The C.L.A.E.R. Project

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

2010-06-02T11:44:00.000-07:00

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

CLAER Gets Press From the NEW YORK TIMES!

2009-12-18T14:25:00.001-08:00

CLEAN SLATE ANNIVERSARY: Please Join Me

2009-11-29T19:50:00.000-08:00

I am so excited and honored to take part in the SF Public Defender's Office Clean Slate Program 10th Year Anniversary.

Please join me for a free dinner and reception (RSVPs are a must)

C.L.A.E.R. is getting press in Hong Kong! Check it out!

2009-11-29T19:49:00.001-08:00

Take a look at C.L.A.E.R.'s work in CHINESE DAILY:

http://www.chinesetoday.com/news/show/id/678

Collard Green Express Cookbook

2009-11-29T19:45:00.000-08:00

C.L.A.E.R. has set the goal of raising 200.00 per day everyday next week.

The C.L.A.E.R. Project is proud to announce the introduction of the "COLLARD GREEN EXPRESS" cookbook! We have been working on this book for over a year, and it is finally available for purchase! Please call 415-333-3017 to place an order.

ABOUT THE COLLARD GREEN EXPRESS:

Every other week the C.L.A.E.R. Project holds the "Collard Green Express" at their 170 Brookdale "Careers Plus" economic development center. The "Collard Green Express" is a flea market and collard green distribution, but, more importantly, a way to disseminate information to the community. C.L.A.E.R. informs public housing residents of recent HUD policy changes, news on the upcoming rebuild of Sunnydale public housing, and different community meetings in the neighborhood.

C.L.A.E.R. also recognizes the healthy and sustainable value of collard greens, and hopes this recipe book will encourage a new generation to enjoy the wonderful experience of cooking a meal with collard greens, and sharing it with those you love.

C.L.A.E.R. wishes to thank the Garden Project, under the leadership Cathrine Sneed and San Francisco Sheriff Michael Hennessey, for producing our weekly greens, and for continually supporting our work. This project couldn't have been done without your ongoing support.

Shareka Powell and Cheryl Jackson were also integral in the creation of this book. We thank them for their contributions.

C.L.A.E.R. also thanks Officer Murphy, and dedicates this recipe book, "The Collard Green Express" to him. His suggestion that we use collard greens as a way to promote health and family shows the subtle, and special, nuances of partnership.

Thank you, and enjoy!

Gender Based Violence

2009-11-29T19:43:00.000-08:00

As the economy worsens, we are seeing an increase in gender-based violence in San Francisco, and throughout the world.

Please take a look at this article and continue to support CLAER's work as we attempt to eradicate street violence and violence in the home.

http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=2&aid=9&dir=2009/November/Thursday26

Celebrate Eight Years of Work!

2009-11-16T21:10:00.000-08:00

STAND WITH C.L.A.E.R

If you have ever been helped by C.L.A.E.R., or appreciate our efforts on behalf of the community

PLEASE COME CELEBRATE OUR
8th Anniversary
11/18

3-5pm

Sharen Hewitt, Executive Director

WHO: The C.L.A.E.R. Project
WHAT: Anniversary Celebration with FOOD, MUSICAL ACTS, POLYNESIAN DANCERS, AWARDS
WHEN: 11/18/08 (Wednesday) 3:00-5:00pm
WHERE: 1654 Sunnydale Avenue (Community Room)

“Come Stand With Us, As We Have Stood With You”
-Sharen Hewitt

RSVP NOW- LIMITED SEATING- 415-333-3017

2009-11-16T16:09:00.000-08:00

C.L.A.E.R. is sponsoring a ROUND OF GOLF with former 49er GUY MCINTRYE on Wednesday from 11-1pm at Gleneagles Golf Course (2100 Sunnydale Avenue). Proceeds go to CLAER! Call 415-333-3017 to RSVP/Users/guest/Guy.jpg

Concerned about my health? Take me to lunch!

2009-10-28T09:56:00.000-07:00

In recent months, many of you have made concerned comments regarding my recent weight loss. Thank you for the concern.

As a result of the outpouring of support, I am starting a new fundraising campaign called "Take Me To Dinner".

I know many of you go out to dinner quite frequently. I would like for you to consider donating the cost of one meal out to my program, to help sustain both me, and the C.L.A.E.R. Project.

All donations are tax deductible. Our tax ID number is 943273367.

Checks can be made out to:

C.L.A.E.R./I.C.Y. and sent to
1099 Sunnydale Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94134

Thank you for everything,

Sharen Hewitt
Executive Director
The Community Leadership Academy and Emergency Response Project (C.L.A.E.R.)
1099 Sunnydale Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94134
www.claerproject.org
www.theclaerproject.blogspot.com
TWITTER: TheCLAERProject

Legislative Update: Children, Youth, and Families!

2009-10-25T21:15:00.002-07:00

The C.L.A.E.R. Project, in conjunction with Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth, will be holding a discussion this week to discuss upcoming legislation that affect low-income children and their families.

This Brown Bag Lunch: Legislative Updates session is part of a monthly series sponsored by the C.L.A.E.R. Project to bring heightened education to both the residents and service providers in the 94134 and 94124 area codes.

Who: Chelsea Boilard, Family and Policy Communications, Coleman Advocates
What: Overview of Budget Process and Advocacy, Upcoming Legislation
When: Thursday 10/29/09 from 12-2pm
Where: 1099 Sunnydale Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94134
Why: Increased opportunities for education and networking

You may RSVP by replying to this email or calling 415-333-3017.

Sharen Hewitt
Executive Director
The Community Leadership Academy and Emergency Response Project (C.L.A.E.R.)
1099 Sunnydale Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94134
www.claerproject.org
www.theclaerproject.blogspot.com
TWITTER: TheCLAERProject

10/27 UPDATE Samoan Aid

2009-10-25T21:15:00.001-07:00

On 9/22 many of you attended our Brown Bag Lunch: Samoa/West Samoa lecture. The discussion was well attended, and gave us all a greater understanding of the region and our neighbors. A little over a week after that session, the area was hit by a disaster that killed hundreds, and left even more without shelter or food.

This Tuesday, the C.L.A.E.R. Project, in conjunction the Samoan Community Development Center, will be holding an update session for those groups and individuals who have been involved in providing aid to the region in the weeks since it was devastated by a tsunami on September 30th.

While the San Francisco Bay Area has offer much aid and support the the region, there is still much work to be done, and this intimate discussion will serve as a way to coordinate a comprehensive strategy for support.

What: A discussion on efforts thus far, and effort still needed
When: 10/27/09 12pm-2pm
Where: 1099 Sunnydale Avenue

Please RSVP by replying to this email, or calling 415-333-3017.

We look forward to this substantive and solution oriented discussion.

Here are some articles that may guide our discussion:

http://www.disasternews.net/news/article.php?articleid=3982

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/nz-govt-winds-down-samoan-assistance-3091424

Sharen Hewitt
Executive Director
The Community Leadership Academy and Emergency Response Project (C.L.A.E.R.)
1099 Sunnydale Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94134
www.claerproject.org
www.theclaerproject.blogspot.com
TWITTER: TheCLAERProject

The C.L.A.E.R. Project Responds to the HOPE SF

2009-09-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

To: Mercy Housing and Related
Henry Alvarez, Executive Director, San Francisco Housing Authority
San Francisco Housing Authority Commissioners
Douglas Shoemaker, Director, San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing

From: Sharen Hewitt, Executive Director, C.L.A.E.R. Project

RE: HOPE SF Master Plan Advisory Committee in Sunnydale

DATE: 9/17/09

The C.L.A.E.R. Project has participated in the Sunnydale Master Plan Advisory Committee meetings with Mercy Housing since they began in June. C.L.A.E.R. Staff, as well as program affiliates, have been active in the process, attending bus tours and meetings. While we sincerely appreciate the efforts of the Mercy Housing and related staff, I am writing now because I feel there are continued missed opportunities for resident education and engagement in this planning process.

Oftentimes the meetings focus of the most superficial aspects of the rebuild. Attendees spend the majority of the meetings talking about parking, building types, and amenities, when frankly, we don’t even know who is going to live here. There has been no discussion of strategies to stabilize the existing at-risk population in order to ensure that they are eligible for one of the new units. We don’t know how many units will be rebuilt. We have never gotten a specific breakdown on unit types to be rebuilt. While it is most appreciated that residents have been able to weigh in on the location and number of laundry facilities, C.L.A.E.R. feels that these discussions could be, and should be, far more substantive.

Additionally, C.L.A.E.R. has consistently brought up three key issues in these meetings that have gone unaddressed, and have not been reflected on any Meeting Agendas:

1. The need for a comprehensive emergency disaster plan for Sunnydale specifically;
2. The need for a “Public Safety Committee”;
3. The need for a small theatre in the newly rebuilt “Community Room” as a way to showcase some of the amazingly talented youths and adults residing in Sunnydale public housing

These comments are always well received in the meetings, but are then never reflected in any of the subsequent presentations.

