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COVID-19 Updates

UPDATES: MAY 2022

The Center is offering select services in-person, via phone, and online. Currently, the Center is open by appointment, 9 AM – 5 PM PT. Please visit sfcenter.org/calendar for a full list of upcoming events.

ONGOING RESOURCES INCLUDE:

Information & Referral Services (I&R): Operating online, via phone, and select in-person services. Please leave a voicemail and we will return your call within one business day. Reach us at [email protected] | 415-865-5661

  • Virtual I&R: Monday – Friday | 9 AM – 6 PM: Email [email protected] or leave a voicemail at 415-865-5661. I&R staff respond to emails and voicemails within 1 business day
  • In-Person I&R: Appointments available Tuesday – Thursday | 12 PM – 4 PM: Drop-in or schedule via [email protected] or 415-865-5661
CyberCenter: Tuesday – Thursday | 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM: The CyberCenter hours are posted monthly. All visitors to the CyberCenter must wear a mask while inside the Center. Anyone experiencing symptoms or who has known exposure should refrain from visiting the space.

Employment Services: 

  • Weekly Job Club Drop-In: Hosted by our Employment Services team covering a wide range of topics. RSVP via Zoom here. 
  • Virtual 1:1 Employment Coaching: If you’re looking for full-time employment, please book an appointment with us! Our services include career exploration, resume modification, LinkedIn assistance, training on job search methods, interview preparation, and support with job applications.

Financial Services:

  • Financial coaching appointments: Available via phone on a case-by-case basis. Reach out to the following:
    • First-time homebuyers program inquiry – Ashley De La Torre ([email protected] | 415.865.5553)
    • First-time homebuyers program 1:1 appointment, Rental Application Support – Travis Spain ([email protected] | 415.865.5534) 
    • Peer Lending Circle and  Smart Money Coaching – Andrea Coombes
      [email protected] | 415-865-5652)
    • Small Business Services – Eddie Tang ([email protected] | 415-723-6513)

Weekly support group for LGBTQ+ community members who were in the military: Email [email protected] to RSVP and receive the Zoom link

Youth Services: Clients can schedule appointments Tuesday – Thursday | 12:00 – 4:00 PM via: https:cutt.ly/centeryouth. If folks would like to attend virtual groups or learn about our services, email [email protected] 

 

UPDATES: AUGUST 2021

The Center is offering select services in-person, via phone, and online. Currently, the Center is open by appointment, 9 AM – 5 PM PT. Please visit sfcenter.org/calendar for a full list of upcoming events.

ONGOING RESOURCES INCLUDE:

Information & Referral Services (I&R): Operating online, via phone, and select in-person services. Please leave a voicemail and we will return your call within one business day. Reach us at [email protected] | 415-865-5661

  • Virtual I&R: Monday – Friday | 9 AM – 6 PM: Email [email protected] or leave a voicemail at 415-865-5661. I&R staff respond to emails and voicemails within 1 business day
  • In-Person I&R: Appointments available Tuesday – Thursday | 12 PM – 4 PM: Drop-in or schedule via [email protected] or 415-865-5661
Cyber Center: Tuesday – Thursday | 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM: All visitors to the CyberCenter must wear a mask while inside the Center. Anyone experiencing symptoms or who has known exposure should refrain from visiting the space.

Employment Services: 

  • Weekly Job Club Drop-In: Hosted by our Employment Services team covering a wide range of topics. RSVP via Zoom here. 
  • Virtual 1:1 Employment Coaching: Available Monday – Friday 10:00 AM to 4:00 pm PT and Saturdays 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM PST. Please book via Gen Book for all appointments. (Job seekers must reside in the SF Bay Area and/or be seeking employment in SF. We are not conducting telephone appointments and are only using Zoom for all appointments.)

Financial Services:

  • Financial coaching appointments: Available via phone on a case-by-case basis. Reach out to the following:
    • First-time homebuyers program inquiry – Ashley De La Torre ([email protected] | 415.865.5553)
    • First-time homebuyers program 1:1 appointment, Rental Application Support – Travis Spain ([email protected] | 415.865.5534) 
    • Peer Lending Circle and  Smart Money Coaching – Andrea Coombes
      [email protected] | 415-865-5652)
    • Small Business Services – Eddie Tang ([email protected] | 415-723-6513)

Weekly support group for LGBTQ+ community members who were in the military: Email [email protected] to RSVP and receive the Zoom link

Youth Services: Clients can schedule appointments Tuesday – Thursday | 12:00 – 4:00 PM via: https:cutt.ly/centeryouth. If folks would like to attend virtual groups or learn about our services, email [email protected] 

 

 

 

UPDATE: May, 2021 

Most of our programs and services have been moved online, with select in-person offerings! Please visit sfcenter.org/calendar for a full list of upcoming events.

