A message from Shari Roeseler, our Executive Director

At St. Anthony’s, we link people and create relationships to make something bigger than the sum of its parts. This is the legacy of our founder, Father Alfred Boeddeker. The strength of his compassion for the poor allowed him to see through the disparate elements of poverty to the potential that could be harnessed.

There was a deep-seated practicality in this Franciscan vision. This is how Fr. Alfred transformed an old auto repair shop into an open space of community, hope and possibility. This is the foundation that has served our community for more than 60 years.
Compassion at St. Anthony’s continues to be practical and therefore responsive. Recently, what looked like limitless economic growth suddenly shifted gears. We have all felt the pinch of scarcity and new limitations, but those hit hardest by the downturn have been those whose resources were already limited. Today as social services contract, these are the people watching their last line of defense disappear. In the Tenderloin we witness daily the human toll taken by social and economic policies.

In the coming months, St. Anthony’s is undertaking another significant investment in our community. In response to increases across all of our programs, we are building a new Dining Room which will allow us to serve thousands more each year. The impact will be felt in the Bay Area for at least another 60 years. We are investing in the bonds that join us together and remind us that we are not alone. Together, we can muster the resources. Together, we carry the responsibility.

Removing barriers and building community gives our work an impact greater than the visible outcomes. As we build connections across economic divisions, we make the entire community stronger. Uniting compassion, community, and practical experience unleashes potential that can’t be measured.

Thank you for building this community with us.

Sincerely,
Shari

Shari Roeseler,
Executive Director

For more information about St. Anthony’s New Dining Room Campaign, please click here.