I am also concerned about the number of residents in Sunnydale who are not engaged with this insular process. The C.L.A.E.R. Project has a second center located at 170 Brookdale Avenue in the Sunnydale development. Our neighbors on this block, some residents for over 45 years, have not been reached out to by Mercy Housing and Related. Furthermore, large segments of the API population residing on Brookdale remain unengaged, including our Cambodian neighbors. C.L.A.E.R. has continually offered to help facilitate a meeting between this segment of the neighborhood and Mercy Housing, and that offer remains.

Finally, I am, perhaps, most concerned, with the growing number of consultants that have been attending the Master Plan Advisory Committee meetings. I feel this money could be better spent on developing resident leadership, resident outreach, or resident employment. The ratio of residents to consultants is truly deplorable.

The C.L.A.E.R. Project will continue to encourage, as we have historically, resident participation, but only resident participation anchored in economic development and real educational opportunities. C.L.A.E.R. continues to extend the offer of partnership to Mercy Housing, the San Francisco Housing Authority, and the Mayor’s Office of Housing as the HOPE SF planning process in Sunnydale continues.

Sincerely,

Sharen Hewitt
Executive Director
The C.L.A.E.R. Project

The C.L.A.E.R. Project Responds to SFHA Elections

2009-09-25T11:53:00.000-07:00

TO: Henry Alvarez, Director, San Francisco Housing Authority
Kyle Pedersen, Director of Governmental Affairs, San Francisco Housing Authority
Denise Kimble, Program Specialist, San Francisco Housing Authority
Kim Brown, President, Public Housing Tenants Association

FROM: Sharen Hewitt, Executive Director, C.L.A.E.R. Project

RE: San Francisco Housing Authority Resident Elections on 9/23/09

DATE: 9/21/09

Beginning as early as July, C.L.A.E.R. has expressed interest in participating in the San Francisco Housing Authority’s Resident Council elections in Sunnydale. C.L.A.E.R., an organization whose very mission is based on building resident capacity, sees the process of resident elections as crucial to the overall development of indigenous resident leadership.

C.L.A.E.R. is proud to enjoy an active partnership with the San Francisco Housing Authority- one that lends itself to authentic and real feedback. To this end, given our observations of the resident election process and outreach, we cannot add legitimacy by participating until the SFHA can do a better job in the execution of Resident Council elections. We implore the SFHA to further consider their decision to hold elections this Wednesday, and to please view the upcoming resident elections as a real opportunity for building leadership. This is an opportunity that cannot be squandered, particularly with important decisions coming up around the SFRA Schlage Lock site, and HOPE SF.

In the interest of seeing free and fair elections, the C.L.A.E.R. Project is offering the following suggestions on how the process could be improved to increase resident participation and maximize the election experience:

1. C.L.A.E.R. suggests, and would be happy to participate in, an aggressive level of outreach and education surrounding elections of resident leaders. The help of residents, and specifically longtime residents, should be enlisted by the SFHA to ensure the highest level of engagement possible. Community based organizations in the area should also be asked to outreach to their program affiliates and Board members.
2. Candidates MUST be adequately educated before the election takes place. This means ensuring they are well versed in the regulations surrounding the distribution of resident participation funding. Residents running for office should also be familiar with the City-Wide Resident Organization (CWRO), the Public Housing Tenants Association (PHTA), and the Citywide Council for Senior and Disabled (CCSD), and how their specific resident council interacts with those entities. Candidates should also be provided with a copy of the bylaws for the resident Council for which they are running. Prospective candidates should also be made aware the time commitment that should be allotted for their new post. Are they able to represent the development at various Commission meetings? Do they have the capacity to hold office hours on-site? How often can they hold public forums in the development? These are all questions that must be asked of potential leaders, as this is what their fellow residents expect of them.
3. We must use these elections as a way to spur further civic participation. In 2005 the Berkeley Housing Authority enlisted the assistance of the League of Women Voters to help oversee and facilitate the election of Residential Council officers. The League of Women voters could also be on-site during resident elections to register residents to vote in the upcoming San Francisco Municipal Election.
4. C.L.A.E.R. wants to ensure that all notices and election materials are available in multiple languages to maximize full participation of the resident body.

Today C.L.A.E.R. sent a staff member to be trained at the San Francisco Housing Authority as an election monitor in the hopes that we could contribute to the election process. Instead, this training session just further highlighted the amount of opportunities we have missed, and how much more could be garnered from this process. It is because we view this process is so injured that with all due respect, we are unable to participate at this time.

Sunnydale, as the largest development in San Francisco, and the 16th largest in the nation, must set the example for tenant leadership throughout the United States. This can only happen through collaboration with neighborhood organizations, persistent outreach within the development, and a true commitment to building the capacity of residents of public housing. Simply put, this process needs more time.

C.L.A.E.R. anticipates a response from the San Francisco Housing Authority regarding these suggestions and their implementation. We look forward to continued work with the San Francisco Housing Authority around this topic and others.

The C.L.A.E.R. Project Responds to Slow EMS Response Times to the Southeast Sector

2009-09-25T11:52:00.000-07:00

The C.L.A.E.R. Project
1099 Sunnydale Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94134
www.claerproject.org
www.theclaerproject.blogspot.com
TWITTER: TheCLAERProject

**Media Advisory**
9/25/09

Contacts:
Sharen Hewitt, Executive Director, 415-724-4797
Laurel Moeslein 415-694-8355

Yesterday the San Francisco Examiner reported that of the 10 Fire/EMS zones in San Francisco, Zone 9, which encompasses the majority of San Francisco’s Southeast sector, has the slowest response time.

The C.L.A.E.R. Project salutes and continually commends the diligent and heroic work of San Francisco’s firefighter’s and emergency medical staff, who act as first-line respondents for the sick, wounded, and terrified. However, when response times lag we must remember that the victim is not the only one who suffers. If an individual is shot and the ambulance is slow to respond, the neighborhood is victim to this image, and children suffer from PTSD and trauma for years to come. Many of the children living in San Francisco’s Southeast sector have attended far more funerals that graduations, and death is far too commonplace in our neighborhoods. Slow response4 times mean not only more lives are loss, but the culture of death and destruction is more likely to saturate our already vulnerable communities.

Response times in vulnerable neighborhoods should be comparable to those of District 2. Parity is not just something we should hope for- but something that should be absolutely guaranteed.

C.L.A.E.R. Addresses Excessive Police Activity in Visitacion Valley

2009-09-17T21:41:00.000-07:00

MEMORANDUM

TO: George Gascon, Chief, San Francisco Police Department
San Francisco Unified School District Board of Education
San Francisco Board of Supervisors

FROM: Sharen Hewitt, Executive Director, C.L.A.E.R Project

RE: Excessive Violence and Police Presence in Visitacion Valley with a Lack of
Matching Mental Health Resources

DATE: September 17, 2009

Last spring, the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) made several recommendations for the San Francisco Police Department’s Ingleside Police District. As a result, in April 2009, the Ingleside District entered into Phase 1 Station Implementation of the PERF recommendations, and police activity district increased dramatically.

On 9/17/09 Visitacion Valley residents experienced a number of alarming incidents that need immediate attention from all local agencies, departments, and elected officials. Twice on 9/17/09, following gunshots, the area was effectively shut down by police cars and officers converging in the center of the neighborhood- from the corner of Sunnydale Ave. and Hahn St. to the corner of Sunnydale Ave. and Rey St. The problem is not that the officers were present, because they were responding with the sense of urgency that was appropriate for the situation. The problem was that the neighborhood came under siege with police activity at approximately 3:30pm, while children are getting off the bus from school, and again 6:00pm, when children are getting picked up from various childcare centers, or one of the two Boys and Girls Clubs in the area. As a result of these inopportune times, children and their parents witnessed not one, but two violent situations today. The residual impact of this violence on the children is yet to be determined or even acknowledged, as no mental health resources were directed to the scene during or after either incident.

As this letter is being written, senior citizens living in Britton Courts and Heritage Homes are in desperate need of mental health resources following today’s events. Several seniors that C.L.A.E.R. staff spoke with were scared to leave their homes because of all the police activity and escalating violence. The numerous Latino families living in this area of the neighborhood also expressed a deep need for resources, as the language barrier prevented many of them from understanding the situation happening on the other side of their window. Additionally, several of the families leaving the Sunnydale Avenue Boys and girls Club were visibility shaken.

Additionally, it should be noted that when called C.L.A.E.R. called the Department of Public Health and Mobile Crisis for emergency mental health services for residents, we were denied a promise for mental health workers on the scene due to lack of staff and resources following recent budget cuts. Mobile Crisis put a certain resident we identified on their response list for the night, but only after C.L.A.E.R. had been on the scene acting as the trigger. Until that point there had been no coordinated strategy between mental health resources and the police.

