Safety. Joy. Renewal: A Night of Hope and Action in the Tenderloin 

April 1, 2025

On Thursday, March 27th, St. Anthony’s welcomed neighbors, leaders and frontline advocates into our doors for a powerful Tenderloin Town Hall — an evening rooted in community, hope and a shared commitment to transforming the Tenderloin into a safe, thriving neighborhood for all. 

Moderated by St. Anthony’s CEO Dr. Larry Kwan, the conversation featured Tenderloin Supervisor Bilal Mahmood, Mayor Daniel Lurie and the City’s Policy Chief of Homelessness, Health and Family Services, Kunal Modi.  

The room was filled with voices that reflect the heart of the Tenderloin — families, parents and longtime community members alongside representatives from organizations deeply rooted in this neighborhood, including TLCBD, Code Tenderloin, TNDC, Larkin Street, De Marillac Academy, GLIDE and the Tenderloin Housing Clinic. Together, they brought forward thoughtful, urgent questions — asking the mayor directly about the challenges our communities face every day, and the kind of support needed to move forward. 

St. Anthony’s has always been a place where people are met with dignity and walked alongside with compassion. This town hall reflected that same belief — that real change happens when we come together, listen well and work side by side to care for our community. 

A Tenderloin That Belongs to Children and Families 

“There are 3,500 children who live in the Tenderloin. What is there for them to do here?”
-Supervisor Bilal Mahmood 

This question echoed through the room. A neighborhood with thousands of children deserves safe sidewalks, clean parks and joyful spaces to play and grow — places like the Golden Gate Greenway. And yet, many families feel they can’t walk their blocks without fear. 

Supervisor Mahmood emphasized that public safety must go hand in hand with investment in joy. That’s why the city is hosting the Tenderloin Eid Street Fair on April 5 — a day of food, music and celebration designed to bring neighbors together and create space for children to simply be kids. 

In a light moment, the supervisor even convinced Mayor Lurie to take a turn in the dunk tank. 

Leading With Compassion and Accountability 

Mayor Lurie spoke candidly about his efforts to meet people where they are — literally. Nearly every morning, he walks San Francisco’s streets, stopping to speak with people in crisis. 

The message from the mayor and city leaders was clear: San Francisco’s approach must evolve. We must move from fragmentation to coordination, from short-term fixes to lasting systems of care. 

Modi shared efforts to rework the city’s outreach teams into neighborhood-based models with unified command and clearer clinical pathways — so people don’t just get touched by services but truly helped by them. 

Healing Happens Here 

Throughout the evening, the St. Anthony’s model was held up as an example of what’s possible. 

“You’ve got a pretty good model of what works right here at St. Anthony’s,” Modi said. 

Every guest who walks through our doors brings a unique story, set of needs and vision for what’s next. At St. Anthony’s, we practice personalism — meeting each person with dignity and tailoring support through integrated services that honor the whole individual. Whether it’s a meal, medical care, workforce support or addiction recovery services, we walk alongside our guests as they build toward stability and renewal. 

Completing the Bridge 

A former guest and alumnus of the recovery program at St. Anthony’s Father Alfred Center stood up and said it best: 

“We send people to detox. We send them to transitional housing. And then we drop them. We need to complete the bridge. We need drug-free housing. We need stability after treatment — or people fall back.” 

The message resonated throughout the room: housing is not one-size-fits-all. People need options that reflect where they are in their journey. Modi echoed that sentiment, noting that the City doesn’t just need more shelter beds — it needs the right kinds of beds, with the right levels of care. 

“The reality is we don’t have the right types of beds in our system today,” Modi said. “Some we need to decommission, and others we need to create — with clinical support, safety and dignity at the center.” 

Gratitude, Hope and What Comes Next 

As the evening came to a close, Mayor Lurie offered a sincere thank-you to the Tenderloin community — a moment of deep gratitude for the work being done every day: 

“First, I want to say thank you. Just thank you. You don’t get it enough. Thank you for your commitment to this community. Thank you for your commitment to San Francisco. I know the work that you do is not easy, and it goes unrecognized most of the time … but just remember why we’re doing this work — and that’s going to carry us through these challenging times.” 

At St. Anthony’s, we remain committed to being a place of hope, stability and renewal — and a model of what’s working in our city. We’re proud to walk alongside a community that doesn’t just imagine a better future — it works to build one, every single day.