts
17:32
manager for some of the first CALLES'
17:34
contracts through the Mayor's Gang
17:35
Prevention Program.
17:37
I think like 30 years ago or
17:38
something like that, but, but
17:40
Mario Paz: Longer.
17:41
Socorro: And so, I'm glad to see
17:43
that Mario is now the Executive
17:45
Director of Good Samaritan and has
17:46
brought his skills and let's hear from
17:48
Mario and what he has to say about
17:49
his perspective.
17:51
Mario Paz: Thank you.
17:53
First of all, I want to thank you,
17:54
Socorro, and for this invitation,
17:56
I want to thank all of you.
17:57
It's an honor to be here.
17:59
It's certainly an honor to be here
18:01
with my colleagues, Lariza and Celine,
18:04
who I admire so much, very
18:05
powerful sisters.
18:07
And I also want to start by saying,
18:10
when I think about resiliency and
18:11
strength, there's two people in this
18:13
room that I want to acknowledge.
18:14
Ray Balbaron, Frederick Hartwist,
18:16
and Ralph.
18:16
Um, Let me just say, it's sort of
18:20
interesting when we talk about
18:22
leadership, and they were both
18:23
incredible warriors.
18:24
One was quiet and resolute,
18:28
always showed up.
18:29
And the other was someone that
18:32
no one can put filters on him and
18:36
because he spoke truth and he would
18:39
stand up to anyone.
18:41
So I want to acknowledge that
18:42
when we think about where we
18:44
get our strength and resiliency
18:45
is because we've learned different
18:47
people like you and leaders like you.
18:48
So I want to thank you.
18:50
Socorro: All right., Ray.
18:54
Mario Paz: So.
18:56
I feel very honored and privileged.
18:58
My career journey has expanded
19:00
35 years.
19:02
I was a Horizon Youth.
19:03
I served on the board of directors.
19:05
I worked for Proyecto Ayuda with
19:07
Jesse Valencia.
19:08
I started my career like that
19:09
in the community.
19:10
I hung out on 24th Street, walked
19:12
the streets.
19:13
And then the pathway came and I ended
19:14
up working in the mayor's office.
19:16
Young, idealistic, thinking I was
19:18
a hot shot.
19:20
Part of what, how you build resiliency
19:21
is you really have to engage
19:23
in the journey of self clarity.
19:25
You really have to know who you are and
19:28
what your values are and what drives you
19:29
and the difference that you want to
19:30
make in the world.
19:31
And I think when you engage in that
19:33
reflection and journey, I think
19:35
it really gives you strength and
19:36
it gives you, and you've been,
19:38
begin to find your purpose.
19:41
And another thing that I learned is
19:43
probably one of the greatest fulfillment
19:44
of this career has been, it's when you
19:47
can go through a journey and you can
19:48
discover your gifts.
19:51
And when you share those gifts with
19:53
others, that is what the beauty lies.
19:57
And that's where we can begin to
19:59
make the better, the world a
20:01
better place.
20:03
Because we're sharing those gifts.
20:04
And that's what my colleagues here
20:05
and many people in this room are.
20:07
And that's what I think
20:08
keeps us going.
20:09
Because I think we've become
20:12
comfortable and understand that
20:13
this is our purpose.
20:15
These are not jobs.
20:17
This is not really our work.
20:19
This is our purpose, this is what
20:20
we're meant to do.
20:22
Because we don't like what we see
20:23
in the world.
20:26
The work is hard, and the work has
20:28
changed, even within the last 10 years.
20:30
I remember in the old days, and You
20:33
know, the leaders that I would
20:35
look to admire.
20:36
You know, it's usually
20:37
one executive director who had
20:39
to know it all.
20:40
Or thought they knew it all,
20:41
they're good.
20:42
They had to do the grant writing, write
20:44
the proposals, know HR, do all of these
20:45
things, right?
20:47
And somehow they got away with it,
20:48
you know, get away, there wasn't too
20:50
much pressure.
20:51
And things are so different now.
20:52
Because you just can't be a jack
20:54
of all trades.
20:56
You actually have to be really good
20:58
at everything now.
21:00
It used to be you can be good
21:01
at one thing and get away with it.
21:03
You might be a good fundraiser, I mean,
21:06
Mitch, I mean Mitch can sell to anyone.
21:09
Right?
21:09
Yeah.
21:10
He can sell to anyone.
21:11
But you have to be good at, not just
21:14
that, you have to understand budgets.
21:17
You have to understand
21:17
compliance.
21:18
You have to understand HR now.
21:21
You have to understand how
21:22
to use data.
21:23
It's, it's not easy.
21:25
The work is hard.
21:27
And that's what we've learned.
21:31
At least what I've learned over the
21:32
years is that you have to be sort of
21:34
a lifelong learner and you gotta learn
21:37
from the people around you, from the
21:39
people you admire.
21:41
You gotta, you gotta read books,
21:44
You gotta read, you gotta reflect.
21:46
You just can't just say, I'm
21:48
gonna try to wing it all the time.
21:51
You can get away with it sometimes,
21:54
but you won't be able to wait
21:55
for too long.
21:56
It will catch up with you.
21:58
So, this is the sort of the strength
22:01
and resiliency that we've had to
22:03
sort of engage in as colleagues in
22:04
doing this work.
22:06
The work is hard, running
22:07
an organization is really hard.
22:09
You have to build systems, you
22:11
have to, surround yourself with
22:12
good people.
22:14
And for me, it's not just surrounding
22:15
myself with good people, with people
22:18
with good skills, but people that
22:18
have good hearts.
22:20
A lot of us did the work out of
22:21
the passion and the values, because
22:23
we loved, right?
22:24
But you also have to build some skills,
22:27
because that's how you're gonna
22:28
have an impact.
22:29
And so, I am grateful to many
22:34
people in this room, to my colleagues,
22:37
to people that I grew up with in
22:38
the community that took care of me.
22:40
When I was working in the mayor's
22:41
office, I got beat up a lot.
22:42
I would have these really tough
22:45
conversations with Mitch, you know,
22:48
with Ray, You know, we get called
22:50
sellouts, we work in government.
22:51
Did you sell out?
22:52
Or, cause there's all these
22:53
expectations and burdens on you.
22:55
But like I said, at that age, I
22:59
understood self clarity.
23:00
Mm-hmm . I knew I, why I, I was there.
23:03
I wanted to make a difference.
23:05
I really did.
23:06
I learned from a long time from a
23:08
mentor if you honor the work, the work
23:09
will honor you.
23:10
So I did my work with integrity.
23:12
I, I'm, that's really
23:14
important to me.
23:15
If you want to know what's the
23:16
most important skill I think
23:17
any leader should have is integrity.
23:19
And that you honor the work each
23:21
and every day.
23:22
And I think that will, will give you
23:24
the strength and resiliency to face
23:25
any, any challenge.
23:26
So, thank you.
23:34
Socorro: in thinking of what all three
23:35
of you contributed, what comes to mind
23:37
is the statement, our tagline says, to
23:39
listen is to heal.
23:41
And over time we all go through a
23:43
process where we make full circle.
23:45
Some of us, dibble and dabble in the
23:46
cities and I know Lariza had done
23:49
her, her do in the city for a while.
23:51
Lariza: Yeah, you drilled me.