While C.L.A.E.R. understands the serious nature of apprehending someone with a weapon, we have to have find a better way of taking someone into custody that doesn’t involve officers with AK-47’s greeting children stepping off the bus. For the past eight years C.L.A.E.R. has asked for a strategy that is mindful of providing support for people being doubly victimized on crime scenes in violent neighborhoods, specifically children, seniors, and language minorities. When gunshots ring out as our children step off the bus, and residents cower in their apartments as officers stand outside with AK-47s, we must collectively come together as advocates in this glorious city and ask ourselves “what can be done?” How can we support the police while still supporting the mother’s helping their children with math homework amidst blaring sirens?

Early on in this administration, the previous Police Chief was asked to make mental health resources available immediately on the scene of any large crime scene. We ask the same of the new Police Chief, George Gascon. This type of intervention early on in an investigation makes people feel safe and more inclined to participate. C.L.A.E.R. wants to mitigate tension between the police and the community, and level the playing field so the police are able to do their job while not inadvertently estranging themselves from a community they are attempting to protect and serve.

Letter of Support to Governor Schwarzenegger for SB 585 (LENO)

2009-09-15T07:44:00.000-07:00

The Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger
Member of the California State Government
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-558-3160

The C.L.A.E.R. Project
Executive Director Sharen Hewitt
1099 Sunnydale Avenue
San Francisco, CA 92134
Phone: 415-333-3017
Fax: 415.587.7481

RE: SB 585, a Bill to Ban Gun Shows at the Cow Palace

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger:

I am writing to inform you why you should sign SB 585, a bill that is on your desk waiting for your signature.

For the past eight years I have acted as the Executive Director of the Community Leadership Academy and Emergency Response Project (C.L.A.E.R.), an organization attempting to mitigate the effects of violence, and specifically gun violence, on San Francisco residents. My organization is located in the Visitacion Valley, and has offices in Sunnydale public housing, which is not only the largest public housing site in San Francisco, but also steps from the Cow Palace, where gun and ammunition shows occur throughout the year.

The dichotomy between these two sites couldn’t be more glaring. On one side of the street sits a community that has been experiencing disinvestment, poverty, and senseless violence for decades. On the other side of the street sits a building that profits from the very items that continually threaten these people’s lives. The Cow Palace, the NRA, and the CRPA would like for you to believe that the guns in Sunnydale public housing and throughout San Francisco’s Southeast sector don’t come from the Cow Palace, so the gun shows are totally benign. The C.L.A.E.R. Project would like you to know that the juxtaposition between these two sites, and the message that it sends to the more than 38% children living there, is more than reason enough to sign the legislation.

Cow Palace CEO Joe Barket has made the claim that the loss of gun shows at the Cow Palace would represent a significant revenue decrease, but this simply isn’t true. SBS 585 requires a three year phase out period for the gun shows, and also requires that the district replace those events with nonfirearm and nonammunition events to recoup revenue. C.L.A.E.R. believes that the Cow Palace can be utilized in much more positive ways and still prosper.

Having gun sales directly across the street from a neighborhood plagued by gun violence sends the message to residents that their lives are expendable. C.L.A.E.R. wants to this neighborhood to know that we think their lives have meaning, and that the State of California agrees.

Sincerely,

Sharen Hewitt
Executive Director

www.claerproject.org www.theclaerproject.blogspot.com TWITTER: The

COME TWEET FOR PEACE!

2009-09-03T08:10:00.000-07:00

The C.L.A.E.R. Project’s 2009 Campaign for Life presents…

Tweeting for Peace*
Remembering 9/11
“Bonfire” Vigil (environmentally-friendly)
Great Hwy and Fulton St, San Francisco, CA

Friday, 7:30 pm–8:30 pm

Let’s move beyond violence, globally and locally.

Take action: “Darkness can no longer exist where there is one flicker of light”. On 9/11 join peacemakers and organizations from all over the United States for a “TweetUp for Peace.” The C.L.A.E.R. Project will be holding a small bonfire at the beach. Please come and “light a log for peace” and stand with your progressive brothers and sisters in solidarity.

This action will be mirrored in New York City, making this a historical bi-coastal moment for change. Please stop by and be a part of the movement.

For details, please call (415) 333-3017, or e-mail (laurel.claer@yahoo.com)

Sponsored by the Community Leadership Academy and Emergency Response Project (C.L.A.E.R. Project)
1099 Sunnydale Ave, San Francisco, CA 94134
Twitter: TheClaerProject www.claerproject.org theclaerproject.blogspot.com

*Tweeting is a trademark of twitter.com. No copyright infringement is intended.

Sharen Hewitt, Executive Director of C.L.A.E.R., to appear on KALW 91.7 at 5pm tomorrow

2009-08-16T22:09:00.001-07:00

Hear Public Press/KALW budget roundtable on 'Crosscurrents' at 5 p.m. Monday

On Monday make sure to catch the Public Press/KALW budget roundtable, on KALW’s "Crosscurrents" news program at 5 p.m.

The panel of local experts gathers for what promises to be a lively and enriching on-the-air discussion about San Francisco’s budget crisis. Tune in to 91.7 FM to hear the show, or go to the site later for an archived podcast.

Also check out the Public Press Web site for full audio, text and an interactive presentation on the city budget and its impacts on residents and communities.

On the air with host Holly Kernan will be Christopher Cook, editor of The Public Press’ City Budget Watchdog project. Guests on the panel are:

Calvin Welch, longtime housing activist and program director of the San Francisco Information Clearinghouse
Sharen Hewitt (former top Housing Authority advisor and executive director of the Community Leadership Academy & Emergency Response Project
Gabriel Metcalf, executive director, San Francisco Planning & Urban Research Association

KALW Crosscurrents link: http://www.crosscurrentsradio.org/
For more on the Public Press Budget Watchdog project: http://www.public-press.org/san-francisco-city-budget-watchdog

C.L.A.E.R. Responds to Obama's Healthcare Plan

2009-08-12T15:34:00.001-07:00

The Community Leadership Academy and Emergency Response (C.L.A.E.R.) Project
1099 Sunnydale Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94134
P: 415-333-3017
F: 415-587-7481
www.claerproject.com
www.theclaerproject.blogspot.com
TWITTER: TheCLAERProject

“African Americans Weigh in on in Obama’s Healthcare Bill”

Because of the disproportionality of African Americans living below the poverty line, the C.L.A.E.R. Project calls out a dramatics plea for all stakeholders to join President Obama and Congresswoman Pelosi on their leadership for health access for all. Low-income African American disproportionality drain our system at the more acute end of services, because of the lack of a real primary care and preventative structure available for low-income and working class families. Sharen Hewitt, Executive Director of the C.L.A.E.R. Project says, "all of our public leaders must engage in this very critical initiative now before our country”. Many of the most egregious symptoms oftentimes results in excessive violence and even homicides. Low-income communities have suffered silently with the stigma and inaccessibility of mental health professionals and medical assessments for treatable diseases. With the disportianlity of health issues in the African American families, including, hyperpressure, diabetes, increasing incidence of cancer, and AIDS and other STDs, and in-utero exposure to alcohol, tobacco, and substance abuse. It is lack of support of this initiative that has taken the common sense out of common. This is not a debate any of us can afford to be polarized around. We urge all concerned citizens to follow the trial of CLEAR’s” little engine theory. “I think I can, I know I can, I know we can, and yes we must.”

Write your Representatives TODAY and tell them that an URBAN AGENDA must be made a priority

2009-08-08T20:16:00.000-07:00

Hope can't be put on the back burner, Obama. A fiscal crisis means nothing when people, children, are actually dying. The urban agenda needs to be addressed now, and not later.

See article below:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/08/08/BAKQ1962HL.DTL&tsp=1

Write your representatives:

Congresswoman Barbara Lee
Oakland District Office
1301 Clay Street Suite 1000-N
Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: (510) 763-0370
Fax: (510) 763-6538

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi
District Office
450 Golden Gate Ave. 14th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94102

San Francisco Chronicle launches a new "Crime Scene" blog

2009-08-05T07:07:00.000-07:00

The San Francisco Chronicle has created a blog to moniter crime that doesn't make it to the headlines.

Please visit the link below:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/crime/index

“A Sobering Discussion Around Racism”

2009-07-30T13:41:00.001-07:00

The C.L.A.E.R. Project
Presents“A Sobering Discussion Around Racism”
Join us in a discussion around Visitacion Valley and its changing demographics. These neighborhood changes have broad implications. How can we deal with racism and its residual impact on the community? We come to a round table committed to bridging the divide. Let’s get in front of a 21st century response. In this past week we were jolted back into the reality of the toxicity of racism. Let’s come together and create a community response…without beer.

