A Summer in the Tenderloin

“This city is so weird. Everyone judges people on appearances and if you look bad you’re damned to look even worse because no one gives you a chance.” That is what one client told me as our conversation digressed from the California ID application I was helping him fill out. It was a Friday afternoon and we were in my office. He had just moved to the city 2 months ago and so far, he hadn’t been enjoying his stay. Being homeless is hard he told me. “The police tell me that I can’t sleep one place and tell me to go down the street. I go where they told me and then they wake me up again and tell me to go somewhere else. I’ve even been kicked awake by security guards… And the cold is horrible. I’ve been to Arizona when it was 100 something degrees, and that was fine, but the cold, I can’t stand. And everything is so convoluted. I spent two hours waiting to get into a shelter someone referred me to only to find out it was for people under 24 years old. I wasn’t even allowed to use the bathroom. People keep giving me wrong information. I put in volunteer hours to get a bike so I can get places but now I have no lock so I can’t even go into any of the buildings I get to”. For nearly an hour I listened as he told me all the things that frustrated and angered him. That hour I was able to see San Francisco through his eyes, an unfamiliar city of unwelcoming people, where his hopes to improve his life are blocked by a confusing tangle of paperwork, appointments and disconnected information. All I could do that day was refer him to a few shelters.  But when he left I could tell that we accomplished something very important that afternoon .Perhaps for the first time in weeks, someone was willing to put in the time to sit down and listen to his problems.

It is amazing how much simply listening to someone with patience, care ,and respect can mean to the people that walk through St. Anthony’s doors. For many who are homeless, poor, or mentally ill San Francisco can be a lonely and unforgiving place. However, no matter how one looks, talks or acts, as soon as they enter St. Anthony’s they are treated with dignity by people who take the time to get to know each guest on an individual level. I think that is what makes this place so special. A few weeks ago I took a client on a pantry visit and the client got very annoyed that I had to watch her while she shopped and she made it very clear that she did not like me.  Because of what I learned at St. Anthony’s  I was able to distance myself and realize that there are many reasons a client may behave this way. Many of our clients live under extreme financial and emotional stress and this could be an emotional outlet; or , the client may be used to interacting with people in such a manner due to her  harsh environments. St. Anthony’s taught me that behind every rough exterior there is a story and here in the Tenderloin it is a story that is often filled with numerous obstacles and hardships. Working here, I got an opportunity to get to know so many unique, kindhearted and amazingly resilient people with fascinating life experiences who have broadened my world view in magnitudes. St. Anthony’s is a haven for people from all corners of society and I am honored and grateful to have had the opportunity to take part in their work this summer.

Diane Qi was a summer intern in St. Anthony’s Social Work Center and Medical Clinic.