Grace Cathedral
Healing is a lifelong process. We will be healing as we take our last God-given breath. We are all called to heal ourselves and others, especially during this time of heightened awareness of racial and ecological challenges. As a deacon in the Episcopal Church living in the Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood of San Francisco, my life experiences have been enriched by my diverse neighbors. Our neighborhood has united in awareness and acknowledgement of the issues that threaten our community: lack of clean drinking water, health care, and day care; unsafe playgrounds and schools; gang violence; and racial violence.
Healing starts with self-awareness and listening. Owning and operating Bayview Mission has been a lesson in getting out of the way.” I am known as the “witch” when people gather, and there is a verbal confrontation: people automatically call for the “witch.” Healing starts with self-awareness and listening. It is important to give an opportunity for each person to speak and then listen to their point of view. Many times, there has been a misunderstanding and healing takes place through the act of listening.
There is one rule: no judgement. During this time of pandemic, I invite you to take a moment: close your eyes, take a deep breath, slowly stretch out your arms, cup your hands and imagine yourself laying them on the head of a stranger or loved one, saying the words, “I lay my hands upon you in the name of the Holy Spirit…” Healing is self-awareness, loving others, and advocating for their basic needs: clean water, clean air, access to food, health care, and housing.
In all that you do: remain kind, joyful and grateful for one another.
Refugee families are often forced to leave everything behind when they flee their home countries. In the expensive Bay Area market, this means families with children are left struggling to provide their children with what they need for school. Help give them the new start they deserve through our School Supply Drive this August. The collection will be delivered to Jewish Family and Community Services East Bay, the agency partner in our Team Peg refugee family support effort.
We are collecting school supplies on Sundays, August 12, 19 and 26 by the St. Francis statue near the entrance of the cathedral. We will hold a special Blessing of the Backpacks before sending off all the supplies on Sunday, August 26. Supplies can also be ordered online and shipped to Grace Cathedral, attn: Rev. Canon Nina Pickerrell.
Questions? Email our outreach team.
Supplies Needed
- Backpacks
- Pencils
- Pens
- Three-hole binder paper
- Erasers
- Rulers
- Project/report binders
- Calculators
- Colored pencils
- Tape
- Small Paper clips
- Black Sharpie pens
- 3×5 note cards
- Glue sticks
Volunteers gathered in the morning light at Bayview Mission inside the garage-turned-production area, awaiting Santa’s arrival while packing grocery care bags and diapers for families with infants and toddlers. Soon, Santa sat ready and families lined up to have their photo. Some children gasped with joy and excitement, some felt a little scared of the big white beard, while others looked up in wonder at this visitor for Christmas named Santa Claus.
Life at Bayview Mission continues to be amazing. For example, a family came forward with numerous gifts and a check for their holiday meal. We are also working with one very special young family. Their son (whose name we will keep private) was being teased at school because he was wearing dirty clothes. Bayview Mission went to Target and purchased 4 pants, 3 shirts, underwear in addition to a laundry card, and then we bought his favorite snack: goldfish crackers. When I called his mother and asked that she bring a cart to Bayview Mission, she hesitated and answered, “Oh, I need to fix mine.”
I replied, “More good news: we have a new cart waiting for someone who could use one!”
All in all, we have built a beautiful relationship with this little family. Last year, the boy was taken from his mother and placed in foster care. It turns out that he was not eating well and his living situation was unbearable. Now, however, he has been reunited with his mom and dad, and they live just around the corner of Bayview Mission! We are making a difference! Our Grace Cathedral community’s generosity, along with our wider community at large, is having a visible, measurable, positive impact in our world.
This energetic, soft spoken boy is only 7 years old yet he has a vibrant spirit within. He loves art, especially origami paper. With his immediate needs for clothing, nightwear (sleepers), hats, jackets, and food being met, his sense of belonging and being accepted is blossoming. He came to Bayview Mission and played with the other children in the playground, a big smile across his face. He felt happy.
Then there was the Christmas Party for our Seniors at Bayview Mission.
Shhhh, it was a complete surprise! In advance of the holiday celebration, our seniors came by for warm coats, clothing, hand-knit hats, food, and household items. They were then asked for the names and ages of their grandchildren. An “elf” later brought, for Christmas, one age appropriate toy for each child when the seniors came in December. The grandparents wrapped the gift(s) and took them home to present to their grandchild/grandchildren. Fabulous!
Thank you to all who brought the true spirit of giving and the warmth of the holiday season to Bayview Mission. Know that you have made a difference and continue to do so each and every day that you share your spirit.
Photography by Tracee Zyla
Thank you to all of Santa’s helpers who donated to our Grace Gives “Year of the Gift” Holiday Drive! Together, our community served 372 children and 135 adults. Thank you for sharing the gift of your love. To learn more about how you can contribute, visit Grace Gives.
I have lived in Bayview-Hunters Point for the last 16 years. The homeless population here is different from that of the inner city of San Francisco. One church in Bayview houses 100 men and 50 women every night. They provide a safe heaven.
Within the past two years, I have seen broken down mobile homes or trailers with no electricity or running water. The family members include seniors, young adults and sometimes children, trying to make a home in a vehicle tucked out of the way on less traveled streets. I see freeway underpasses full with tents, again without electricity and running water. These are communities trying to live with one another.
The Bayview-Hunters Point area of San Francisco is, I believe, the most marginalized part of the city. With all the development taking place in San Francisco right now, affordable housing is unattainable for most families. There are eight food pantries in Bayview-Hunters Point with an average attendance of 125- 300 families for each food pantry. People rely on these pantries. While million dollar homes sell like hot cakes in my neighborhood, there are four families living in a one-family single dwelling across the street from me, and squatters live in desolate, abandoned houses.
Bayview Mission is a Special Mission of the Episcopal Diocese of California with strong support from Grace Cathedral. Our programs — Senior Program, Transitional Program for those recently homeless, Infant/Toddler Program, Veterans Program, free clothing store, and free supplies for families — all fill vast holes for goods and services for those we serve.
What would you do? You are at home. There is a knock at the door about 7:45 p.m. I call out, “Who is it?” and hear a reply, “It’s me; I am hungry.” My reply, “I will meet you downstairs.” The volunteers at Bayview Mission are called to serve one another. We are not called to our judgements. We can all assist one another simply by finding the need and filling it. If you are inspired by the impressive coordinated coverage of Bay Area media through the San Francisco Homeless Project, but not sure what to do, consider volunteering with us at Bayview Mission. I would be happy to hear from you at ninap@gracecathedral.org.