We will be screening
“The Slanted Screen: Asian Men in Film and Television”
a documentary filmed, produced, and written by San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi

TIME: 6:30-8:00pm
DATE: August 3, 2009 (MONDAY)
PLACE: 1099 Sunnydale Ave. (The Village)
Recommended donation $100-$250 (no one will be turned away)
SPACE IS LIMITED Please RSVP to 415-333-3017

Sponsored By
The Community Leadership Academy and Emergency Response Project (C.L.A.E.R.)
www.claerproject.org
www.theclaerproject.blogspot.com
TWITTER: TheCLAERProject

DONATION TIME!

2009-07-28T16:04:00.003-07:00

1099 Sunnydale Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94134
415-333-3017
TAX ID # 943273367

On behalf of the Community Leadership Academy and Emergency Response Project (C.L.A.E.R.), a 501(c)(3) sponsored nonprofit, I am asking for your support as the City and County of San Francisco and the State of California’s financial climates worsen, and the streets of San Francisco’s Eastern neighborhoods become increasingly dangerous.

For the past seven years our organization has been committed to ending street violence in San Francisco and mitigating harm factors for families affected by the burgeoning homicide rate. We have raised awareness about violence and its effect on whole family systems, and have been engaged in ongoing advocacy for the fair and equitable treatment of San Francisco’s most indigent populations.

C.L.A.E.R. is one of the most economically efficient non-profits in San Francisco, serving over 700 individuals and spending mere .68 cents per client. This .68 cents pays for housing stabilization, family support, school fees for at-risk young people, youth trips to Marine World, resume help and job assessment, tutoring for computer illiterate adults, leadership training and capacity building for public housing residents, and support groups for mothers who have been impacted by violence.

We must not let this fiscal crisis impact the important and necessary work we do. Your tax deductible demonstration of support is greatly appreciated. This is an opportunity for you to bring additional recognition to your company while helping us to continue our key programs. . For your donation your company will receive recognition in the form permanent listing on our blog and Twitter sites, both of which have a significant online following. Additionally, a listing in our brochure, programs and special mention of your company at events we put on throughout the year.

We know that this year will be C.L.A.E.R.’s most effective to date. During this economic recession the population we serve needs us more than ever and we hope you will support us in our fight to remain a present for our clients.

We appreciate your willingness to help us raise money and awareness to fight violence and poverty. We look forward to hearing from you.

Please make checks out to I.C.Y./C.L.A.E.R.

Sincerely,

Sharen Hewitt
Executive Director

MARK LENO STANDS UP FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION!

2009-07-28T16:04:00.001-07:00

MEDIA ADVISORY FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (7/22/09)

The C.L.A.E.R. Project
1099 Sunnydale Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94134
415-333-3017
www.claerproject.org
www.theclaerproject.blogspot.com
TWITTER: TheCLAERProject

CONTACTS
*Sharen Hewitt 415-724-4797
*Laurel Moeslein 415-333-3017
*Malia Cohen 415-218-1719
*Caleb Lim 925-405-2224

C.L.A.E.R supports Mark Leno’s Stance Against Budget Cuts On Education

C.L.A.E.R commends Senator Mark Leno for being a beacon of hope for public education in this tenuous state budget process. We know that the bulwark of democracy finds its foundation on education. Moreover, it is a significant issue that touches every state constituent. Despite of our state’s substantial education budget, the invested tax dollars have indeed yielded dividend; as we prime our state as the sixth largest economy in the world. We appreciate your effort in trying to mitigate some of the damage that the governor has proposed, so we won’t witness series of educational programs being reduced to none. The most pressing issue is the low-income areas such as Sunnydale have less than adequate schools and educational opportunities. These conditions have become more common across the U.S. An increase in this area is correlated to the increase in prisoners, unemployment, and dropout rates. If these young people were given the same opportunities as middle and upper income children, they would have other options and better choices to make.

A lot of our residents here upgrade themselves through community colleges. Community College itself is the more affordable venue for them to advance more quickly in the quest for advancing their social status. With the budget cuts, the colleges will also be forced to offer fewer courses and increased its fee during the summer. The Los Angeles Community College District, with nine campuses, is no longer offering a second summer session. One East LA campus already has 10,000 students enrolled. College of the Desert (COD), a community college in Palm Desert, will face $4.7 million in cuts through 2010, the deepest in the school’s 47-year history. With an annual budget of $40 million, the cuts represent a 10 percent decrease in the school’s funds. Funding for school counseling and student services will be cut by 73 percent.
College students will especially feel the pain as more than 200,000 incoming students will lose most or all tuition assistance under the Cal Grant program. Cal Grants help students to enroll in a public or private university by offering financial assistance as long as they meet grade-point-average requirements and are residents of the state. They can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars, and, unlike student loans, they do not need to be paid back.
New grants for students attending college will be rescinded and existing grants to already enrolled students will be significantly reduced. By 2011, Cal Grants will be completely phased out.

We acknowledge the unprecedented $24 billion budget deficit, and our constituents have had lots of concerns about the state’s budget crisis. To address some of these concerns, it is imperative to gather support from all organizations. We will urge our friends, allies, and family members to join this Administration, Board of Supervisors, and State legislators to intensify their commitment and efforts to strive for more funding on education.

Lastly, C.L.A.E.R. would like participate in these efforts so that we will earn back our privilege to education. Indeed, education is a necessity of life; it is a social function; it is a direction; and it is growth. Just like Plato had said, “Without education, democracy passes into despotism. Surely, I said, knowledge is the food of the soul.” We pray that through education the creative doors will be available for our next generations to cherish and to bring forth the possibilities of even greater talents to our future.

Sincerely,

-Sharen Hewitt, Executive Director, the C.L.A.E.R. Project

The C.L.A.E.R. Project responds to MICHELLE OBAMA'S VISIT TO SAN FRANCISCO

2009-06-25T14:09:00.000-07:00

The C.L.A.E.R. Project
1099 Sunnydale Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94134
415-333-3017
www.theclaerproject.blogspot.com
Twitter: TheClaerProject

Media Advisory 6/19/09

*Sharen Hewitt, 415-724-4797
*Laurel Moeslein, 707-696-7951

The C.L.A.E.R. Project is thrilled that First Lady Michelle Obama has chosen San Francisco as the starting point for her campaign to bring attention to the importance of volunteerism. The city of St. Francis is famous for its devotion to service and giving, and we are proud that First Lady Obama has acknowledged that longstanding commitment.

It is admirable that First Lady Obama is going to devote her time Monday to building a playground. However, we do wish the First Lady Obama’s would make an effort during her trip to recognize the countless numbers of volunteers working with San Francisco’s most difficult and disenfranchised populations. San Francisco, despite being one of the most beautiful places on earth, is a city plagued with homelessness, street violence, and a growing permanent underclass. There are individuals through this city that dedicate their lives to attempting to eliminate poverty and pain from the lives of the most indigent. These individuals deserve recognition from the First Lady of the United States.

The C.L.A.E.R. Project hopes the First Lady’s trip is filled with health, happiness, and illumination. We also hope she is able to become familiar with the issues that plague our city’s poorest residents, and bring those concerns back to Washington and effect real and meaningful change.

Support the San Francisco Public Defender's Office in this budget process

2009-06-25T14:03:00.000-07:00

C.L.A.E.R. supports Public Attorney JEFF ADACHI as he fights for his office to remain operational. San Francisco's most poor and indigent population deserve QUALITY representation. Jeff Adachi's office has continually provided quality and care.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/06/25/EDCF18D3LT.DTL

C.L.A.E.R. Supports the Interim Budget and Asks for VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUNDING

2009-06-17T13:06:00.001-07:00

The C.L.A.E.R. Project
1099 Sunnydale Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94134
415-333-3017
www.claerproject.org
www.theclaerproject.blogspot.com
TWITTER: TheCLAERProject

MEDIA ADVISORY

*Sharen Hewitt, Executive Director, 415-724-4797
*Laurel Moeslein, Policy Associate, 707-696-7951

In the face of despair we must intensify our efforts with a great sense of urgency. C.L.A.E.R. supports the interim budget because it addresses the immediacy of pain.

C.L.A.E.R. lauds the Board of Supervisors for recognizing the urgency of the issue, and for recognizing that there is no backfill for human life. The indigent and most-poverty stricken San Franciscans can take comfort during the month of July knowing that there will be no interruption in the services they so desperately need.

The interim budget, and the fantastic leadership of the progressive Board of Supervisors, provides hope and opportunities for violence prevention programs throughout San Francisco.

It is evident that the Board of Supervisors defines public safety in the same way that C.L.A.E.R. does. The Board clearly understands that poverty and violence are inextricably linked, and that you can’t combat one problem without attacking the other.

Increased public safety means paying special attention during the budget process to the following issues:

• Increased ex-offender services $100,000
• Expansion of victim’s services $250,000
• Eviction protection for at-risk families with an emphasis on the dwindling African American population $100,000
• Job training for female head of households $300,000
• Support for violence prevention programs that deal with stabilizing whole families systems, rather than just children, or mothers $325,000
• Expansion of legal services clinics located in public housing $75,000
• Expansion of childcare services for working mothers so that mothers can go to work with confidence and bring their family out of the depths of poverty $150,000

TOTAL ASK: 1.3 million dollars in VIOLENCE PREVENTION
C.L.A.E.R. is very concerned with this budget process, and would hope the process does not yield further polarization. However, in this moment, we must consider that the Board is attempting to provide leadership, and that leadership must be commended. As advocates for San Francisco’s growing permanent underclass, we feel confident in the Board and Supervisors, and thank them for making the most disenfranchised residents of the city a top priority.