23:54
Socorro: And so, the beauty of it
23:55
is that folks Go out and bring back,
23:58
reflect on what is it that I need to do
24:00
to contribute to be part of that change,
24:02
or strengthen, or how do I build that
24:04
resilience, and, and thank you for
24:06
sharing that, Mario and for honoring,
24:08
yeah, honoring Mitch, and honoring
24:10
Ray, and honoring those individuals
24:11
in the audience that are still with
24:13
us that are here.
24:14
One of the things we're looking at in
24:16
this conversation is to look at
24:18
the value of the nonprofit Worker,
24:21
the value that the organizations
24:24
bring to the city and county of
24:25
San Francisco.
24:26
I want to briefly hear about what is
24:28
the value of the work that you give
24:31
to, to this city.
24:33
And then we'll go and reflect and say,
24:36
what is the city's responsibility?
24:39
The city and county to you and so let's
24:44
let's go there now and let's dig
24:45
a little deep.
24:47
You want to go ahead.
24:48
Lariza: I have some stats, actually.
24:49
Socorro: Go ahead.
24:51
Lariza: So I wanted to piggyback
24:52
really quick.
24:53
I know I kind of got lost in the red
24:54
little hen story, but it's because
24:57
she's resilient because she knows
24:58
what she wants to accomplish because
25:00
she's willing to do the hard work
25:02
Because she's going to invite people
25:04
to join in but even if people don't
25:06
join in she's still going to keep going
25:08
And I think of that analogy not for me,
25:11
but it's like that's what nonprofits are.
25:13
That's what we do and I appreciate
25:15
both of your words because you said it
25:18
better than I could, but I think it's
25:19
important to note that through the
25:22
pandemic all of us.
25:24
I mean, I literally met with Mario.
25:25
I feel like the leadership of the
25:27
organizations.
25:28
We were like locked arms.
25:31
And sharing resources, like
25:34
we've gotten really good at
25:36
leveraging each other's strengths,
25:37
leveraging each other's knowledge,
25:40
like when we were all trying to figure
25:42
out what a COVID protocol looked
25:44
like, Good Sam had a great template,
25:47
and Mario was like, here, and he shared
25:49
it so that we could all adapt when
25:52
ICE preparedness Action plans needed
25:55
to be developed.
25:55
CARECEN shared ours.
25:56
So, we have a culture now
25:59
of sharing.
26:00
I think back in the late 80s and 90s,
26:03
when I remember, like, we've always
26:04
been a united community, but when
26:06
the resources are so little, we tend
26:08
to, like, fight over them instead of
26:11
Fighting for them.
26:12
I think we've evolved in that
26:14
seed, the flower, the plant is grown
26:16
to where we fight for resources.
26:18
We don't fight against each other
26:20
for resources, but you know, I think
26:23
to quote somebody they said sometimes
26:24
they treat us like the help.
26:26
whether it's governments or just
26:28
funders in general, like they know what
26:30
the best framework for working with
26:31
community is.
26:32
Whatever the flavor of the month that
26:34
year is in terms of.
26:36
of frameworks and strategies, but
26:39
at the end of the day, like, the
26:40
statistics are that the non profits
26:43
represent 10 percent of California's
26:45
workforce.
26:46
So we're definitely not insignificant.
26:47
And the Bay Area, as a whole, the
26:51
non profit sector employs almost a
26:52
million people.
26:54
And one fact that I think is really
26:56
interesting is that San Francisco
26:58
residents, one in six works in the
27:01
non profit sector.
27:02
So people who live in San Francisco
27:04
work in the non profit sector.
27:06
The other statistic that I think is
27:08
important to note is that we actually
27:10
generate economic impacts, right?
27:13
The non profit sector earns two two
27:17
hundred and twenty eight billion in
27:19
revenue each year.
27:20
Wow.
27:21
And we have assets of four hundred and
27:23
twenty one billion.
27:25
And that's just in San Francisco
27:27
Bay Area.
27:28
Obviously there's a range of
27:29
different kinds of non profits.
27:31
Some are kind of very wealthy
27:33
and asset rich.
27:34
Some like us grassroots are
27:36
not as asset rich.
27:38
But the bottom line is that we
27:40
are a significant sector, like, the
27:42
fake news is that we're not, but the
27:44
truth is that we have a significant
27:47
footprint in the labor ecosystem
27:50
in the Bay Area.
27:51
We not only are and we're 10 percent
27:54
of the workforce, but we also have an
27:56
economic footprint in the region.
27:58
So I, I really want to lift that up and
28:01
by the way, and the other thing that
28:02
we all talk about a lot is about trying
28:04
to, lifting the nonprofit sector
28:06
out of poverty.
28:08
Because when both Mario and
28:09
I worked in the same department,
28:11
in the mayor's office of housing
28:12
and community development,
28:13
and that was an anti poverty.
28:15
It is the anti poverty department
28:17
in the city, and I always used to say,
28:18
if we want to have a really solid,
28:20
successful anti poverty strategy,
28:22
let's lift the non profit sector out of
28:25
poverty, and that'll kind of pave the way
28:27
for the work ahead.
28:29
Cause it's communities by,
28:30
by communities for communities, right?
28:32
But, I'll pass the mic.
28:33
Socorro: Anybody else want to jump
28:34
in right away?
28:35
Mario?
28:35
Mario Paz: Yeah I just wanted
28:36
to jump in.
28:37
It's, it's sort of interesting
28:38
because, You know, we really aren't
28:40
really respected the way we need to be.
28:43
I think we all understand that.
28:45
But let me tell you how much they
28:46
really need us.
28:47
During the pandemic, we were
28:48
really challenged as leaders.
28:51
We met, we met, we had to confront
28:54
an experience that we've never
28:56
really prepared for or understood.
28:59
And, but we learned early on that
29:01
we're stronger if we work together.
29:04
And we came together in community to
29:05
meet the moment.
29:06
It was incredible.
29:08
And we demonstrated that, and this
29:10
is when it goes back to one of the
29:12
RAP principles, community solutions
29:14
are the ones that always have
29:15
the best impact.
29:15
That's right.
29:16
Right?
29:17
We've known that.
29:18
But what government's done,
29:20
and foundations and others, is they've
29:22
created their own theories of change.
29:24
They're trying to tell us how,
29:25
what's best for our community.
29:27
That's something that Ray's always
29:28
fought against, You always fight.
29:30
No, the institutions don't know.
29:32
They don't have the answers.
29:33
They have the resources, but
29:34
they don't have the answers.
29:36
It's always been the community.
29:37
And we learned that during
29:38
COVID, the way we met the moment.
29:40
And one particular example I want to
29:42
give you, when the school district
29:45
lost touch with literally hundreds
29:47
of thousands of students during
29:49
the pandemic, they literally, the kids
29:52
just disengaged, you know, they went to
29:54
the online virtual and they couldn't
29:56
find the students.
29:57
They basically were dropped
29:58
out of school.
30:01
Who do you think they turned to,
30:02
to help them?
30:04
It was us.
30:05
Because we have the relationships
30:07
with them, because they trust us, and
30:10
we were able to help literally,
30:13
collectively, thousands of
30:14
students re engage in school
30:16
so they wouldn't experience further
30:19
learning loss.
30:21
But it was a non profit sector that
30:22
built them up.
