My Nonprofit Reviews

I hadn't heard of GLIDE until this past summer when I worked for the Walter & Elise Haas Fund and they were one of our grantees. During this time, I had the opportunity to meet with Kim Bender, their Director of Development, and Michael Lezak, their staff Rabbi.

Even in our first conversation, I was blown away by how the two of them embodied GLIDE's values of unconditional love and radical inclusion. They spoke about the need to be proximate to their clients and recalled a pilgrimage their community (volunteers, staff, and Tenderloin residents) recently took together to the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, opened this year to commemorate victims of lynching in the United States.

At one point, I asked Michael how he stays motivated to fight the growing tide of poverty in San Francisco; he responded with another question. When you walk through the Tenderloin and see a homeless man sitting on the corner, "how do you know you're not looking into the face of God?"

I don't identify as religious, but I attended a service at GLIDE in Late August out of curiosity. To my surprise, I left in-tears. I was enthralled by how relatable the preacher, Reverend Harry Williams, made his sermon (entitled "The Gospel of Luke...Cage"). And then there was the music. Having grown up singing church music, I was touched to see a choir made-up of so many different identities and to witness how viscerally their singers believed in the music they created.

My favorite part of the service was when the preacher instructed each of us to hug our neighbors. This allowed for a unique moment in which some of San Francisco's richest residents and its poorest came together in a show of care.

GLIDE is a cornerstone for San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood and convenes San Francisco residents from all different walks of life. Our world would be better if people supported nonprofits like GLIDE who work hard to see their clients' humanity.

I have been a Company Member with Un-Scripted for a little over a year now. The caliber of improv that this theater puts on stage night-to-night truly amazes me. Despite not getting paid, the improvisers within this company invest hours each week to refine our craft so as to give our audiences and ourselves the best time possible every time the weekend rolls around.

I am honored to perform with such talented actors and actresses on a regular basis and am grateful to the Un-Scripted volunteer staff for providing us with the space to express ourselves and engage our passion!