The C.L.A.E.R. Project Calls for Nuclear-free world

2009-06-12T11:51:00.000-07:00

The C.L.A.E.R. Project
1099 Sunnydale Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94134
415-333-3017
www.theclaerproject.blogspot.com
Twitter: TheCLAERProject

Media Advisory 6/9/09

*Sharen Hewitt, 415-724-4797
*Laurel Moeslein, 707-696-7951

The C.L.A.E.R. Project stands in strong support of the appointment of Representative Ellen Tauscher as the leading advisor to President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on nuclear disarmament. We are assured that Representative Tauscher will act swiftly, alongside President Obama, in eliminating nuclear weapons and ensuring that the United States becomes a non-nuclear weapons state.

The first step to ending widespread violence in our streets is to end the threat of widespread violence in our skies. The United States currently has a stockpile count of 5,736 active warheads. The United States has more than active warheads of India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea combined. The United States can’t possibly attack the violence that permeates every aspect of our society without first holding ourselves accountable for the violent weapons of mass destruction that we refuse to completely eradicate.

C.L.A.E.R. implores President Obama and Representative Tauscher to work towards a nuclear-free world.

The C.L.A.E.R. Project Responds to the Homicide Rate and Budget Cuts

2009-06-12T11:50:00.000-07:00

The C.L.A.E.R. Project
1099 Sunnydale Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94134
www.theclaerproject.blogspot.com
Twitter: TheCLAERProject

Media Advisory 6/10/09

*Sharen Hewitt, 415-724-4797
*Laurel Moeslein, 707-696-7951

This week the San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco Chronicle, and Mayor Gavin Newsom’s office proudly proclaimed that the homicide rate in San Francisco has dropped dramatically in 2009. Last year at the end of May there had been 45 lives lost in San Francisco. At the close of May this year there was a total of 20 homicides in the city, and while this is a vast improvement from last year, even one death in our city as a result of gun violence is unacceptable.

On Monday the San Francisco Examiner reported that while crime has decreased all over the city, tensions remain high in Sunnydale as gang activity escalates. And in Sunnydale, while the homicide rate has decreased, the number of non-fatal shootings hold steady. Additionally, the rate of robberies, property crimes, and automotive thefts are all up from last year.

We can’t let these promising numbers convince us that the fight against violence is over. Five months does not a year make, and with summer and the depths of a recession right around the corner, San Francisco will undoubtedly see an escalation in street violence.

This escalation in violence needs to be mirrored by an escalation in funds for community based organizations. C.L.A.E.R. knows that the city’s pocketbook is bled dry. However, an increase in funds to high crime neighborhoods translates to a decrease in violence, a decrease in the drain on public services, and increased workforce development and economic stimulation through jobs and job training programs.

C.L.A.E.R. calls upon the Board of Supervisors, and specifically the Budget and Finance Committee, to take a serious look at the positive impact of non-profits that focus on geographically isolated areas like Visitacion Valley. These non-profits pick up the city’s slack, and are increasingly important in times of economic recession.

A non-supportive vote on the budget as it stands is vote for equality, fairness, and the end of a permanent underclass. We must use this budget process to hold up a basic and common value respective to all human beings that the preservation of human life must be the most preeminent issue of the day!

TODAY IS THE DAY FOR SB 585!

2009-06-02T10:06:00.000-07:00

Today is the third reading in the California State Senate of SB 585, a bill to ban the sale of firearms and ammunition at the Cow Palace, introduced by Senator Mark Leno.

The Cow Palace is located across the street from the Sunnydale housing projects, an area plagued by shootings for the past two decades. This year Sunnydale has seen two homicides as a result of gun violence. Both of the victims were under 21 years old. We must end the paradox and take action!

It's time to call our Senators and tell them to VOTE YES ON SB 585!

Don't know who your Senator is? Visit this website: http://192.234.213.69/smapsearch/framepage.asp

MAKE THE CALL!

The C.L.A.E.R. Project Responds to Prop 8, Obama's Supreme Court Nominee, and SB 565

2009-05-28T14:38:00.000-07:00

The C.L.A.E.R. Project
1099 Sunnydale Ave.
San Francisco, CA
415.333.3017

Media Advisory 5/28/09

*Sharen Hewitt, Executive Director 415-724-4794
*Laurel Moeslein 707-696-7951
*Robert Henry Johnson 415-621-3778

C.L.A.E.R. once again would like to draw our collective families attention to a very challenged week that still provides a raise of hope. This week as the Obama administration named one of our home girls, a Latina, a former public housing resident, and a mom to the highest court of our nation we can only hope that this appointment will continue to provide a progressive mosaic of response so desperately needed in our country and in our communities. While Sonia Sotomayor has long since left public housing, her modest beginnings still provides hope for the little girls who continue to jump Double Dutch in our murderer’s streets. No single appointment can speak to the gravity of our continued need to make life the most preeminent issue. San Francisco continues to have the dubious honor of 18 people murdered this year. We are challenged by the limited funds at the state, local, and national level. This appointment, while significant, continues to be very abstract for many of our mothers and women struggling to provide a safe environment for their families, children, and neighbors. C.L.A.E.R. demands our collective attention not only to the homicides, but also workforce deve

While the appointment of Sonia Sotomayor provided hope and inspiration, the California Supreme Court descion handed down on Tuesday provided dispair and anger. In upholding Propoisition 8 the Supreme Court told us that marginalization and disparity are acceptable values. We at the C.L.A.E.R. Project, and progressives covering the globe, say it’s not acceptable, but rather, it’s highly disgusting. We stand with our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters and join them in their continued fight for equal rights.

Additionally, C.L.A.E.R. would like to call attention to a very important committee vote in the California State Senate today. Today the Senate Appropriations Committee meets to vote on SB 565, the bill to end firearm sales at the Cow Palace, which is located across the street from Sunnydale public housing, where two young men have already lost their lives this year at the hands of a firearm. This legislation attempts to end this longstanding contradiction.

We ask that all of our supporters call the Approraitions Committee and ask them to vote YES on SB 565: (916)651-4101

The Second Annual CAMPAIGN FOR LIFE: MOTHERS SETTING THE URBAN AGENDA

2009-05-06T10:14:00.001-07:00

A Campaign for Life:
Mothers Setting the Urban Agenda

Who: The C.L.A.E.R. Project with Senator Mark Leno

What: A day of timely discussions, including a morning prayer circle and panels throughout the day

When: May 9, 2009 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: Third Baptist Church
1399 McAllister Street
San Francisco, CA 94115

Cost: $25/person, which includes lunch and favors

Panelists and speakers will include: Senator Mark Leno, Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, Supervisor John Avalos, Maya Dillard Smith, Barbara Garcia of the San Francisco Health Department, Bill Barnes, Police Captain Lazar of the Ingleside District, Police Chief Heather Fong, Lateefah Simon, Executive Director of the Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights, James Keys of the Senior Action Network, as well as many other activists, elected officials, and members of the media.

Panel 1: Messaging: how to effectively tell your story

Panel 2: Healing: Mind, Body, Soul

Panel 3: Responding to the whole continuum of impact

Panel 4: Restorative Justice

Panel 5: Creating a Legislative Agenda for Peace

Panel 6: National Models

Panel 7: Connecting the Dots

RSVPs and requests for additional information can be sent to:

Laurel Moeslein
Laurel.claer@yahoo.com
707-696-7951

And please don’t forget to visit our blog at www.theclaerproject.blogspot.com

Please call/email today, as space is becoming very limited!

The C.L.A.E.R. Project Responds to Nightclub Violence

2009-04-28T10:37:00.000-07:00

The C.L.A.E.R. Project
1099 Sunnydale Ave.
San Francisco, CA
415.333.3017

Media Release 4/28/09

Interview Requests:
*Sharen Hewitt, Executive Director 415-724-4794

Contacts:
*Lacrecia Gardner 415-595-1446
*Laurel Moeslein 707-696-7951

The C.L.A.E.R. Project stands in strong support of Supervisor Bevan Dufty and the seven members of the Entertainment Commission as they continue to debate the issue of nightclub violence and the ability to issue permits.

As Supervisor Dufty voiced at the Board of Supervisors meeting this afternoon, the entertainment commission director should have the right to immediately shutdown nightclubs that have a history of violent incidents.

The C.L.A.E.R. Project supports this legislation to that would potentially limit permits for several reasons.