Ongoing resources include:

Information & Referral Services: Operating online, via phone and select in-person services. Please leave a voicemail and we will return your call within one business day. Reach us at [email protected] | 415-865-5661

Virtual I&R: Monday – Friday | 9 AM – 6 PM

  • Email [email protected] or leave a voicemail at 415-865-5661. I&R staff respond to emails and voicemails within 1 business day

In Person I&R: Appointments available Tuesday – Thursday | 12 PM – 4 PM

Cyber Center: Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
All visitors to the CyberCenter must wear a mask while inside the Center. Anyone experiencing symptoms or who has known exposure should refrain from visiting the space.

Online Resources: Available 24/7
sfcenter.org/resources
Because many organizations have been impacted by the local COVID-19 shelter-in-place order, please call ahead for any in-person resources.

Weekly Job Club Drop-In hosted by our Employment Services team covering a wide range of topics: https://sfcenter.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0vde6ppzooGtMetdagyv6AP2tRiX9XTID8  

Weekly virtual meeting for small business owners about relief programs: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/online-sf-lgbtqia-small-businesses-covid-19-weekly-relief-program-updates-tickets-101483959254

Weekly Small Business Program Online Office Hour: https://www.meetup.com/SF_LGBT_Center_Small_Business_Group/events/thrdrrybcgbsb/

Weekly support group for LGBTQ+ community members who were in the military: https://www.facebook.com/events/164766944884954/

Mental Health Services:
Virtual appointments with current clients only

One-on-one employment and financial coaching appointments:
Via phone on a case-by-case basis. Contact information below:

CANCELLED/CLOSED:
  • Tuesday Evenings: Queer Youth Meal Night 
  • Queer Youth Drop-In Navigation Services 

UPDATE: MARCH 20, 2020 at 7:45 PM

This is it. This is a once-in-a-lifetime, defining moment. People around the world and right here at home are desperately in need of help. 

Our actions in this moment will define us for generations to come. As we’re forced into our individual spaces, we must find new ways to come together and support one another. We must also re-define what it means “to have.” To have resources. To have community. To have stability. To have hope.

Those of us with the privilege to work safely from home have a responsibility to help those who are without work or who are putting themselves at risk to provide essential services for others.

So please take a step back and consider, in this moment, what you have, what you need, and what you can share. The ground has shifted below us; suddenly, simply having a job or a place to safely shelter is an incredible privilege.

If you are someone who has all that you need to make it through this crisis, please donate today to help those who are not so fortunate.

We don’t know what the world will look like after this pandemic has circled the globe. But we do know that an unfathomable number of people, organizations, and small businesses will emerge in dire need of help. 

The Center is committed to ensuring that our staff remain financially whole, maintaining essential services like Information & Referrals and Youth Mental Health Counseling, and creating new COVID-specific resources to help us weather this storm, no matter how long it lasts. And when we can finally open our doors again, our services will be more critical—and more in demand—than ever as we rebuild.

Someday, this disaster will be behind us. And if we do the hard, soul-searching, gut-wrenching work to contribute everything we possibly can right now, we’ll be able to look back with pride on what we can accomplish when we come together.

We’ve always been tremendously proud to be part of this generous community. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for everything you’ve done, and everything you’re about to do.

UPDATE: MARCH 19, 2020 at 12:00 PM

The Center has long been the heart of the San Francisco LGBTQ+ community. Our bright purple building is the literal and figurative hub of our community, providing resources and connection to those who need it most. 

We recognize that many people do not have homes to shelter in, have challenges accessing food and basic services, or are facing reductions in work hours and/or layoffs. As we look ahead towards weeks of physical separation from our communities, we know that isolation — and the exponential stress created by health and financial concerns — can create very significant mental and physical health challenges. 

We are committed to supporting you through this crisis. This includes:

  • Remaining a resource for information and support during these difficult times.
  • Identifying ways to cultivate community even if it is not in a shared physical space.
  • Helping all LGBTQ+ people in San Francisco recover and thrive once we have made it through this pandemic.
  • Ensuring every single one of our dedicated staff emerge from this financially whole.

