Our History | St. Anthony's

Over 70 years ago, Father Alfred Boeddeker opened the doors of St. Anthony’s Dining Room. Since then, we’ve expanded our services to include a medical clinic, free clothing program, technology lab, and more. But our mission remains the same: to care for those in need and create a society in which all persons flourish.

The Dining Room Opens

Father Alfred, pastor at St. Boniface Church, started by handing out sandwiches from the back door of the rectory on Golden Gate Avenue. Frustrated to see hungry men and women forced to eat on the street corners and driven by his Franciscan vow to preserve the human dignity of all people, Father Alfred set out to create a place where all were welcome to gather and share a hot meal together.

Addiction Recovery Services Established

Father Alfred noticed that some of the people eating in the Dining Room were experiencing homelessness, suffering from substance use disorder, or both. When a donor gifted St. Anthony’s a home, Father Alfred invited guests to live there until they could get back on their feet. In the 1980s, the program took on more structure, incorporating the 12 steps of the Alcoholics Anonymous program, and becoming the Father Alfred Center addiction recovery program of today.

Medical Clinic Opens

When a tuberculosis epidemic attacked San Francisco, St. Anthony’s transformed the tiny first-aid room adjoining the Dining Room into a makeshift clinic, where guests could be tested for the disease. Eventually, the new Medical Clinic expanded onto the second floor of the building at Golden Gate Avenue and Jones Street, where closets were converted into exam rooms. The clinic was located there until 2008, when St. Anthony’s completed the new building across the street.

6 Millionth Meal is Served

Father Alfred knew that if the public saw the good work he and his volunteers were doing, they’d be moved to help the growing organization serve more people. To help spread the word, St. Anthony’s began celebrating Millionth Meal milestones. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy sent a telegram from the White House congratulating St. Anthony’s on 6 million meals served.

Volunteer Service Program Launches

St. Anthony’s has always been a volunteer-centric organization, but in 1986 the practice was taken to the next level. St. Anthony’s recognized that volunteering was not just something that assisted its programs in running smoothly — it was also something that many San Franciscans needed to feel fulfilled. Enlisting the help of professional coordinators, the volunteer program grew, providing opportunities to citizens looking to help and building stronger bridges between the housed and unhoused communities.

Free Clothing Program Opens

St. Anthony’s has always kept extra clothes on hand to give away when guests arrived at the Dining Room shoeless or in tattered clothing or with no coat on a cold night. But in 1988, St. Anthony’s recognized that the need for clothes — especially business clothes — was great enough that the program needed to be formalized. From then on, donated clothes were collected and given to anyone in need, growing into the largest free clothing service in San Francisco.

Tenderloin Technology Lab Opens

In the early 2000’s, as times changed and computer skills became essential for both life and work, St. Anthony’s recognized that there was a growing need for access and education in the community. The Tenderloin Tech Lab started as a computer lab where guests learned basic skills, but soon expanded to offer classes and workshops, access to the Internet and other tools, and the opportunity for guests to network and stay connected with each other and the world.

New Dining Room Opens

The new Dining Room was designed to serve more than 2,000 meals per day, with a restaurant-grade kitchen and spacious dining area, making room for the many volunteers who serve each day and honoring the dignity of guests.

Winter Shelter Opens

With more people living on the streets, the Dining Room’s enclosed porch was overflowing during off-hours with those who needed overnight shelter from the rain and cold. That’s when St. Anthony’s staff began converting the Dining Room itself into a shelter when it wasn’t being used for meals. They rolled away the tables, installed mats, and opened up overnight so people could stay warm and dry during winter weather.

California Wildfire Shelter is Provided

When wildfires blanketed the city with smoke, St. Anthony’s staff opened the Dining Room to let guests breathe easily. Eventually, the use of the Dining Room as a shelter led to other opportunities to use the space as a community center after lunch service. It has become a place for chess clubs, choir practice, and other activities that bring the community together.

COVID-19 Pandemic Response

The pandemic shelter-in-place orders increased the need for meals by 30 percent almost overnight. St. Anthony’s pivoted immediately, adapting the Dining Room’s indoor meal service to a socially-distanced curbside model. The Tech Lab also moved services outside, providing laptop usage, mobile phone-charging stations, and high-speed WiFi access on the sidewalk. The Free Clothing Program switched to curbside distribution, and the Resource Center set up a tent to direct guests to agencies for rent relief, shelters, and food pantries.

Hygiene Hub Opens

Many of St. Anthony’s guests do not have safe, regular access to shower and laundry services— a situation that was only exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. To meet this critical need, St. Anthony’s opened a Hygiene Hub, where guests can use showers and laundry machines in a calm setting that respects their dignity.

70 Years of Hope