“We were able to open our tiny house village during the pandemic and have 26 young people move in off the street and into housing." - Sally Hindman, Founder & Executive Director, Youth Spirit Artworks

3 Main Takeaways on Solutions

1.Guaranteed Income Works-Programs like **Miracle Money** and the **New Leaf Project** show that direct cash support helps unhoused individuals secure housing faster, save money, and meet basic needs—while reducing emergency service use and public costs.

2.Wraparound Services Matter-Housing is most effective when paired with case management, behavioral health care, employment support, childcare, harm reduction, and social connection—creating stability that lasts.

3.Community-Led Responses-Alternative response teams and peer-led initiatives such as *Street Sheet* replace criminalization with dignity, trust, and solutions rooted in lived experience.

Go to the visit our episode web page to engage in supporting the organizations who support our unhoused neighbors.

Guest Names and Organizations

•Kevin Adler - Founder & CEO, Miracle Messages

•Jen Roy - Miracle Messages Volunteer

•Ray - Miracle Money Program Participant

•Shannon Eizenga - Executive Director, Gubbio Project at St. Boniface Church

•Mary Kate Bacalao - Compass Family Services

•Mark Slater - Raphael House

•Ceci Ferber - Raphael House

•Jennifer Friedenbach - Executive Director, Coalition on Homelessness

•Quiver Watts - Editor, Street Sheet

•Sally Hindman - Founder & Executive Director, Youth Spirit Artworks

•Wendy Click - Manager of Outreach, Hospitality House

•Janet Williams - Hospitality House

•Joe Wilson - Hospitality House

•Alan Gutierrez - Manager of Housing Subsidy Programs, San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing

•Beth Stokes - Executive Director, Episcopal Community Services

•Jugal Patel - Housing Subsidy Recipient

•Dr. Jiyang Zhao - Lead Researcher, Foundations for Social Change

•Heather Hayes - Foundations for Social Change

🎧 Listen now | 💬 Get involved!

Make a Donation: Support Voices of the Community, fiscally sponsored by Intersection for the Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and enjoy tax deductions for your contributions.

Newsletter: Sign up to stay updated on future episodes and events

Delve deeper into the Voices of the Community Series on Arts & Culture, Making the Invisible Visible, Covid-19's impact on nonprofits, small enterprises and local government, the City of Stockton's rise from the ashes of bankruptcy, and our archives:You can explore episodes, speakers, organizations, and resources through each series web page. Watch and learn from all five series now!,

“Before the pandemic, one in four San Francisco families struggled with food security; after, four out of ten Black and Latinx families are struggling.” - Kenneth Kim, Senior Director of Programs, GLIDE

Drawn from our 105-episode COVID-19 series, this conversation revisits the early months of the global pandemic—and connects them to today’s hunger crisis intensified by government shutdowns and SNAP cuts. Frontline leaders describe building pop-up pantries in days, serving thousands of outdoor meals, scaling home-delivered food for seniors, and standing up mobile hygiene and hotel-based shelters for unhoused neighbors.

You’ll hear from:

• SF-Marin Food Bank, Redwood Empire Food Bank & Meals on Wheels SF
• Glide Memorial Church & St. Anthony’s
• Simply the Basics, Lava Mae X & Hayes Valley Bakeworks
• Community Forward SF, Tipping Point & Project Homeless Connect

Key themes:

• Demand outpacing supply across food and hygiene services
• Seniors, families, and communities of color on the front lines of hunger
• How “radical hospitality” and one-stop hubs restore dignity and trust

🎧 Listen now | 💬 Get involved!

For more information, guest details, and resources from this episode, visit our episode web page

Make a Donation: Support Voices of the Community, fiscally sponsored by Intersection for the Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and enjoy tax deductions for your contributions.

Newsletter: Sign up to stay updated on future episodes and events

Delve deeper into the Voices of the Community Series on Arts & Culture, Making the Invisible Visible, Covid-19's impact on nonprofits, small enterprises and local government, the City of Stockton's rise from the ashes of bankruptcy, and our archives:You can explore episodes, speakers, organizations, and resources through each series web page. Watch and learn from all five series now!,

"I think that people forget that. These small businesses, they're the ones that are sponsoring your sports teams, which are helping with school things, and that are doing fundraisers that are giving back to the community all the time." - Rebecca Bertoldi

When COVID-19 hit, we launched a series to spotlight the small businesses that sustain our communities. Five years on, many are still rebuilding. This highlight episode revisits candid conversations with policymakers, advisors, and owners about what truly helped—and what must happen next.

Top Problems

• Financing gaps & collapsing revenue put leases, payroll, and inventory at risk.
• Technology barriers slowed the pivot to online sales and services.
• Minimal cash reserves left micro and solo enterprises exposed.

Top Solutions

• SBA pathways: PPP (including second draw), EIDL working capital, and SBA debt relief that covered principal and interest for existing borrowers.
• Hands-on technical assistance: devices, training, and coaching to move operations online and reach customers.
• Community-led purchasing: direct takeout, gift cards, curated boxes, catering, and pop-ups to keep dollars local.

Show Guests

• Julie Clowes, District Director, Small Business Administration's San Francisco District Office
• Tim Russell, Program Director, Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center
• Sharon Miller, Chief Executive Officer, Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center
• Pierre Coeurdeuil, Director of Advising & Education, SFMade
• Amanda Fried, Chief of Policy and Communications, Treasurer for the City and County of San Francisco
• Adam Fowler, founding partner, CVL Economics
• Kristin Houk Owner of All Good Pizza, TATO, Café Alma
• Rebecca Bertoldi, Rebecca Bertoldi Marketing
• Pooja Rajani, Director of Programs, En 2 Action
• Laurie Thomas, Executive Director, Golden Gate Restaurant Association
• Shannon Walter, Manager, Blue Plate SF
• Jeff Trenam, Owner, Blue Plate SF
• Michelle Pusateri, Owner, Nana Joes Granola
• Andrea Baker, Founder, En 2 Action

Show Hosts

• Eric Estrada / Co-Host/ VOC
• George Koster/Producer/Host Voices of the Community

Why listen
You’ll hear what it really took to survive: from emergency capital and city tax relief to e-commerce pivots and neighborhood solidarity. Owners share the stress, the ingenuity, and the lessons they want every community to remember.

Take action
After you listen, do one thing to strengthen your local economy:
• Order direct from neighborhood restaurants and makers (skip third-party delivery when you can).
• Buy gift cards or curated boxes, book local catering for meetings and events.
• Donate or volunteer with the support organizations featured in this episode.
• Share this episode with a friend who loves small businesses as much as you do.

🎧 Listen now | 📺 Watch the episodes | 💬 Get involved!

For more information, guest details, and resources from this episode, visit our episode web page

Make a Donation: Support Voices of the Community, fiscally sponsored by Intersection for the Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and enjoy tax deductions for your contributions.

Newsletter: Sign up to stay updated on future episodes and events

Delve deeper into the Voices of the Community Series on Arts & Culture, Making the Invisible Visible, Covid-19's impact on nonprofits, small enterprises and local government, the City of Stockton's rise from the ashes of bankruptcy, and our archives:You can explore episodes, speakers, organizations, and resources through each series web page. Watch and learn from all five series now!,