Looking Back and to the Future: Major Accomplishments in the Past Nine Years

Take a moment to review some of CLAER's major accomplishments over the past nine years. As we look to the future of this work, it's important to review past milestones and look to areas where we can improve and do more.



CLAER SUMMARY PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Policy/Campaigns:
• Campaign for Life – first organizing efforts to bring public attention to the issue
• Peacemakers – direct action street campaign
• Peace Agenda – secured funding for beginning CRN efforts with Supervisors Chris Daly and Ross Mirikarimi, victim services expansion, and relocation support
• Advocated with Speaker Pelosi’s office on:
o Assembly Bill 2869 – with Asm. Mark Leno, expanding victim services statewide
• Supporters of San Francisco’s Gun Ban
• Proposition A – Anti-homicide legislation – in conjunction with Supervisor Chris Daly
• Support of Foot Patrols, in conjunction with Supervisor Ross Mirikarimi
• Advocate for Prop 63 – expansion of Mental Health Services, particularly as they intersect with PTSD from exposure to violence
• Advocates for DPH’s expansion of the Critical Incidence Response Team (CIRT)
• Peace Zone – public media campaign, in conjunction with the Mayor’s Office of Community Development, Viacom, and Police Commissioner Vernice.
• SFUSD Peace Zone for kids in conjunction with DCYF
• Call to Remembrance (February) – 500 person demonstration calling for expanded victim services and a redirection of federal funding for urban agendas; Manifesto calling for San Francisco’s 5-year Anti-violence plan*
• Katrina respondents in collaboration with SF State and the Mayor’s Office.
• “Blueprint for Safer Streets” highlighting the need for increased gender-specific services in collaboration with Mo-Magic, the Mayor’s Office, and the Safety Net
• Advocacy for the creation of a model serving paraplegic gunshot victims that suffer permanent spinal injuries, in conjunction with Sup. Alioto-Pier and the Department of Public Health, and the SF General Trauma Center (Dr. Campbell)
• Budget Processes for 2005-06, 2006-07, advocating for expanded housing ex-offenders, and increased support for victims, in conjunction with the BOS finance committee Coleman Advocates
• Provided support technical assistance, and content on the Violence segment in the San Francisco Covenant, in conjunction with Dr. Cornell West, Tavis Smiley, and Angela Blackwell
• Darfur resolution, in conjunction with Youth Commission – broadening education.
• Appointed to SF African American Out-migration Taskforce
• Anchoring organization on housing and land use issues as member of CCHO, weighing in on SF Hope and redevelopment in the Southeast sector

Capacity Building:
• Visitacion Valley Violence Prevention Collaborative (founding member)
• Visitacion Valley Workforce Development Collaborative (founding member), in conjunction with the Haas Foundation
• Visitacion Valley CRN
• Partnerships with SF Public Defender’s office around re-entry services: Clean Slate program, and B-Magic’s efforts
• Healing Circle co-founder
• WHISPERS co-founder
• ICCE/Urban Institute partnerships for expanded curriculums and community resident access to SF State University, approximately 35 individuals have participated as a result of the program. Currently administering groundbreaking Disaster Preparedness Model for residents of Sunnydale Public Housing Development
• Fellowship program established, bringing a team of academicians and policy experts to the issue
• Highlighted SF Public Housing High School Graduates in 2006 and 2007, in conjunction with the SF Housing Authority, SFUSD, the Mayor’s Office of Community Development, and the Housing Commission
• Participating in helping shape San Francisco’s Section 8/Public Housing summit, in conjunction with SF State’s ICCE and the SF Housing Authority
• Darfur – created first opportunity for public housing families to engage in dialogue around the crisis in Darfur
• Ongoing relationship with USF, currently working with a team of 5 interns on policy development
• Political and electoral education, in conjunction with PowerPAC.org and the Department of Elections, including issues of diversity (CAA, Visitacion Valley partners), ranked-choice voting, and immigrant rights (with La Raza). One specific activity was around paying increasing attention to the Samoan electorate

Direct Service:
CLAER maintains contact and support for over 200 families, representing over 700 individuals throughout the city.
• MANN Program – intervention effort to engage highest-risk males in Sunnydale Public Housing (w/BAYCAT)
o Grandma’s Tea Party – effort to bring at-risk families into non-threatening conversations around parenting, stress management, and healthy eating habits
o WOMANS – work with female heads-of-household on stress management, increased access to mental health and drug treatment, in conjunction with Asian American Recovery Services
o Everlasting Arms – effort to engage senior residents around meaningful civic activity
o MOMS Meaning Business – Mother’s day emphasis moving from victimization to action
o Employment efforts – Job fair – 400 participants in Sunnydale
o Backpack giveaways (annually) – 300-500 families participating
o Adopt-a-family (annually) – connection