30:24
We fed thousands of people in our
30:25
community, and we galvanized
30:27
it in weeks.
30:29
Something the government
30:30
couldn't do.
30:31
Could never do.
30:33
They needed us.
30:34
So we, yes, we are essential to them,
30:37
and they know it.
30:39
But, they continue to disrespect us
30:42
by assuming that we, we are used
30:44
to working under a deficit model.
30:47
Yeah, we're poor, yeah.
30:49
And that's how we're treated.
30:50
We're treated like the help.
30:53
But I think we, you know, we're
30:55
trying to push back.
30:58
And As much as they treat us with
31:02
disrespect, they know they need us.
31:05
And I think that's the leverage
31:06
we have to use.
31:07
And that's the power we're going
31:08
to have to use.
31:09
We're about to face another crisis with
31:11
budget cuts and things like that.
31:12
We're all going to have to plan.
31:14
We're going to have to do a lot
31:15
of work on how we continue to support
31:16
our community, who are going
31:18
to be impacted.
31:18
We have a federal government
31:20
that's assaulting our community.
31:22
Right, right.
31:23
By characterizing all of us as
31:25
criminals.
31:26
In the most vile ways, we have to
31:29
come together and fight that, and we
31:31
need to change that.
31:31
So, yes, we are taking advantage
31:34
of, but we can demonstrate again
31:38
that it's always been the community.
31:42
That has come up with the most
31:43
impactful solutions and there's a lot
31:46
of data to prove it and that's what we
31:47
got to start pushing
31:48
Socorro: Thank you for that.
31:50
Celina do you have?
31:51
Celina: Yeah Absolutely
31:53
piggybacking off that I think for
31:55
me when you ask that question
31:57
What value do we hold for the city?
31:59
Like we hold the trust of the people.
32:01
There's nothing more valuable than that.
32:04
I think we need to really stand
32:06
in our power that nothing moves
32:07
unless we move.
32:09
The people don't move without us.
32:10
Government doesn't work without us.
32:11
Government doesn't move without us.
32:13
And I think in these times, because
32:16
we sometimes feel know, because we
32:18
don't have resources often, or because
32:21
we're always in competition,
32:23
you know, not necessarily against
32:25
each other, but in competition
32:26
for resources that we forget that
32:28
we have power.
32:29
And I think for me, again, like A lot
32:31
of the values that we teach our young
32:33
people is to make sure that they know
32:35
their worth, right?
32:36
And I think we have to make sure that we
32:39
know our worth when we, when we have
32:41
these conversations, when we're, have
32:43
opportunities.
32:44
Again, a lot of the work around
32:45
policy, like how are we really making
32:47
big change, right?
32:49
And a lot of it has to do with changing
32:50
policies and changing systems.
32:52
But again, I think part of it
32:54
too, we have to reframe, we have to
32:56
fight against the narrative of what,
32:59
The city sees non profits as, right?
33:02
We're more than the help.
33:04
So much that they appropriate our
33:06
frameworks and our ideas and they use
33:10
that, you know.
33:11
They come to us when they're looking
33:12
for best practices.
33:14
They come to us when they're
33:15
looking for people.
33:16
Right?
33:16
A lot of folks that are in government
33:18
positions now come from non profit.
33:21
So we are the ones that are building
33:23
the, the leaders that then go into
33:26
the departments.
33:27
Right?
33:27
And I think for us too, a big thing
33:29
is representation matters.
33:32
That's a big piece when we're talking
33:34
about power and really elevating our
33:36
power is if we're not represented
33:39
in these positions in government,
33:42
in the city.
33:43
We're at a loss, right?
33:45
And I think sometimes more
33:46
than fighting for funds, more than
33:49
fighting for You know, opportunities.
33:52
It is about fighting for representation
33:54
and making sure that folks that look
33:56
like us that come from our backgrounds
33:58
that have similar experiences are
34:01
represented in these positions
34:03
that are decision makers, And, we
34:05
think about it.
34:06
Oftentimes we have to code
34:07
switch, right?
34:09
So when we're in the community, we
34:11
have our language.
34:12
And then all of a sudden when we show
34:13
up to meetings, we have to code switch.
34:16
And I think for us we need to be
34:18
authentic, right?
34:19
It's not about an ask.
34:21
This is our money.
34:23
And we're there.
34:24
Sometimes it feels like we're begging,
34:26
and I don't, you know, I don't want
34:27
to use that, but, oftentimes we're
34:29
in a position where we really have to
34:32
demonstrate our worth as if our
34:34
worth isn't crystal clear, Some of
34:38
the coalitions we're a part of,
34:39
as you mentioned, like SFLPEC.
34:41
I mean, we represent dozens
34:43
of organizations, 80, 000 people
34:47
in the community.
34:48
Like, so there is a lot of power,
34:49
and I think we just, we have to
34:51
be mindful of that.
34:52
We can't forget that when things
34:53
get tough.
34:55
Socorro: Thank you for that.
34:56
Yeah, let's hear it.
35:01
Celina.
35:01
Wow.
35:02
I mean, thank you for that,
35:03
for sharing those nuggets
35:04
and that wisdom.
35:06
I want to give the opportunity
35:08
to talk about the Latino parity
35:10
equity project as a, as an example
35:12
of resilience.
35:13
I know I mentioned it in the opening
35:14
statement, but What is it that,
35:16
the group is doing now and where is
35:18
it going and what are the next steps
35:20
for that group
35:21
Celina: I'm happy to talk a little
35:22
bit about it.
35:23
We're actually just, we met today.
35:25
Part of it is ensuring that we're
35:26
not duplicating efforts, although
35:28
sometimes we need to double up on the
35:30
work that we do.
35:31
Just today, the CLI, Chicano,
35:33
Latina, Indijena.
35:34
Health equity coalition that
35:36
we're a part of.
35:37
There's a lot of usual suspects in
35:39
all of these, so we sit on multiple
35:40
coalitions.
35:41
But met with the health committee of
35:43
the San Francisco Latino Parity and
35:45
Equity Coalition today to come
35:47
together again.
35:47
Many of the members sit on both of
35:49
them, but to really understand
35:51
where where's the overlap and where
35:53
is some of the uniqueness in, in
35:55
the work that we do.
35:56
So just today we're trying to think
35:58
through that because we want to make
35:59
sure it's about strategy, right?
36:02
All of what we do, we're not paid to
36:04
do it, we're there on a volunteer
36:06
basis in all of these coalitions.
36:08
So we have to maximize our
36:09
time, we have to maximize our effort.
36:11
So today, we're really thinking
36:13
through, okay, how does SFL PEC
36:16
differ or overlap with the CLI?
36:19
And two of the things that we're
36:21
thinking about, first in terms of
36:22
partnerships, right?
36:23
So the CLI is really connected with UCSF.
36:27
And that is one of their main
36:28
partners with SF LPEC, specifically
36:31
with the Health Health Committee.
36:32
We've been intentional about
36:33
partnering with the Department
36:34
of Public Health.
36:35
And so grateful to have Ysella Ford,
36:38
who's been a big community advocate
36:40
and liaison with us.
36:42
But we are a powerhouse when it
36:43
comes to advocacy, when it comes to
36:46
understanding, again, having
36:48
to be the jack of all trades,
36:49
understanding the needs in the
36:51
community, putting a dollar to that.
