Last week I took a tour of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of SF center programs that are critical to helping those in need. The programs are The Wellness Center, The Riley Center; Services for Survivors of Domestic Violence, Multi-Service Center (MSC) - South and the Vincentian Help Desk.  The tour was lead by Sister Katy O'Shea, Rommie Lucia and Anjali Verma Ruvalcaba.  They, in addition to the staff members and volunteers I met, are by far some of the most giving and selfless people I have ever encountered.  

I promised to spread the word so clean out those cabinets and closets!  Donate to a worthy cause--needed are:

Drop off donations at the Wellness Center - 1175 Howard Street, SF 94103.  
To set up a donation drive contact Anjali Verma Ruvalcaba at aruvalcaba@svdp-sf.org
To attend a luncheon and learn more about the SVDP programs contact Rommie Lucia at rlucia@svdp-sf.org

 "The WELLNESS CENTER offers integrative wellness activities, such as yoga, stress reduction, iRest mediation, tai chi, creative writing and nutrition classes to an average of 50 individuals a day experiencing homelessness, addictions and mental health challenges."

"The RILEY CENTER offers comprehensive services for women in abusive relationships, along with their children from the point of crisis to a survivor's achievement of self-sufficiency."

"The MULTI-SERVICE CENTER-SOUTH feeds and supports 410 homeless men and women every night and provides drop-in services to a minimum of 70 people each day."

"The VINCENTIAN HELP DESK provides basic necessities including clothing, toiletries  emergency food boxes, household items, furniture to those in need.  They also help job seekers wo cannot afford appropriate clothes for an interview."

To learn more visit www.svdp-sf.org

THANK YOU so very much for taking the time to read my blog and especially for your efforts to donate unwanted items to those in need.  It's a win-win for everyone!  After all, it takes a village ;)

We all have items that can be reused.  Listed below are some organizations that can help take them off your hands. Please note that there are many more worthy organizations out there and a quick search on Google will reveal them to you.  I've simply chosen a few. 


CELLPHONES
Send your old gently used cell phones to Cell Phones for Soldiers.  The phones are sold to a company that recycles them and Cell Phones for Soldiers uses the money to buy calling cards for troops stationed abroad so they can phone home for free. To learn more visit cellphonesforsoldiers.com

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence partners with Cellular Recycler to refurbish and sell used cell phones.  A portion of the sales is given to the NCADV to support their programming that helps to stop violence in the home. To learn more visit http://www.ncadv.org/takeaction/DonateaPhone.php.

EYEGLASSES
OneSight accepts prescription glasses, bifocals and nonprescription sunglasses in marked bins at LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, Sunglass Hut, Target Optical and Sears Optical stores nationwide.  The organization provides the used specs, along with free eye exams to those who can't afford them at 20 clinics around the world.  To learn more visit onesight.org

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Music In Schools Today - Adopt an Instrument Program collects quality used instruments and donates them to schools and community centers in need. To learn more visit http://mustcreate.org/programs/adopt_an_instrument.html

Empty Vessel Music also accepts nearly new instruments and audio equipment.  To learn more visit http://www.emptyvessel.org/donateinstruments.html

BOOKS
Books for Africa accepts texts of all kinds from picture books to encyclopedias to help fill libraries and classrooms throughout the continent.  Except for dictionaries, reference books should have been published in the last ten years.  To learn more visit booksforafrica.org

Friends of the San Francisco Library also collects used books.  To learn more visit http://www.friendssfpl.org/?Book_Donations

Always carry around a list of your medications with you just in case of an emergency.

Everyone should have the following documents in place:

• Living Trust
• Health Care Proxy (HCP)
• Advance Directive (AD)
  
• Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST)

You may ask what the difference is between a POLST and an AD?  An AD is a document that contains the expressed desire of patients, but it does not have the same authority as a POLST since it is not signed by a physician.  The POLST is a physician's order that helathcare workers must follow.  It is recommended that patients have both documents.

One never knows what's around the corner.  We should always be prepared at any adult age.

60% of people say that making sure their family is not burdened by tough decisions is “extremely important”
56% have not communicated their end-of-life wishes
Source: Survey of Californians by the California HealthCare Foundation (2012)

70% of people say they prefer to die at home
70% die in a hospital, nursing home, or long-term care facility
Source: Centers for Disease Control (2005)

80% of people say that if seriously ill, they would want to talk to their doctor about end-of-life care
7% report having had an end-of-life conversation with their doctor
Source: Survey of Californians by the California HealthCare Foundation (2012)

82% of people say it’s important to put their wishes in writing
23% have actually done it
Source: Survey of Californians by the California HealthCare Foundation (2012)

One conversation can make all the difference.

Remember:

• You don’t need to talk about it just yet. Just think about it.
• You can start out by writing a letter—to yourself, your family, or a friend. 
• Having a practice conversation with a friend could help.
• These conversations may reveal that you and your loved ones disagree. That’s okay. It’s important to simply know this, and to continue talking about it now—not during a medical crisis.