Glide’s Mission Statement

Glide’s mission is to break the cycles of multi-generational dependency, poverty, and low self-worth by providing a spiritual home of unconditional love. Glide strives to create a healthy community by offering effective services that foster holistic healing in an environment of cultural integrity and diversity.

History:
A History Driven By Vision

In 1929, Methodist philanthropist Lizzie Glide purchased a parcel of land at the intersection of Ellis and Taylor streets in San Francisco. Construction of Glide Memorial United Methodist Church was completed two years later.

Over the last 40+ years, driven by the vision of Reverend Cecil Williams and the organizational leadership of Executive Director, Janice Mirikitani, Glide has grown to become one of the largest and most comprehensive human service providers in all of San Francisco, as well as an international epicenter of cultural diversity and activist spirituality. With brick-by-brick consistency, Glide has built this unique urban center while remaining true to its original mission of reaching out to the marginalized and the poor, breaking the cycles of dependency and poverty, and creating programs on the cutting edge that are truly relevant because they are based on the ever emerging needs of the people.
In 1969, Glide’s social services were launched when a handful of volunteers began serving a Monday night meal to the poor and homeless. Today, it provides three meals a day, every day of the year, for over 800,000 meals annually. Glide’s other programs have experienced similar growth over the decades. For example:

The Family, Youth and Child Care Program, founded 25 years ago, has grown into a comprehensive multi-service center that now occupies a four-story building of its own at 434 Ellis Street.
Our Training and Employment Services, in operation for over a decade, have responded to the times with living wage, career-oriented employment services in fields such as information technology, office skills, and construction.
Glide’s Recovery Program and HIV/AIDS services, which emerged out of the needs of an endangered community in the 1980s, created innovative, culturally sensitive and spiritually based support systems and treatment strategies for African Americans and others that continue to produce impressive outcomes today.
In 1997, Glide partnered with Catholic Healthcare West and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) to create a health clinic for people who were not served elsewhere. Today, Glide’s Free Health Clinic also provides complementary health care options and mental health services. It is almost entirely volunteer run.
For decades, Cecil had dreamed of an attractive and dignified permanent housing facility for low-income people. In 1999, that dream became a reality with the opening of Cecil William's Community House at 333 Taylor Street, a 52-unit apartment building with on-site supportive services to help residents create better lives.

With over 80 programs and services, Glide continues to serve the marginalized with the assistance of over 25,000 volunteers every year.

Contact person: Malaika Ross, Volunteer Coordinator, (phone), (email)
Main office number: (415) 674-6080
Office fax number: (415) 674-6280

Address:

330 Ellis Street San Francisco, CA 94102 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.glide.org

Directions:

Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: Powell Street Station,   Walk distance (in minutes): <5 minutes   Nearest Bus Stop: 27 Line, 0 minutes minute walk

Miscellaneous Information

Besides English, which languages are spoken at your agency?
	American Sign Language, Cantonese, French, Italian, Mandarin, Spanish, Tagalog
What is the minimum age for volunteers at your agency?
	7 and over on holidays in the Meals Program, 9 for bag lunch in the Meals Program, 12 for regular meals service along with an adult, 15-17 in the Meals Program without an adult, 18 and over for all other opportunities
Is your agency wheelchair accessible?
	Yes
Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 10?
	Yes
Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 20?
	Yes

Overall Experience   
Glide's kitchen -- I'll keep coming back to serve meals

There is only one place in SF that I return to again and again to volunteer - Glide. I'll return to serve meals in the kitchen (aka Mo's Kitchen) for a few reasons: The work is meaningful. 3 meals a day are served to those who are hungry.. no questions asked and no judgement. Also, the kitchen is very effecient! Every volunteer has a job to do - whether they're scooping mash potatoes into trays, or sweeping the floors at the end of a shift -- no time is wasted, and volunteers are in and out within 3 to 4 hours. With teamwork and love, the meals get served day after day to San Franciscans in need. What have I gained by volunteering @ Glide? I've learned how to communicate with people, how to relate with people on a deeper level. A person's status and income level do not matter matter at Glide. More importantly, we are all human beings with needs. posted by smcintyre on April 29, 2006