We are still working out exactly how the Center’s bottom line will be impacted, but we know that we will need you in our corner, just as you’ve got us in yours.

Our community is strong. We have seen our way through hardships, challenges, and injustice before. And this time, all of San Francisco — and the world — is with us. This time, we have an opportunity to lead by example. If we take care of one another, the rest will follow.

If you are able, please make a tax-deductible donation to the Center today. And if you don’t have any wiggle room in your budget, please help us by filling out this two-minute questionnaire to let us know what the Center means to YOU, and what it means when others chip in to help support us.

UPDATE: MARCH 16, 2020 at 3:00 PM

As per Mayor Breed’s recent directive for San Franciscans and nearby neighbors to shelter in place, the SF LGBT Center will be closed from tomorrow, Tuesday March 17 through Tuesday April 7.

Our Information and Referral Services will be operating via phone and email with limited hours. Please email [email protected] or call 415-865-5661 if you have questions. You may also find helpful information at sfcenter.org/resources.

We will share more as our plans unfold.

According to The San Francisco Chronicle, the directive includes the following:

Six Bay Area counties (San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Marin, Contra Costa and Alameda counties) are expected to announce a “shelter in place” order for all residents on Monday, directing everyone to stay inside their homes and away from others as much as possible for the next three weeks as public health officials desperately try to curb the rapid spread of coronavirus across the region.

All non-essential gatherings of any size are now banned, along with non-essential travel “on foot, bicycle, scooter, automobile or public transit.” People may travel for shopping for necessary supplies, accessing health care, and providing aid to family and friends who need assistance, and for non-residents, returning to their home outside the Bay Area. Airports, taxis, and public transit — including BART — will remain operational, but only for essential travel and people are expected to keep six feet apart when possible.

Everyone is to work from home, or stop working, unless they provide an essential service, which includes health care workers; police, fire and other emergency responders; and utility providers such as electricians, plumbers, and sanitation workers.

UPDATE: MARCH 12, 2020 at 6:00 PM

There is a lot of information making the rounds about COVID-19 and how it is impacting communities around the world. Here at the Center, we are carefully monitoring recommendations from the San Francisco Department of Public Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and making adjustments based on best practices and the latest available information. 

We know that our most vulnerable community members—elderly, un-/under- insured and employed, and unsheltered individuals—will be hit the hardest by the rapid spread of this new disease. Lack of handwashing facilities, access to healthcare, paid time off, and increased severity of symptoms are sure to take their toll. 

Our first priority is to protect the health and safety of each and every one of our valued community members. At this time we remain open and have modified services to ensure that  LGBTQ+ people can safely access resources, support, and community. 

We are implementing a range of precautions throughout the Center, and intend to remain available as an access point for basic needs, such as handwashing, up-to-date information via our Cyber Center, and other essential programs and services. Currently, we have modified our services to prioritize those most critical to the health and well being of our community. We will continue to monitor the recommendations from experts , and will evaluate the best way to meet community needs on an ongoing basis.   

Please visit sfcenter.org/calendar or email [email protected] for the most up-to-date program information.  

Our annual fundraising Soirée has been postponed from Saturday, March 28th to Saturday, October 10th. We hope you will adjust your calendars and join us in the fall. 

The impacts of COVID-19 extend far beyond the physical symptoms. Small businesses and hourly-paid employees face major financial hits, and our sense of safety and security has been seriously shaken. There has also been a documented uptick in hostility, discrimination, and isolation of members of Asian American or Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities because cases of the virus were first reported in Wuhan, China.  

During times of uncertainty like this, it is more critical than ever that we act on our highest ideals of community and ensure San Francisco continues to be a sanctuary for all those in need. We must work together to continuously disrupt and address issues of hate and bias, and instead work to care for one another as well as the public good. 

The safest, kindest, and most effective thing we can do to stay healthy is to follow experts’ recommendations to practice consistent hand washing, cough or sneeze into your sleeve, and stay home if you are sick. For up-to-date information, you can check out the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s Cornonavirus Fact Page and the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management’s Health Alert Page.  

No matter what comes down the pike, our mission remains the same: create a stronger, healthier, and more equitable world for LGBTQ+ people and our allies. So let’s continue to do what we do best: come together with compassion, care for our community, share our resources, and refuse to let fear divide us.