36:53
What does it mean to really be
36:55
able to provide these services?
36:57
But SF LPEC is around advocacy.
37:00
It is around, and we looked at, it's the
37:02
macro and the micro.
37:03
We looked at SF LPEC as, we are in
37:06
the weeds, we're in the service
37:07
delivery, we're, And CLI is kind
37:11
of like the macro, the, the research
37:13
and the data.
37:15
Socorro: Thank you for that.
37:16
Do you want to add something?
37:17
Mario Paz: Yeah, I, I can just add
37:18
that when it was founded in 2016, it
37:20
was, a few leaders that got together.
37:23
Melba Maldonado, Sam Ruiz, Stella Garcia
37:27
and, and others.
37:28
And just came together and said,
37:31
We don't like what we're seeing in
37:32
our community, increasing
37:34
homelessness, poor student outcomes,
37:37
the ongoing housing instability, the
37:40
lack of economic opportunities for
37:43
our community, the displacement,
37:45
the justification.
37:47
No one was really paying attention
37:48
in the way that we needed to and we
37:51
believe that if we work together, if
37:52
we came together, we would be stronger
37:54
and build a stronger voice for Latinos
37:55
in San Francisco.
37:57
And so that, so those are the values
37:58
that sort of drove us to come together.
38:01
No one organization can do it all.
38:03
And we understood that, but if we
38:05
all come together.
38:07
It can be, it can really build power
38:09
and strength and, that started our
38:11
advocacy efforts and and we challenged
38:14
the city to start paying attention
38:17
because we matter.
38:18
Socorro: That's right.
38:19
Yeah, that's right
38:21
Lariza: I also I'm channeling Estela.
38:23
Dr. Estela Garcia.
38:24
That's right Because she was
38:26
really intent.
38:27
I remember on the word "parity"
38:29
remember and she was thought she
38:31
was reminding us that we're not
38:33
just saying we're not talking about
38:35
equal We're talking about like equitable
38:38
and parity.
38:40
Where like we recognize
38:41
that there's differences, right?
38:43
But I think part of the response
38:44
at that time, too, and to this day,
38:47
is that Latinos in San Francisco
38:48
represent 17 percent of the population,
38:50
almost 18%.
38:52
Half of those children in the
38:53
school district have a foreign
38:56
born parent.
38:58
Yet, the level of investment does
39:00
not reflect the, the percentage of
39:02
our population.
39:03
That's also true in the philanthropic
39:05
community, where we know that less
39:06
than 1 percent of all philanthropic
39:09
dollars goes to Latino led
39:10
organizations.
39:12
Socorro: Well, thank you for
39:13
sharing that, you know, as you guys
39:14
are speaking, I, thinking of the
39:16
countless hours we spent with
39:18
Jim Queen, right?
39:19
And we, we, Jim Queen being one
39:21
of the founders of, of EMUNYO, and
39:24
then eventually becoming RAP.
39:25
I think about this model, this
39:29
action that was being spoken about
39:32
in 1969, 1970, the MCO days, the
39:36
community being empowered through
39:39
self determination, and those RAP
39:41
principles existing, and the setting
39:44
the model for DCYF that eventually,
39:47
you know, they, as you said, they
39:49
co opted and, and made it theirs,
39:51
and, and I think that that's the.
39:53
beauty in it.
39:54
And I'm not trying to be Pollyanna,
39:55
but because I know we're in a really
39:57
terrible trying time, but at least
39:59
the resilience that this community has
40:01
shown it continues.
40:02
It's going to continue to
40:04
represent and to hear about the
40:06
COVID struggle and when you guys
40:08
were here and I mean, while you
40:10
guys were engaging.
40:11
I know some, some great things
40:13
came out of here.
40:14
Brava was involved, the Latino Task
40:17
Force, a lot of things that
40:19
arose from that.
40:20
And so to see that it's still existing
40:22
and people are still doing the
40:23
work is I'm very very honored and to
40:26
know that I, I know some of you guys
40:27
that are still doing this work and I just
40:30
want to continue to, to bless you,
40:32
to continue to do it and continue
40:33
to stay strong.
40:34
I know it's hard.
40:36
I know it's tough.
40:37
but the community has your back and,
40:40
and I feel that.
40:41
So we're going to ask there's this
40:43
opportunity now to have the audience,
40:45
if anybody is in the audience and wants
40:46
to say something.
40:47
Is there anyone?
40:49
Alfredo: To Mario and Larisa, being
40:53
municipal workers and returning to
40:55
the non profit, I just want to hear
40:58
a little about that because I was born
41:01
and raised a non profit, now I'm a
41:03
municipal worker and I don't hold the
41:06
roles that you do, as important people
41:08
as you are, but you guys were in the
41:11
municipality before.
41:13
Just want to hear about
41:15
your experience transitioning.
41:18
Lariza: It took me 51 years to realize
41:21
I had imposter syndrome because
41:23
growing up in Bernal Heights and
41:24
Nicaragua during the war, like all
41:26
the things that shaped my personal
41:28
experiences through a woman's leadership
41:30
group, I realized like, I've been like
41:32
really dealing with imposter syndrome.
41:34
And I think in some ways I coded
41:37
it by trying to work harder.
41:39
And, like, feeling like I didn't
41:40
deserve, so I had to work, like,
41:42
ten times harder.
41:43
And, it's not until the last few years,
41:45
I think during the pandemic, I kind
41:47
of said, Okay, I'm going to have
41:48
to settle into whatever knowledge
41:50
I have in the deeper insides of me.
41:52
But to answer specifically your
41:54
question, somebody said to me, like,
41:57
You can affect change from various
41:58
places, as long as you're clear about
42:00
the change you're trying to affect.
42:02
And that's become my personal statement
42:05
like, personal mission statement,
42:07
is to affect change for community.
42:11
And knowing that I care about children,
42:13
youth, families, people who migrate,
42:15
and social justice.
42:17
So, wherever I can impact those
42:19
communities.
42:21
I'll take it on, because I think
42:22
it's important, especially you know,
42:24
as you're developing professionally, to
42:26
expose yourself to different systems.
42:28
I think a lot of our own community
42:30
members are now in, in local government,
42:32
and it's great to know that Homegrown
42:36
leaders are emerging from neighborhoods,
42:38
from programs, to non profit
42:40
leadership, to then city leadership,
42:42
including elected officials, right?
42:44
We have, like, Supervisor Mila
42:46
Melgar, who's homegrown,
42:47
Salvadoriana, migrant, San
42:49
Franciscan.
42:50
But I kind of started to drink the
42:51
Kool Aid when I was in local government.
42:54
And it's, it's like a, it's kind of
42:56
easy to, to do that.
42:58
On the other hand, I did appreciate
42:59
the bird's eye view you get from the big
43:01
picture vision that you get from working
43:04
on that side.
43:05
But when I came back to CARECEN 13 years
43:08
ago that's when I really realized
43:10
how far, like, you know, you're from
43:12
the neighborhood, you grew up here,
43:14
you kind of, these are your
43:15
community members and all that.
43:17
And I thought, oh, I'm still connected
43:18
to community.
43:19
But it wasn't really when I came back to
43:21
CARECEN there, I'm like, okay, back
43:23
in the trenches, And so it's
43:25
very noticeable.
