From the community…

“Para mi ha sido increible poder poner mi granito de arena y viendo como mejoramos la vivienda y todo el vecindario y el mundo entero. He estado involucrado 7 años y me ha cambiado mucho – me siento que estoy ayudando, que algo estoy haciendo por la humanidad.”

“For me it’s been incredible to be able to contribute my little grain of sand and to see how we’ve improved housing and the neighborhood and the whole world. I’ve been involved for seven years and it’s changed me a lot – I feel that I’m helping, that I’m doing something for humanity.”
     Ollinda Orellana, SFOP Leader

“We work as a citywide family and together, no one can beat us.” 
     Dan Ryan, SFOP Leader

“Kids are shooting each other outside my window – that is real.  I’m a part of SFOP because together we can take a stand and find solutions to stop the violence.” 
     Ana B. Gutierrez, SFOP Leader and Board Member

“SFOP brought me back to real people and knowing the importance of building real relationships.”
     Darlene Zane, SFOP Leader and Board Member

“SFOP is community-based and the issues we address are grassroots – they come from the bottom up, not the top down.”
     Michael Lombardo, SFOP Board Member and Past Board President

 “We are here today because our faith calls us to act.” 
     Marco Montenegro, SFOP Leader and Board Co-Chair

“Before SFOP, I would never have believed that I would be walking the halls of Congress!” 
      Harvey Jackson, SFOP Leader

From faith leaders…

“SFOP knows how to find leaders in the community so people don’t have to work by themselves.”
     Father Gabriel Flores, St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church

“SFOP is helping our congregation fulfill its mandate to repair society. We are a potent force for social change."  
     Rabbi Camille Shira Angel, Congregation Sha'ar Zahav

“As faith leaders, we acknowledge our responsibility to our youth but we cannot do it alone, we need the city and the business community to work together for our young people.”    
     Pastor Calvin Jones, Providence Baptist Church

From policymakers…

“SFOP represents everyday people.  When they speak, elected officials know it is not a special interest.  Their voice is authentic.”
     Douglas Shoemaker, Mayor’s Office of Housing

“SFOP reaches a broad constituency of people who aren’t engaged in the regular political process, particularly low-income folks that don’t often have a voice.” 
     Glenn Eagleson, Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development