First, we at C.L.A.E.R. understand that in order to increase public safety an in-depth set of responses to violence and potential violence is needed. Limiting the violence occurring at San Francisco nightclubs is part of the necessary framework for a safe San Francisco. Peace is the penultimate goal, and a myriad of responses is needed to achieve this goal. San Francisco must, and will, serve as a national model for violence prevention.

Second, this legislation holds clubs accountable for their actions. Clubs that refuse to beef up security and take precautionary measures will be denied permits by the Entertainment Commission, and rightfully so.

Third, nightclubs must remain safe and available. Young men and women need a place to go to mingle and make important connections. We must remember that black men and women must be able to maintain cultural relevance. Nightclubs offer a place for black people to meet each other and develop relationships. This is increasingly important as the black population in San Francisco shrinks rapidly.

We at The C.L.A.E.R. Project commend Mayor Newsom, Supervisor Dufty, Police Chief Heather Fong, and Police Deputy Chief Kevin Cashman for engaging in this important debate. We all agree that life is the preeminent issue, and stopping violence in and outside of nightclubs is another step toward achieving peace in our streets.

We invite anyone wishing to continue this conversation to join us on May 9th at C.L.A.E.R.’s “Mother’s Day of Healing” with keynote speaker Senator Mark Leno. The event will feature a series of workshops dealing with mental health, legislation, and media influence as it relates to violence prevention.

RSVPs can be sent to laurel.claer@yahoo.com

SF Homicide Rate: Putting Names to the Numbers

2009-04-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

SF Homicide Rate: Putting Names to the Numbers
2009: 15 homicides in the City and County in San Francisco

1. Damija Wells, 17, shot on the unit block of Northridge Road, 11:30 p.m., Hunters Point, 03/05. Died at SFGH. (03/07)
2. Javier Arroyo, 59, shot to death on the 5300 block of Mission Street, 8:30 a.m., the Excelsior. (03/01)
3. Peter Azadian, 57, beaten by two men on Stillman Street, between 2nd and 3d streets, 02/15. Died at SFGH. (02/27)
4. Leticia Hunter, 33, of Sacramento, shot to death, 5 others injured in drive-by shooting at Turk and Taylor Streets, 10:25 p.m., the Tenderloin. (02/23)
5. Myron Edwards, 40, shot to death at Eddy and Laguna Streets, 3:00 p.m., the Western Addition. (02/07)
6. Vanessa Lowe, 39, shot to death in murder-suicide at a motel on the 5000 block of Mission Street, the Excelsior. (01/28)
7. Darren Johnson, 24, shot to death near West Point and Middlepoint Roads, Hunters Point. (01/26)
8. Leo Jia Jian Yu, 23, shot to death at Pierce and Turk Streets, 1:15 a.m., Western Addition. (01/22)
9. Darnell Curry, 31, stabbed at Turk and Jones Street, 5:30 p.m., the Tenderloin. Died at SF General Hospital. (01/14)
10. Ryosuke Yoshioka, 59, stabbed to death in the Office Max parking garage at Geary Boulevard and Arguello Street, 2:45 p.m., the Richmond. (01/07)
11. Alexander Apelit, 21, shot to death at the corner of Ostego and St. Inez (04/19)
12. Norris Bennett, 21, shot to death at Navy Road and Griffith St. (4/18)
13. Edward Cavness, 48, beaten to death, 2000 Block of McAllister St, (04/03)
14. Mark Crawford, 16, shot to death, Sunnydale Housing Projects, (04/13)
15. James Jamonte Turner, 23, shot to death on Third and Folsom Streets, (04/19)

The C.L.A.E.R. Project knows that the homicide rate is more than just numbers. These deaths mean grieving mothers, children, families and friends. When responding to violence and murder we must remember the human component of crime. Victims of homicide leave behind broken hearted families who need our support.

The C.L.A.E.R. Project Responds to Senator Leno's Bill to End Gun Shows at the Cow Palace

2009-04-22T10:14:00.000-07:00

The C.L.A.E.R. Project
1099 Sunnydale Ave.
San Francisco, CA
415-333-3017

The C.L.A.E.R. Project Responds to Senator Mark Leno’s Introduction of SB 565

*Sharen Hewitt, Executive Director 415-724-4794
*Lacrecia Gardner, Executive Assistant 415-595-1446
*Laurel Moeslein, Policy Associate 707-696-7951

The C.L.A.E.R. project stands in strong support of Senator Mark Leno’s introduction of SB 565, a bill to end the sale of firearms at the Cow Palace.

The Cow Palace stands directly across the street from the Sunnydale housing projects, a community that has been plagued with the presence of firearms and brutal violence for decades. Just three days ago 16-year old Mark Crawford was gunned down at a children’s playground just steps from the Cow Palace. We at C.L.A.E.R. will do everything in our power to ensure that SB 565 is successful in eliminating this paradox.

Senator Mark Leno is a longtime champion of the work we do at The C.L.A.E.R. Project. He has consistently supported our model of direct supportive services coupled with civic engagement as a way to connect public housing residents to the city they live in.

The C.L.A.E.R. Project Responds to Sunnydale's First Murder in 2009

2009-04-22T10:13:00.002-07:00

The C.L.A.E.R. Project
1099 Sunnydale Ave.
San Francisco, CA
415.333.3017

Media Release 4/15/09

Interview Requests:
*Sharen Hewitt, Executive Director 415-724-4794

Contacts:
*Lacrecia Gardner 415-595-1446
*Laurel Moeslein 707-696-7951

On April 13, 2009 the Sunnydale community experienced their first murder of the year. 16-year-old Mark Crawford, a former Sunnydale resident, was shot and killed at 10:15 p.m. Today would have been his 17th birthday.

Where is the outrage over this senseless killing? Who is still shocked by the blood running in our streets? We speak about the preciousness of our children, but to date this murder of a child has gone virtually unnoticed. The San Francisco Chronicle, Oakland Tribune, San Francisco Bay Guardian, and San Francisco Examiner all failed to place this young man’s tragic death in their newspapers.

In the face of this heartbreaking and hideous event, we must ask WHEN WILL WASHINGTON MAKE THE REAUTHORIZATION OF THE ASSUALT WEAPONS BAN A PRIORITY? There is nothing that can offer protection from an assault weapon. Just ask the families of the slain police officers in Oakland. Or the residents of Sunnydale. Fourteen people have lost their lives this year in the city of San Francisco. 10 of those 14 victims died at the hands of an assault weapon.

Those of us who live and work in high crime neighborhoods are begging for protection against assault weapons. We pray that Senators Feinstein and Boxer will hear our cries, and introduce legislation making the sale and possession of these firearms illegal.

The C.L.A.E.R. Project Responds to C.W. Nevius' Thoughts on Non-Profits in San Francisco

2009-04-22T10:13:00.001-07:00

The C.L.A.E.R. Project
1099 Sunnydale Ave.
San Francisco, CA
415-333-3017

Media Release 4/2/09

*Sharen Hewitt, Executive Director 415-724-4794
*Lacrecia Gardner, Executive Assistant 415-595-1446
*Laurel Moeslein, Policy Associate 707-696-7951

This morning San Francisco Chronicle writer CW Nevius’ weekly column addressed a pertinent issue in the world of San Francisco nonprofit organizations.

Among other things, Mr. Nevius pointed out that many nonprofits in San Francisco are not located in the communities that they serve. The majority of San Francisco’s 7,093 nonprofit organizations are located downtown. This creates an alarming disconnect between charitable organizations and the people they aim to help.

The C.L.A.E.R. Project has always believed that it is impossible to have your finger on the pulse of a neighborhood without directly interacting with the residents on a daily basis. Both of our locations are in the heart of Sunnydale, and our Careers Plus center is located in Sunnydale public housing. One of the main goals of our work is to connect public housing residents with city and nonprofit services. How much easier would our work be if the services were located here, and not downtown?

It’s easy to forget the population you serve and their primary interests when you don’t interact with them everyday. Too often nonprofits get caught up with their relationships with City Hall, other nonprofits, and elected officials. Collaborative relationships are important, but not nearly as important as loving and understanding the people you represent.

The C.L.A.E.R. Project Responds to the Four Slain Officers in Oakland

2009-04-22T10:12:00.001-07:00

The C.L.A.E.R. Project
1099 Sunnydale Ave.
San Francisco, CA
415.333.3017

Media Release 3/26/09

*Sharen Hewitt, Executive Director 415-724-4794
*Lacrecia Gardner 415-595-1446
*Laurel Moeslein 707-696-7951

We at The C.L.A.E.R. Project extend our most sincere and profound sympathies to the families of the four slain officers of the Oakland Police Department, and also to the Oakland Police Officer’s Association, who lost their colleagues and friends.

As first respondents to homicide and violent crime in a disadvantaged community, we at The C.L.A.E.R. Project are not strangers to death, destruction, and grieving families. We know that at this time the officer’s families need love, support, and above anything else, answers.