43:27
How, even though you're walking
43:29
around as a city of you know, good
43:31
public servants out there doing
43:33
hard work.
43:35
But it's not the same as trying
43:36
to like resolve people's needs
43:39
day to day, being the jack of all
43:41
trades trying not to lose sleep to
43:43
make sure you got the resources, the
43:45
team and everything you need, you
43:47
know, so that the work can continue.
43:48
But I'm, I'm exactly where I need to be
43:51
and forever grateful to the work and
43:54
the learnings I had at the city, but
43:55
also at KQED and other institutions
43:58
throughout San Francisco.
43:59
Socorro: Mario,
44:00
Mario Paz: Thank you.
44:01
Thank you, Lariza.
44:03
Yeah.
44:03
For me it was sort of interesting.
44:05
I, I went in again with an idealistic
44:08
mind that, you know, as a student
44:10
of public policy that maybe in
44:12
my own way I can affect some change.
44:14
cause different ways to, to really
44:16
affect change as Lariza mentioned.
44:19
But very quickly what I learned
44:20
working in government, I
44:22
learned very quickly about
44:23
these blockages, these obstructions.
44:27
These Oh my God, there's a lot of
44:28
wheeling and dealing here, just like
44:30
in the community.
44:31
and you get disillusioned.
44:32
I got disillusioned fairly quickly.
44:35
But I kept at it.
44:36
I kept at it because I wanted to learn.
44:39
I wanted to have an inside view and
44:40
I wanted to learn.
44:42
Up until the point where I felt where,
44:45
Okay, my values already are telling
44:47
me I can't continue.
44:49
And this is where the issue of self
44:50
clarity comes.
44:52
Okay, at some point, I was, I
44:54
remember I was put in a position
44:56
and I got beat up.
44:57
When I was put in a position where I had
44:59
to sell a really bad policy the community
45:01
was really against.
45:02
If you remember, Ray, the issue
45:04
of the curfew.
45:05
Yeah.
45:06
Yeah.
45:07
So, you know, Mayor assigned, yeah,
45:13
and but guess who he assigned to
45:15
try to, right.
45:18
He assigned me and another colleague
45:21
to try to sell it, It was hard.
45:23
Yeah.
45:23
Yeah, I remember.
45:24
But let me, but let me tell you
45:26
about self clarity.
45:28
I did my best.
45:30
Because there's an ethical
45:31
responsibility we have when we work
45:33
in government.
45:35
Remember I told you about
45:36
honoring the work.
45:38
Okay.
45:40
I did my best because I felt
45:42
my ethical responsibility was
45:44
to the mayor who had assigned me and
45:47
another colleague to promote this policy.
45:50
Okay, so I did it to the best
45:51
of my ability.
45:52
I didn't try to blow it up from
45:54
the internal.
45:54
I felt ethically I had to do, I
45:56
had this job.
45:57
I was being paid to do that job.
45:59
But it came to a point where
46:00
I realized I can't do that.
46:02
Because I don't believe in this.
46:04
And that's when I felt it was time
46:05
for me to leave.
46:06
but I say that.
46:08
Is that we're going to be in positions,
46:10
when you're a leader, you're going
46:12
to be in positions where you're going
46:13
to have to make some tough decisions.
46:15
That's right.
46:15
Real difficult decisions.
46:18
And, what has helped me over the
46:21
years, is again this issue of integrity.
46:24
And, and sometimes we're faced with
46:27
the issue of what's the right thing to
46:29
do, or what's the best thing to do.
46:31
And that's really tough.
46:33
Because in our hearts, we know
46:34
the right thing to do is making
46:36
this decision.
46:38
But when you look at the bigger picture,
46:39
the best thing to do is to make this
46:41
other decision.
46:43
And those are real tough challenges,
46:45
and we've all faced them.
46:46
Yep.
46:46
As leaders.
46:48
and it's interesting, when
46:49
I left government, I went to go work
46:51
for philanthropy.
46:53
I spent eight years working
46:54
for foundations.
46:56
That was a whole new world, another
46:58
perspective.
46:58
But what I learned, and again, for
47:00
me it was a learning journey.
47:03
I was able to maintain my values
47:05
and my self clarity about who I was.
47:08
Try to make a difference in
47:09
institutions.
47:11
They're very different than the
47:15
work I did at the community level.
47:17
But I knew if I can affect any
47:19
change in those institutions, that
47:22
I was gonna, I was making a difference
47:23
in my own way.
47:24
And I think I did.
47:25
I think I made a lot of difference
47:27
when I was working in city government.
47:30
And I think I made a lot of difference
47:31
when I was working in philanthropy.
47:33
And now I have the privilege to serve
47:34
in organizations that has a 130
47:36
year history.
47:37
That is very values driven.
47:39
That has very high standards
47:40
of integrity.
47:41
That has a board of directors that
47:42
cares for us.
47:43
That cares for its people.
47:45
And and I'm surrounded with
47:47
good people with an incredible staff.
47:50
And I'm exactly where I need to be.
47:52
And just to tell you about Full Circle,
47:55
when I was recruited for the job of Good
47:57
Samaritan, my mother reminded me that
48:00
she took me there.
48:01
We used to go there when I was a young
48:03
child growing up in the neighborhood
48:04
'cause she would get the cheese 'cause
48:06
good Samaritan used to have honey,
48:08
get the cheese.
48:09
My mom would use that cheese to make
48:10
pupusas as to sell, to help to help
48:13
the family out, household income.
48:15
So for me, it was a whole full circle.
48:17
so every time I see a family come
48:19
through our doors, I see myself, I
48:21
see my mother and there's no greater
48:24
fulfillment to know that I here serving
48:26
the community in that way.
48:28
And that my, my decisions, and
48:31
I've always let my heart guide my
48:33
career decisions brought me to this
48:35
full circle, but it really is about
48:39
honoring the work.
48:41
Thank you.
48:41
Thank you.
48:42
Socorro: Thank you, Mario.
48:46
I want to thank Mario and Lariza
48:47
for just, you know, just being honest
48:49
and because people always have that
48:51
question, right?
48:51
They always think I,
48:53
Lariza: I knew Socorro was going
48:54
to come down and be like.
48:57
Socorro: Yeah, Yeah.
48:58
Is there someone else?
49:00
Stacey: I was just going to ask
49:02
a question based on the question
49:05
over here, I'm really baffled
49:07
right now with the scapegoating
49:11
that nonprofits are receiving
49:14
from not only the city and county
49:15
of San Francisco, but also, just
49:19
across the board.
49:21
We have done everything we can to
49:24
serve the community.
49:26
And we have been blocked every step
49:29
of the way in terms of, preach all the
49:33
scandals at the city is causing an
49:36
incredible amount of administrative
49:38
work for us all.
49:41
That I have been in compliance at every
49:43
level all the time.
49:44
And now I am constantly getting
49:46
audited by workers comp by the city
49:49
by every entity across the board.
49:53
Employment expenses have gone
49:55
up drastically because of AB5.
49:58
My electric bill has gone up 250
50:01
percent in the last four years.
50:05
I'm just overwhelmed by what it takes to
50:11
get through the day.
50:13
And, eyes on the prize every day.
50:15
Eyes on the prize.
