Pancakes in the Park walk 2/13/24
Overview
We had two Outreach Captains. John Steifel, an organizer for Pancakes in the Park and a Pastor with SF Outer Circles was present. Georgia, another long-time organizer for P.I.T.P. was there
When there are more than 4 volunteers at a Pancakes in the Park event, the team splits up. Dan and Annmarie volunteered to walk with John down Haight Street and invite the unhoused neighbors to come join us in Golden Gate Park for breakfast
Armand, Peter, a USF Student, and Howard joined Georgia in cooking and serving pancakes to people in Golden Gate Park.
The group prayed before splitting up and we stood in a circle, closed our eyes and were prompted to use our imagination to pull up images to inspire us to share with the group. John started us out, and a handful of people shared positive and hopeful intentions for the event.
We debriefed at Flywheel Coffee because some volunteers had a time constraint. Next time it would be nice to share the time commitment ahead of time and give people an opportunity to debrief over lunch. Cha Cha Cha's a Cuban restaurant was suggested.
Observations from the walk
We brought bananas, Go-Gurt packets, and socks
We only offered the food/items if people shared they couldn't make it to P.I.T.P. today
People living in tents didn't seem to want to leave their tents
A lot of folks seemed to be tired/still sleeping
There is a chance that their tents/possessions will get removed by the police if someone claims the tent has been abandoned
Legally, DPW, department of Public Works or SFPD would need to post notice to clear a camp area ahead of time
Some people recognized John, and you could hear happiness in their voices
Woman we spoke with is called A, and she shared that she prefers New Orleans
Jim Peacock is a local, unhoused artist who is very talented
He is showcasing his work at the lounge Cafe Saturday evening, February 24th
New Orlean compared to SF
A shared that N.O. feels more safe than SF
Less fentanyl
Affordable housing
More jobs, less discrimination for hiring
For example, you can have face tattoos and still get entry level jobs
She reports there is high tourism, so there is more successful panhandling for people
A also complained about the self cleaning pit stop on Stanyan Street
She shared that they won’t let you bring your backpack inside the restroom
She also complained that the staff refuse to watch a bag/backpack that is outside of the bathroom
She usually opts to not go into the bathroom because she doesn't want her backpack to get stolen
Park foliage
The park has changed over the past 5 years, the rangers got approval for Parks and Recreation to remove a lot of the bushes from that area. The purpose is so that law enforcement can see and patrol the region more easily at night.
This region is kept under close surveillance so that autonomous camps don’t organize within Golden Gate Park
Was there anything that surprised you?
Pleased by the trust that the unhoused community displays for this group
Familiar faces from week to week, regulars love to join
Saw hope in the people we met, especially those who recognized John
P, an unhoused woman brought her son and ate, then were going to see their daughter
She shared being proud her son joined her at P.I.T.P. today
In this area of SF, many individuals show a more positive view of their life
Felt harmony in that little section of Golden Gate Park
Financial complaints
M is a man John knew. We saw him when walking the Haight and inviting people to come get pancakes. He shared that he couldn't stand being indoors, because it feels too authoritarian. A condition of him living indoors is that they control his check. He has to run requested purchases by a case manager before he can access his money. He went into this program because he has health concerns and he can't receive the medical care he needs unless he lives indoors.
Pancake cooking and distribution
Very resilient people here
Batteries worked until 11:20am, so almost an hour
In the past rangers asked them to use grills without flames
They are currently using two car batteries to operate the grill
They bought them with a Cosco warrantee
Today they served large pancakes
Coffee House Cooperative runs Flywheel Coffee and have been very generous towards P.I.T.P. and their greater unhoused community
Not all businesses are unfriendly to the unhoused
In The Haight- there are a lot more that people are looking forward to each day
This community self regulates and kicks out people that use meth/fentanyl
No prayers were asked for today