This tragedy is horrific, but not unexplainable. Mr. Mixon was a part of a deeply flawed and broken system of ex-offender reentry. The parole board is severely backlogged, with too many cases and not enough agents to manage them. Mr. Mixon’s parole agent manages over 70 cases, so its no wonder that he missed the signals that Mr. Mixon had gone back to his old ways.

Many news reports since the shooting have noted that Mr. Mixon’s parole agent did everything “by the book”. This is a clear and devastating sign that “by the book” is clearly not good enough, and that the parole system as it stands is a major threat to public safety. Like many parolees, Mr. Mixon was allowed to skate through the system and various reentry programs until he finally violated his parole on February 19th. Our overcrowded prisons show that this pattern is not extraordinary, but it fact, is the norm.

The parole system and any ex-offender reentry programs cannot be successful without using a direct and personal model of intervention and prevention like the one used by The C.L.A.E.R. Project. Rather than promote programs that allow participants to meet the absolute bare minimum just to get by, the parole board must find ways to engage ex-offenders through civic participation, job training, anger management, and drug rehabilitation. Without all of these elements we cannot expect parolees to triumph and successfully reenter society.

The C.L.A.E.R. Project is praying for the grieving mothers, sons, and wives of these brave officers. We are also praying for a comprehensive reentry program for ex-offenders, and a subsequent increase in safety for everyone.

The C.L.A.E.R. Project Responds to the Elevated Level of Violence in Times of Recession

2009-04-22T10:10:00.000-07:00

The C.L.A.E.R. Project
1099 Sunnydale Ave.
San Francisco, CA
415.333.3017

Media Release 4/8/09

*Sharen Hewitt, Executive Director 415-724-4794
*Lacrecia Gardner 415-595-1446
*Laurel Moeslein 707-696-7951

With Easter upon us the world should be rejoicing and enjoying the beautiful benefits of spring. However, the newspaper and the evening news remind us on a daily that the world is not rejoicing. Crime is rampant, and as the economy worsens crimes become more frequent, and more horrific.

The slain officers in Oakland, the murdered child in Tracy, and the hostages that lost their lives in New York, are all clear indicators that the stressors of a fledgling economy can be deadly.

We at The C.L.A.E.R. Project know how a lack of money, jobs, and support can affect the human condition. In a community where the average yearly income is less than 10,000 dollars, our clients are constantly fighting just to keep their heads above water. In a community already prone to violence, when the economy suffers, so do we.

Terry Anders, Program Director at Visitacion Valley JobNet poignantly said, “The answer to a gun is a job. Workforce development in the ONLY way to stop the killing.

How do we end the bloodshed? How can we stop these brutal acts of violence and hatred? The answer is simple. We need workforce development. We need victim’s assistance. We need relocation assistance people and families that have been the targets of violent crime. We need a disaster plan for public housing. We need more funding for supportive services, because the city and county are so strapped for cash that we are falling lower and lower on the totem pole. Above all, we need to respect our neighbors and ourselves. We will make our way out of this grim economic time. It’s up to us to make sure we make all it out in one piece.

The C.L.A.E.R. Project is looking for talented interns

2009-03-30T23:38:00.000-07:00

INTERN AT THE C.L.A.E.R PROJECT
C.L.A.E.R. is looking for undergraduate students to intern during the SPRING 2009/ SUMMER 2009 semester

Looking for Students Interested in:

PUBLIC POLICY
GRASSROOT ORGANIZING
SAN FRANCISCO POLITICS
URBAN POLITICS

ABOUT C.L.A.E.R

CLAER (Community Leadership Academy and Emergency Response) is San Francisco's leading organization providing immediate crisis stabilization for victims of violence. We are there in the moments after a violent crime occurs; assessing needs and helping families navigate through a wide variety of appropriate support services.

WHAT WE DO

Direct Services
San Francisco Mayor's Office of Community Development
San Francisco's Department of Children, Youth and Their Families
Community Capacity-Building
Educational support
Monthly "brown bags" and events
Media engagement
Public Policy Advocacy
Local, state and federal policy development

www.claerproject.org

PLEASE CALL 707-696-7951 or 415-333-3017 for more information.
EMAIL laurel.claer@yahoo.com or lacrecia.claer@yahoo.com

The Beautiful People of Sunnydale

2009-03-30T23:35:00.000-07:00

The C.L.A.E.R. Project Responds to the Four Officers Murdered in Oakland

2009-03-30T23:26:00.000-07:00

SF Homicide Rate: Putting Names to the Numbers

2009-03-22T22:39:00.000-07:00

2009: 10 homicides in the City and County in San Francisco

1. Damija Wells, 17, shot on the unit block of Northridge Road, 11:30 p.m., Hunters Point, 03/05. Died at SFGH. (03/07)
2. Javier Arroyo, 59, shot to death on the 5300 block of Mission Street, 8:30 a.m., the Excelsior. (03/01)
3. Peter Azadian, 57, beaten by two men on Stillman Street, between 2nd and 3d streets, 02/15. Died at SFGH. (02/27)
4. Leticia Hunter, 33, of Sacramento, shot to death, 5 others injured in drive-by shooting at Turk and Taylor Streets, 10:25 p.m., the Tenderloin. (02/23)
5. Myron Edwards, 40, shot to death at Eddy and Laguna Streets, 3:00 p.m., the Western Addition. (02/07)
6. Vanessa Lowe, 39, shot to death in murder-suicide at a motel on the 5000 block of Mission Street, the Excelsior. (01/28)
7. Darren Johnson, 24, shot to death near West Point and Middlepoint Roads, Hunters Point. (01/26)
8. Leo Jia Jian Yu, 23, shot to death at Pierce and Turk Streets, 1:15 a.m., Western Addition. (01/22)
9. Darnell Curry, 31, stabbed at Turk and Jones Street, 5:30 p.m., the Tenderloin. Died at SF General Hospital. (01/14)
10. Ryosuke Yoshioka, 59, stabbed to death in the Office Max parking garage at Geary Boulevard and Arguello Street, 2:45 p.m., the Richmond. (01/07)

The C.L.A.E.R. Project knows that the homicide rate is more than just numbers. These deaths mean grieving mothers, children, families and friends. When responding to violence and murder we must remember the human component of crime. Victims of homicide leave behind broken hearted families who need our support.

2009-03-22T22:37:00.000-07:00

Some S.F. African American history landmarks
Leslie Fulbright, Chronicle Staff Writer
Monday, February 16, 2009

San Francisco's rich African American history extends throughout the city, from Nob Hill to the Ingleside Terrace neighborhood. To celebrate Black History Month, we asked local historian John William Templeton to give us a guide to some of the city's most interesting sites. Some are still standing; others are commemorated with plaques or monuments.

Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples

Address: 2041 Larkin St.

Built: 1907

History: Opened at this site in 1944, this church had the first integrated and interfaith congregation in the country. It was led by Howard Thurman, who came to San Francisco from Howard University, and the Rev. Alfred Fisk. Many of its members were African Americans who came from Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas for jobs in the defense industry. Thurman, also an author and educator, wrote his seminal book, "Jesus and the Disinherited," while living in San Francisco. Published in 1949, it influenced many in the civil rights movement, and Martin Luther King Jr. is said to have carried a copy with him at all times.

Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church

Address: 2135 Sutter St.

Built: 1905

History: Run by the Rev. George Bedford, this church was a political center for the African American community's growth in the Western Addition. Bedford was instrumental in getting ministers involved in demonstrations to demand jobs on Fillmore Street in the 1940s and '50s. In the 1960s, he supported the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) sit-ins and backed the demonstrations on Van Ness Avenue's Auto Row. Numerous protests at a Cadillac dealership resulted in the hiring of the first black salesman. In 1968, his church hosted Jim Jones in an interracial worship after King's assassination. By 1972, Bedford was opposing Jones, accusing him of stealing members from his and other Western Addition churches.

Pullman Hotel

Address: 236 Townsend St.

Built: 1909

History: Now converted into an office park, the hotel was near the Southern Pacific Railroad and housed many African Americans who were restricted to jobs as porters. From the 1880s to the 1940s, all the porters on the passenger cars were black and the hotel was one of the few that allowed African Americans. After numerous demonstrations, San Francisco's hotels integrated in 1964.

Home of Cecil Poole

Address: 90 Cedro St.

Built: 1911

History: Attorney Cecil Poole and his family were the first African Americans to move into the Ingleside Terrace neighborhood in the 1950s. In 1958, the San Francisco assistant district attorney's home was the site of a cross burning. Poole was not intimidated and went on to become the first African American U.S. attorney in San Francisco - and the continental United States - and later the first African American federal judge in Northern California.

California Savings and Land Association

Address: 465 California St.

Built: 1857

History: The bank, in what is now the Merchants Exchange Building, was the first African American-owned bank in the country. Its president, Henry Collins, was one of California's wealthiest black leaders and owned land in San Francisco. He was also part of the movement to help runaway slaves gain freedom.

First A.M.E. Zion Church

Address: 2163 Golden Gate Ave.