50:16
I got my list in the morning that I think
50:18
about all these women that inspire
50:21
me every day.
50:21
I get up and I think about Larissa
50:23
and Socorro and Fatima and all,
50:27
all of the people that just drive me
50:30
to continue to do the, the good work
50:32
for all the people.
50:33
And you see, you see when people
50:35
leave here, they go home and they
50:37
sleep better and they wake up and
50:38
they're a better person the next day
50:41
and they're inspired but I'm beginning
50:43
to, be really concerned about
50:47
the capacity for us all to survive
50:52
this climate.
50:53
And I also have this incredible
50:55
staff right now.
50:56
They're all between 25 and 32.
51:00
They're all, she they's from, women
51:04
of color in this, from the city, from
51:06
the mission, from Excelsior, from
51:08
Tenderloin, from Western Edition,
51:10
and they're all fierce and badass.
51:13
But what is the path that we're
51:15
leaving for them to lead into the
51:17
next generation?
51:19
cause the work is just getting harder
51:22
and harder and I've been in this
51:24
business 43 years.
51:28
I've been working in this neighborhood
51:29
for 43 years in the arts.
51:32
And I have never seen the situation
51:36
that has been so every day you just
51:40
so distracted by administrative work
51:43
every single day.
51:44
So I'm just curious where you
51:46
all as executive directors are at
51:48
and what you're seeing in terms of.
51:50
One, the city's scapegoating us all.
51:53
Two, how do we vision
51:56
ourselves through this madness?
52:00
Socorro: Thank you, Stacey.
52:01
That's Stacey Powers, Executive
52:02
Director of Brava.
52:03
Who wants to take a little stab at that?
52:07
You want to take a stab at it?
52:08
Mario Paz: I'll take a stab.
52:09
I'll try.
52:10
Thank you, and certainly I think
52:12
we understand all those challenges.
52:14
I know, for me, What I did several years
52:18
ago is I realized that you have to
52:20
learn how to adapt.
52:21
It's really important.
52:23
And you have to begin to think about
52:26
systems building.
52:27
You can't think about it as putting
52:29
out one fire in another that you
52:30
have to do deal with on a daily basis.
52:33
So what I began to do is sort of figure
52:36
out working with a couple of my staff
52:38
is what kind of system do we need
52:39
to build to make the work easier, to
52:41
reduce the stress.
52:43
We entered when we lost a 35 year
52:47
plus CFO, they've been there for
52:50
a long time.
52:52
He had been operating.
52:53
the old style, the bookkeeper still
52:55
had QuickBooks on desktop and, you
52:58
know, it's sort of the old fashioned
53:00
way, right?
53:01
And all the knowledge was
53:02
in his head.
53:02
And when he finally retires, like, we
53:06
knew we needed to modernize and we
53:07
needed to build a better system
53:09
because financial reporting is
53:11
extremely important and to make sure
53:13
that you track all your expenses, you
53:15
have to understand fund accounting,
53:17
all the compliance issues, there's
53:18
just a lot that's being thrown at
53:20
us, right, Stacey, each and every day.
53:22
So we decided, we're going to try
53:24
something different.
53:25
We learned about, some new groups
53:27
that were doing what they call fractional
53:29
relationships, fractional
53:31
accounting, fractional banking.
53:33
We have a fractional CFO that includes a
53:36
whole team of people that now do our
53:38
financial systems at a lower cost
53:40
than if we would have hired a new CFO
53:43
at current market.
53:44
And let me tell you, I can sleep at night
53:46
knowing that every penny we get that
53:49
goes in and out in our organization
53:52
is completely documented and
53:54
tracked to the penny, because
53:56
of the systems they've created.
53:57
And that's made my life easier, my
53:59
board easier, in terms of how you
54:01
run an organization and can do
54:03
reports and spits.
54:04
So you have to start adapting and
54:06
using tools that are out there, and
54:08
it's really hard in the beginning.
54:11
It creates a lot of pressure.
54:12
You have to do a lot of education.
54:13
You have to work with your staff.
54:15
You have to build it.
54:16
When we adopted Salesforce, we
54:18
went through a whole process.
54:19
It took us two years to learn it.
54:20
But now we can stand behind every
54:24
data point, every number, every
54:26
person we serve.
54:27
We can stand behind every report
54:29
that we submit.
54:30
We have it.
54:31
Every individual we serve because of
54:33
that platform, but it takes time, but
54:35
you get, you really do have to adapt.
54:37
You have to begin to utilize technology
54:39
in ways that we've, you know, maybe,
54:42
Stacey: with that, with systems in
54:44
place, we have lots of systems in place
54:47
and we're continuing to create those
54:48
systems, but then they come up with
54:50
some other systems, you and then you
54:52
gotta manage the new system, and
54:54
so that's what, that's the challenge
54:56
for me, is like, we have all lived
54:59
from 1989 to today, through the tech,
55:03
revolution, now you know, we're in a
55:05
society that we're always talking about
55:07
neurodivergence, right?
55:09
Everybody is neurodivergent in
55:11
some, at some level.
55:13
You sit down at your computer to write
55:15
an email and you get 20 pop up windows
55:19
every five seconds.
55:20
AI on your computer every five seconds.
55:23
And how are you supposed
55:24
to concentrate?
55:25
How are you supposed to stay focused
55:28
on messaging and on delivery if
55:31
the world around us is constantly
55:34
distracting?
55:35
Celina: For me, yes.
55:36
I want to agree with systems.
55:38
I think the other solution is,
55:40
we have to stop depending on the
55:41
city for our funds.
55:43
That's the bottom line.
55:45
And it's hard not to, right?
55:47
I know Horizons, the majority of
55:49
our entire history is, you know,
55:51
we've been 99.
55:51
99 percent government funded.
55:55
There's a lot of stability in
55:56
government grants, definitely.
55:57
Five year funding cycles, sometimes
55:59
with the option to renew.
56:01
obviously, that's the carrot, right?
56:03
That's a carrot.
56:04
But up until last year again,
56:06
Horizons has been primarily funded by
56:08
government grants.
56:09
And we knew that we needed to
56:11
diversify our funds.
56:13
We have to.
56:13
You cannot survive without that.
56:15
And we were lucky.
56:17
Well, I don't want to say lucky.
56:18
We earned, we deserved, right?
56:21
We had to start looking for
56:22
other general operating grants.
56:23
We had to look for foundations, right?
56:26
So it is about diversifying
56:27
your funds so you don't have
56:28
to rely on that.
56:29
The city comes with so much compliance.
56:31
Like, we had to go through drug Medi
56:33
Cal certification, right?
56:35
There's huge, huge, I mean, you need
56:38
full time people just to push paper
56:40
and keep compliance.
56:41
And they wonder why we have these high
56:44
standards in, in delivery and then
56:47
also high standards in ensuring the
56:49
paperwork and it's hard to manage
56:51
both sometimes.
56:52
Lariza: So high level, like I
56:54
think one CARECEN's greatest asset
56:56
is our staff.
56:57
Thank you Kevin and Juan for being
56:58
out here tonight.
57:00
So really like 70 percent of
57:02
our budget, it fluctuates between
57:04
68 and 75 percent of our organizational
57:07
budget is staff.
57:10
So your budget should reflect
57:11
your values, your institutional
57:13
budget, that's one.
