Board of Trustee of the Glide Foundation
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I had the unique opportunity to spend the day with Glide's executive directors learning about all the programs that they offered, as well as spending time with clients and staff members. I also volunteered during lunch service. The entire staff is incredibly dedicated and passionate about what they do and the people they serve. The amount of work and the breadth of services they offer is staggering, and to think they are only serving one neighborhood in SF (albeit one that needs a lot of support). I heard first hand stories about Glide saving lives...heart wrenching and so inspiring. A truly amazing organization.
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Would you volunteer for this group again?
Definitely
For the time you spent, how much of an impact did you feel your work or activity had?
Some
Did the organization use your time wisely?
Very Well
Would you recommend this group to a friend?
Definitely
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2012
I had the amazing opportunity to work with Glide in the Communications Department to raise awareness for the wonderful services that the foundation brings to the tenderloin area of San Francisco. Glide's work is a constant uphill battle because of the raising problems of homelesness in San Francisco. Overall it was a great experience.
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If this organization had 10 million bucks, it could...
probably get the whole world to understand that Glide is striving to break the vicious cycle of poverty in San Francisco...and doing a great job at it...
How frequently have you been involved with the organization?
About every week
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2010
Glide provides such a wonderful service to the community. I helped serve dinner there one night, and the staff's dedication was phenomenal. It was hot and people kept pouring in for dinner, but everyone was smiling and singing and having a good time. It's a great atmosphere where people can feel safe.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
the sheer number of people who go to Glide for help. It's also a staple of SF life, so everyone knows what it is.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
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What I've enjoyed the most about my experience with this nonprofit is...
the friendliness of the staff.
Ways to make it better...
I had stayed longer and interacted with the other people there.
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2008
Serving dinner at Glide is no small feat...the organization receives as many as 1,000 people per meal and making this happen within the 2-hour time period allotted takes an efficient system and committed workers. Luckily, Glide has both. The team I worked with was one of the most enthusiastic and friendly I have ever encountered in a soup kitchen, and their assembly-line system of plating and serving enables them to meet their high demands effectively and quickly. I was part of the crew putting food on the trays and was impressed not only by the sheer numbers that Glide received for dinner but also by how helpful and welcoming the staff was to our group. I really enjoyed being a part of this organization's work. Their drop-in meals are a great way for those in need to come and get food without any other questions asked. It's one of many important services that Glide provides.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
the fact that so many people show up for meals! It definitely shows that people are happy with the work Glide is doing.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
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The kinds of staff and volunteers that I met were...
enthusiastic, efficient, welcoming, helpful, friendly.
If this organization had 10 million bucks, it could...
easily feed all of San Francisco.
Ways to make it better...
I had interacted more with the guests. Given the sheer amount of people Glide receives, though, it's not that realistic to have the same face time I've had with visitors at smaller soup kitchens.
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2008
I've worked at other soup kitchens before and they do fantastic work serving the community. Glide is no exception. The staff are hardworking and dedicated to the people that they serve, but they do so with a welcoming attitude and a good sense of humor, really making the clients feel comfortable in the space. There is no pressure and no solicitation--basically no questions asked. They do great work serving this area.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
the efficiency of the program--they serve huge number of people and have a ton of volunteers, all of whom obviously think that this organization does great work
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What I've enjoyed the most about my experience with this nonprofit is...
my ability to immediately see the impact of my contribution and volunteer efforts
The kinds of staff and volunteers that I met were...
dedicated, compassionate, and hardworking--they went out of their way to make jokes with regular clients, to create custom trays, and to make sure that all of the trays were filled with enough food
If this organization had 10 million bucks, it could...
serve even better, more nutritious food--right now they serve good meals while serving a lot of people, but with more money they could create even better, more complete meals
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2008
I really appreciated my experience at Glide! After a brief orientation the staff wasted no time in dressing the volunteers in plastic aprons and gloves and putting us to work. I was the lucky lady on gumbo duty and was in charge of pouring a ladle of gumbo onto the trays in the dinner assembly line. One of my favorite parts of the experience was interacting with the enthusiastic staff while they fed us slices of peach and eagerly helped switch out the empty food bins with new ones. I also loved the music playing in the cafeteria that kept the volunteers singing and staying positive and added energy to the busy room. I really appreciate the glide policy where individuals receive meal tickets without having to answer any questions about their identity or why they were there-- this allowed for an accepting organization that served all different kinds of people. My only concern was that the kitchen could get very hectic at times with gumbo sloshing and rice flying-- I'm not sure how to tighten up an already extremely organized assembly line but i worry that someone could slip or get burned.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
the amount of people served and receiving a healthy meal, the happy staff (always encouraging and high energy) and the way it turned around my day as a volunteer.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
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The kinds of staff and volunteers that I met were...
busy and happy!
Ways to make it better...
I could have seen or learned about other Glide programs so I could have a range of reasons to come back and volunteer.
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2008
I helped serve dinner here last week, standing in the "assembly" line putting peaches and nectarines on the meal trays. It's fantastic that Glide has this First Meals program, where clients can come have a hot breakfast, lunch, or dinner anonymously, without fear of needing to register or be solicited in any way, in a dining hall. If clients are still hungry after receiving their first meal tray, they can ask for another meal ticket and get another tray. The kitchen staff are friendly, welcoming, hardworking, and speedy, and they try to create meals that are as nutritious as possible with the food that they receive from San Francisco Food Bank. However, the dinner shift runs from 3:30pm-5:30pm, which may be more convenient than a more standard dinner time for the servers and volunteers, but seems to be too early for the clients. Something like 5:30-7:30pm seems to be more reasonable, especially during the summer when it doesn't get dark until 9pm (if safety is the concern).
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The kinds of staff and volunteers that I met were...
determined, hardworking, speedy.
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2008
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