Built: 1852

History: The church, originally on Stockton Street, is where black businessmen Mifflin Gibbs and Peter Lester hosted a meeting in 1858 to discuss the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act, which declared that all runaway slaves must return to their masters. Faced with intense discrimination in California, more than 800 black people decided at that meeting to leave San Francisco and seek a better life in Vancouver, British Columbia. The church was destroyed during the earthquake of 1906 and opened again on Geary Street in 1915. Then, redevelopment took that building and First A.M.E. opened in its current location in 1960 under L. Roy Bennett, a pastor who relocated from Alabama, where he was president of the Montgomery Improvement Association before King took the helm.

Leidesdorff Street

Address: Parallel to and between Montgomery and Sansome streets, from Pine to Clay streets.

History: The short street is named after black pioneer William Alexander Leidesdorff. Originally from the Virgin Islands, he sailed into San Francisco in 1841, became a prominent businessman and built the city's first hotel. He was on the first San Francisco City Council, was the city's first treasurer, and was a leader in changing the name of San Francisco from Yerba Buena.

Madame C.J. Walker Home for Girls

Address: 2066 Pine St.

Built: 1878

History: The home was opened in 1921 by Irene Bell Ruggles, president of the California Federation of Colored Women's Clubs and named after a cosmetics entrepreneur who was the first female African American millionaire. Black women were not allowed access to the YWCA at that time, so the home offered lodging and job referrals. There was also a social hall and kitchen for community events. The home provided a community for black women and children until 1972, when it was relocated to Hayes Street.

Tribute to Mary Ellen Pleasant

Address: Tribute on the southwest corner of Bush and Octavia streets.

Arrived: April 1852

History: Pleasant was a former slave who became a successful abolitionist and businesswoman, as well as a link in the Underground Railroad. She helped bring the movement to California during the Gold Rush era. Known as mother of human rights in California, she fought many court battles. After being kicked off a city streetcar in 1866, she argued against laws prohibited black people from riding them. The Pleasant vs. North Beach and Mission Railroad Co. case led to the outlaw of segregation on public transit.

Purcell's So Diff'rent Nightclub

Address: 550 Pacific St.

Built: 1906

History: Purcell's was the Barbary Coast's most famous black dance hall. It was one of the many jazz clubs frequented by African Americans along the waterfront area because they offered integrated audiences and performers. There were eight clubs owned and operated by black entrepreneurs that still stand. It was one of the first buildings erected after the earthquake and fire. It was owned by Lew Purcell and drew many musicians from New Orleans. It is said to be where Al Jolson first learned to dance the Texas Tommy.

E-mail Leslie Fulbright at lfulbright@sfchronicle.com.

The C.L.A.E.R. Project Supports Mayor Newsom

2009-03-22T21:40:00.001-07:00

The C.L.A.E.R. Project
1099 Sunnydale Ave.
San Francisco, CA
415.333.3017

Media Release 3/23/09

*Sharen Hewitt, Executive Director 415-724-4794
*Lacrecia Gardner, Executive Assistant 415-595-1446
*Laurel Moeslein, Policy Associate 707-696-7951

The C.L.A.E.R. Project wishes to express their support for Mayor Gavin Newsom’s campaign for Governor of California.

Mayor Gavin Newson has been a beacon of hope for the city of San Francisco. Six years into his mayorship Gavin Newsom continues to serve the Southeast sector of San Francisco, specifically in the areas of homelessness, healthcare, and neighborhood development.

Mayor Newsom has brought San Francisco into the 21st century. For example, this year Mayor Newsom launched the "Network of Community Networks" plan that makes free wireless networks available to over 2,000 units at San Francisco Housing Authority developments, including Sunnydale.

Mayor Newsom’s administration has also been a pioneer of green leadership. In partnership with current White House Green Jobs Advisor, Van Jones, and his organization, Green For All, Mayor Newsom has created and promoted green collar jobs in an attempt to broaden options for San Francisco’s workforce and lift people out of poverty.

Mayor Newsom has responded to years and years of benign neglect of Southeast neighborhoods. In 2008 he was able to secure $82 million in federal funding for the toxic cleanup of the Hunters Point Shipyard superfund site. By addressing this environmental blight, Mayor Newsom has proved his commitment to creating a healthy and safe Bayview Hunter’s Point.

However, no politician is perfect. Mayor Newsom’s handling of the development of Bayview Hunter’s Point is not completely without error. The homicide rates for the past six years have not been acceptable, but Mayor Newsom has tried from his early days to understand this phenomenon, and address the root causes of violence. However, we must remember that no elected official can be totally judged on a single issue.

Overall, Mayor Newsom has been a blessing to the people of San Francisco. Gavin Newsom stands for the kind of leadership that the State of California needs.

C.L.A.E.R.'s response to Obama's stimulus package

2009-03-11T13:12:00.000-07:00

In evaluating the recently passed economic stimulus project, The Community Leadership and Emergency Response (C.L.A.E.R.), and the Sunnydale community, can’t help but wonder when we will see a comprehensive anti-violence package. The Obama stimulus plan will not create jobs quickly enough to end the bloodshed in our community.

As we enter this New Year, the city of San Francisco has already seen six homicides. The current economic crisis, coupled with the lack of jobs and adequate housing for our community, creates high tension in San Francisco’s Southeast sector, and this tension leads to increased violence. Mother’s lose sons, babies lose fathers, and young men lose their lives. An economic stimulus package has no relevance to those who are dead. This package does not provide our community with sufficient employment opportunities, job training, or a chance at an education.

As drug addiction, AIDS, gun violence, and lack of safe housing threaten the urban community, we at the CLAER project demand the immediate announcement of an Obama Administration anti-violence plan. The health of the family unit, and the safety of our community hangs in the balance.

C.L.A.E.R.'s response to budget cuts in San Francisco

2009-03-11T11:05:00.000-07:00

Media Advisory
March 5, 2009

Press Contacts
Sharen Hewitt, Executive Director, C.L.A.E.R. Project; cell 415-724-4797
Elisha Rochelle, Team Leader Coordinator, C.L.A.E.R. Project; cell 415-704-5634
Laurel Moeslein, Public Policy Associate, C.L.A.E.R. Project; 707-696-7951

The C.L.A.E.R. Project would like to thank the Mayor’s Office of Community Investment for including our program in the preliminary recommendations for the Community Development Block Grant, and for their continued support of the work we do in Visitacion Valley.

However, it must be noted that during times of economic struggle, disadvantaged neighborhoods like Visitacion Valley should see an INCREASE in funding and services, not a DECREASE.

When the economy suffers, underserved communities like Sunnydale are hit the hardest. Jobs are lost, crime increases, and already suffering schools lose even more of their precious funding. 2009 has already seen 11 homicides in the city of San Francisco. A majority of those homicides have occurred in Visitacion Valley.

C.L.A.E.R. is one of the most economically efficient non-profits in the city of San Francisco. We serve over 700 people, and spend a mere .68 cents per individual. With just this .68 cents we provide after school programs, career and housing counseling, educational programs for children and adults, and a Latino clinic that focuses on breaking down cultural barriers.

As we talk about the San Francisco stimulus package, the Community Development Block Grant recommendations, and the city budget, let’s not forget the families living in Visitacion Valley. Please remember that we are here, and our families are suffering.

SF Homicide Rates

2009-03-11T10:56:00.000-07:00

2007: 98 homicides in the City and County of San Francisco

2008: 99 homicides in the City and County of San Francisco

2009: 10 homicides in the City and County in San Francisco

A mere two and a half months into 2009 we have already seen 10 homicides, the majority of which have been located in Visitacion Valley. Of those 10 homicides, 7 remain unsolved, with no suspect in custody.

All of the 2009 murders in the Southeast sector remain unsolved.

Who We Are

2009-03-11T10:23:00.001-07:00

The Community Leadership Academy and Emergency Response (C.L.A.E.R) is located in Visitacion Valley. The program helps people who have lost family and friends to violence-- specifically street violence-- or have been attacked themselves or witnessed assaults on others. While we serve the San Francisco community as a whole, our main focus is serving the women and families living in Sunnydale public housing. C.L.A.E.R. serves over 700 individuals.

C.L.A.E.R. is dedicated to the following activities:

Increasing civic participation and social capital for residents of public housing and disadvantaged communities
Public policy analysis and advocacy that helps to create a public discourse on the disproportionate effect of violence on minority communities in San Francisco, and specifically the Southeast sector
Attacking the residual effect of violence on women and their families
Providing support to women who have lost a loved one to violence
Addressing the effects of long-term and generational depression on women and families, and specifically connecting those in need of counseling to therapists and other mental health professionals

The staff of C.L.A.E.R. is a group of women who work tirelessly to change and heal the neighborhoods in which they live. 98% of the staff lives in public housing in San Francisco's Southeast sector. Our motto is "Yes we can, Yes we have, and yes we will".

Visit our website for more information: www.claerproject.org