57:14
So keeping, always knowing that the
57:17
quality of our programs depends
57:19
on the stability of our, team.
57:21
So lifting our staff out of poverty.
57:23
Second, not chasing the money.
57:26
Like, we are looking for partnerships
57:29
and funding.
57:29
We're not gonna just give you what
57:32
you want because we want your dollar.
57:35
Because we go for the wills, we say.
57:37
And sometimes la pepesca, but we're
57:39
going for multiple year grants.
57:41
Good programmatic matches, partners
57:44
and funders ,who are going to support
57:46
our framework and our caseloads and
57:48
what we know is sustainable and that
57:50
we can deliver on.
57:51
We're not giving funders numbers to
57:53
make ourselves more attractive because
57:56
we don't want to set ourselves up for,
57:57
for failure, right?
57:59
Integrating technology.
58:01
Looking, we're having a
58:02
conversation right now at CARECEN about
58:04
what's the role of AI in our work.
58:07
CARECEN I think was really innovative.
58:09
I think I brought this from KQED's
58:11
life to make communications
58:13
a program area.
58:15
So we can actually communicate our
58:17
work because that's how we're also
58:19
gonna expand our, our support base.
58:22
Socorro: Thank you.
58:23
I know, Ray, you, you wanted to
58:24
make a statement?
58:25
Ray Balberan: I wanna say, Mario,
58:27
thank you for those words, you know,
58:29
thank you so much.
58:31
Uh, I just want to apologize
58:34
for ramming the RAP truck into
58:37
your sports car.
58:41
Yeah, yeah, you know, it wasn't on,
58:45
it was an accident.
58:46
I just want to know, I don't know
58:47
what happened.
58:48
Did Mitch pay you to fix it?
58:53
All right.
58:54
I just, I just want to get
58:55
that straight.
58:56
Okay.
58:57
I just want to say, We're
58:59
we're all alike in a lot of ways.
59:02
when I went to meetings, I felt and
59:06
stepped in there.
59:08
I wanted respect because I did like
59:12
you do represent the community.
59:14
If you're holding 80 clients and
59:17
their families, Or thousands of clients
59:20
in your family, you represent each and
59:23
every one of them.
59:24
You are what you are, a
59:26
community leader.
59:28
You know what I'm trying to say?
59:30
And we're, we're like that.
59:33
I mean, we're like that.
59:34
We feel, I feel it.
59:36
I don't, I don't take it from
59:37
these guys.
59:38
The thing is, the community, RAP
59:41
and Mission Media Arts has been in
59:43
a lot of actions.
59:45
And I don't hear that nowadays.
59:47
I don't get those phone calls,
59:48
Ray, we're going on the action.
59:49
I don't even have to know.
59:52
I just have to go.
59:54
Who's calling it, and I know they're
59:56
a leader, and who's the target.
59:58
And in 20 minutes, I'll be down there.
1:00:01
And some of the first questions
1:00:03
we would ask where the action is, like
1:00:06
maybe the director of mental health.
1:00:09
I would ask him, what's his salary?
1:00:12
You know?
1:00:13
You know, and then, you know, he didn't
1:00:15
want to, and we would, I would not
1:00:16
get off of that until he had to say,
1:00:20
what is his salary?
1:00:22
You know, and, uh, this was in
1:00:24
mental health.
1:00:25
Mental health was a good fight, and,
1:00:28
I just want to say you're a treasure.
1:00:32
You're a bunch of bad motherfuckers.
1:00:39
I'm sorry.
1:00:40
Lariza: We learned from the best.
1:00:42
Socorro: Thank you, Ray.
1:00:44
Thank you for that blessing.
1:00:45
So obviously, thank you for those words.
1:00:48
Thank you for the questions.
1:00:49
Thank you for the thoughts and
1:00:50
thank you for the comments.
1:00:52
It's about engagement, too.
1:00:53
You know, this podcast is around
1:00:55
just engaging audience and
1:00:56
also getting people to think.
1:00:57
And, RAMA is here just to stimulate
1:00:59
the dialogue.
1:01:00
That that's our role, you know,
1:01:02
we're part of the, this resistance, the
1:01:04
resistance has been going on for like
1:01:06
50 years, 60 years.
1:01:07
We're part of it.
1:01:07
We just want to, get people to
1:01:10
talk and get their feelings out.
1:01:12
I know we don't have a lot of time, but
1:01:14
one of the things we want to hear is
1:01:16
briefly what your thoughts are on
1:01:18
what's the city's responsibility
1:01:20
to you, to your organization?
1:01:23
And how should they be held accountable?
1:01:25
You know, maybe the city's listening.
1:01:28
Lariza: That's such a trick question.
1:01:30
But I think I'll come at it from my
1:01:33
spirit when I worked as a community
1:01:34
builder in San Francisco City and
1:01:37
County was, I felt like I had to come
1:01:41
home and sleep in this neighborhood,
1:01:43
on the other block.
1:01:45
So, my community kept me honest.
1:01:47
And I think I wanted to show
1:01:50
pride in the work.
1:01:51
Like, just respect.
1:01:53
Like, I remember, I had to call
1:01:54
Mario one time to tell him we were
1:01:56
cutting them.
1:01:57
In 2008.
1:01:59
And that was tough, you know?
1:02:00
And so I think that because of these
1:02:03
relationships, because we come from
1:02:04
community, working for community.
1:02:07
What I think the city needs to
1:02:08
be just a better partner, like a
1:02:10
thought partner.
1:02:11
Not come and tell us what we need, but
1:02:14
ask us what we need.
1:02:16
Make sure that we are clear about what
1:02:18
the expectations are, both ways.
1:02:21
Because it's always like, you have
1:02:23
to do this, you have to do that.
1:02:24
It's always like, these are your
1:02:25
responsibilities, non profit.
1:02:27
But we are never told what we
1:02:29
can count on the city for.
1:02:31
I would want it to be true partnership.
1:02:34
I want, I would want it to be co
1:02:36
design, right?
1:02:39
And I would want them to step in
1:02:41
when we need help so we can have
1:02:44
an opportunity to transform, learn,
1:02:47
grow, and be better.
1:02:49
Socorro: Mario?
1:02:51
Mario Paz: Well, I want them to
1:02:52
understand that an organization's
1:02:55
budget size doesn't represent
1:02:57
whether it's having impact or not.
1:02:59
a lot of thoughts are going
1:03:01
through my mind.
1:03:03
I want them to truly be honest with us
1:03:08
and treat us in an authentic way where
1:03:11
they can admit we really need you.
1:03:15
We want to work with you.
1:03:16
We, you know, there's good
1:03:17
people working in government.
1:03:19
You know, let's not assume that everyone
1:03:20
in there is bad.
1:03:22
There's a lot of good people, like
1:03:23
Lisa's there, you know, she's one
1:03:25
of our champions.
1:03:26
there's a lot of good people trying
1:03:27
to do good work in government, who care
1:03:29
about our community.
1:03:30
And we need to support them also.
1:03:33
But we need to hear from the city that
1:03:35
they understand that we're essential,
1:03:37
that we're needed.
1:03:38
And stop playing sort of games
1:03:39
with us, or making characterizations,
1:03:43
or feeding the news media that, we're
1:03:45
all corrupt and all these things
1:03:46
that you hear.
1:03:48
Because it's not like that.
1:03:49
It's a very, very few.
1:03:51
We are doing great work.
1:03:53
We are making this city better each
1:03:56
and every day.
1:03:58
And they need to understand that.
1:04:00
But we have to also something rise above
1:04:02
and not go in there and just call them
1:04:03
a bunch of names or tell them they're,
1:04:05
you know, they're this and that.
1:04:06
We need to just say, okay, we
1:04:08
respect you.
1:04:09
We just need you to respect us now and
1:04:11
let's work together.
1:04:12
Because our community needs it.
1:04:15
Socorro: Thank you for that, Celina.
1:04:16
Celina: Yeah I think for me, I think
1:04:18
the most powerful thing that the city
1:04:20
could be for us is facilitators.
1:04:23
Right, facilitators of access to
1:04:25
resources.
1:04:26
We are one of the richest cities
1:04:29
in the world.
1:04:30
Why is there so much disparity in
1:04:33
our communities?
1:04:34
The city has access to more than just,
1:04:37
you know, money.
1:04:38
There's partnerships.
1:04:40
There's relationships.
1:04:42
They have access to data and
1:04:44
research, all these other things.
1:04:45
So, what would it look like if
1:04:47
the city really saw their role
1:04:48
as a facilitator?
1:04:49
And not like a funder grantee,
1:04:51
not like this power dynamic.
1:04:54
What would it look like for us to be
1:04:55
on the same playing field, right?
1:04:57
Or what if they felt like it was
1:04:59
their role to uplift the community?
1:05:01
Not to ask the community, what
1:05:03
are you going to do for me, right?
1:05:05
And again, I, you know, I don't
1:05:06
want in any way Go down that path
1:05:09
and everyone in government is you
1:05:11
know not who they say they are or
1:05:13
any of that, but I Again, I really
1:05:15
think it's about how you see your
1:05:17
role in in the work And if it is,
1:05:21
you know again, I don't want to put
1:05:22
too many analogies.
1:05:23
But it made me think of something
1:05:24
my son said a long time ago, he had
1:05:26
a project that he was working on
1:05:28
and it had to do with the police.
1:05:31
And it had to do with what would
1:05:32
it look like what does community
1:05:34
policing look like?
1:05:36
And this is a young child thinking
1:05:37
about that, right, growing up in
1:05:39
the neighborhood.
1:05:40
And brilliance, these children, they
1:05:45
said, well, what if police officers
1:05:48
were really peace officers, right?
1:05:52
So what if the city really saw
1:05:54
their role as a facilitator and not
1:05:56
a gatekeeper or not a funder grantee?
1:05:59
What would it look like to shift the
1:06:01
paradigm of what that relationship
1:06:03
looks like?
1:06:04
That would change things.
1:06:06
Then they would make sure that
1:06:07
Their success was our success, and
1:06:09
I think mutual accountability
1:06:11
is part of that.
1:06:13
You know, we have to turn things
1:06:14
around in two, in two weeks.
1:06:16
But we might not get our contract
1:06:18
certified for a year or get paid
1:06:19
for six months.
1:06:20
So where's the equity and parity
1:06:22
in that, right?
1:06:24
They have all this money and all these
1:06:25
systems and all these resources.
1:06:28
And we may have one or two staff
1:06:30
running around trying to get this
1:06:32
grant in, or get this budget in, or
1:06:34
get these compliance things in, and
1:06:36
we got a couple days to get it in.
1:06:38
So I think it's about understanding,
1:06:40
again, what's their role, what's their
1:06:42
purpose, and how can they actually
1:06:44
shift that in a way that would help
1:06:46
facilitate our work.
1:06:48
Socorro: Well, thank you for that.
1:06:50
I really want to thank you guys for
1:06:53
your insight, and it makes me think
1:06:55
about in 1999, when RAP's doors
1:06:58
closed and the city turned its back.
1:07:00
There was accountability on
1:07:02
our part for the fiscal solvency
1:07:05
issues that we had, but the city
1:07:07
had the ways and the means and the
1:07:09
budget to save the organization, and
1:07:12
had not provided a lot of the
1:07:14
guidance that folks like Mitch
1:07:16
needed, and other.
1:07:18
And so, this is a new era, this is
1:07:21
a new change, with systems, with all
1:07:24
kinds of folks that are committed, and
1:07:26
there's unity, and there's cohesion,
1:07:30
and there's, power in this group, and
1:07:32
I think we have to give these guys
1:07:34
a really big hand for the work that
1:07:36
they're doing, and thank them for the
1:07:38
work that they're doing, and, and,
1:07:40
and really be in gratitude for the
1:07:42
continued work.
1:07:44
I want to thank everyone for
1:07:46
listening to the RAMA Blueprints
1:07:47
podcast.
1:07:49
Like we have said, said so many times
1:07:51
before, we dedicate this particular
1:07:55
episode to the Corazon of the
1:07:56
RAP family, which includes all of
1:07:59
the young people, their families, the
1:08:01
staff, the former board members,
1:08:03
interns, volunteers, community leaders,
1:08:06
consultants, supportive staff
1:08:08
from other agencies and communities
1:08:10
throughout San Francisco,
1:08:11
California, and the nation.
1:08:14
We want to thank our sister
1:08:15
organizations for their sponsorship
1:08:17
and support.
1:08:19
To CARECEN SF, to Instituto Familiar
1:08:21
de la Raza, Horizons Unlimited,
1:08:24
the Salt Vasa Community, United
1:08:26
Players, Brava Women for the Arts.
1:08:30
And a special thank to San Francisco's
1:08:32
to CARECEN, San Francisco's
1:08:33
marketing team, to Juan, and to Kevin.
1:08:38
Let's give them a big hand.
1:08:39
They do a lot of work behind
1:08:40
the scenes.
1:08:41
Not only for this, but for all the
1:08:43
work that CARECEN is doing in getting
1:08:44
the word out to specifically to our
1:08:46
immigrant population in our community.
1:08:50
I also want to thank Dr. Estela
1:08:52
Garcia and Roban San Miguel.
1:08:54
I want to thank Paul Flores, Francisco
1:08:56
Cardona, and all of our dedicated
1:08:57
community listeners and the individual
1:08:59
donors for their ongoing support.
1:09:03
Please, consider donating to the RAMA
1:09:05
Blueprints podcast., and to CARECEN
1:09:07
SF'S website, or on our link in the
1:09:10
description that we have identified.
1:09:13
Please subscribe to our podcast, and
1:09:15
share it with two people, or more.
1:09:19
And tell folks about what you
1:09:20
heard tonight.
1:09:21
Because what you hear, it's
1:09:23
all archived.
1:09:24
It's archived, and it's part
1:09:26
of our history.
1:09:28
And this is just a sample of community
1:09:31
organizers and leaders that are
1:09:32
here doing the work and on the
1:09:34
ground level.
1:09:35
And we want to document those
1:09:36
stories, and we want to share them
1:09:38
with the future generations,
1:09:39
with the seven generations to come.
1:09:41
Thank you for listening to the
1:09:43
RAMA Blueprints podcast.
1:09:45
And remember,
1:09:48
to listen is to heal.
1:09:53
All power to the people.
1:09:55
Gracias.