1. FROM THE EDITOR

2. A WORD FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

3. ASO OF THE MONTH

4. YOUR SPACE

5. PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT

Dani Hernandez-Roach

  This is my first column as editor of From The Rooftop. While words happen to my obsession, I’m finding it hard to describe the level of excitement and enthusiasm brewing as I inaugurate myself into the position, a position I accepted earlier this summer when our beloved Janet Dorman stepped down to pursue a new path on the East Coast. I must admit that while I accepted the role as editor without an ounce of hesitation, the idea of the newsletter being left in my hands was somewhat intimidating.

                But, this section of the newsletter (or any section, for that matter) isn’t a place to be downbeat. So I want to start by giving a warm hello to everyone reading this. For those of you who know me and have worked with me in the last 2 years I have been a volunteer at Under One Roof, I just want to say hello again and thank you. It has been all of you who have shaped my experience at Under One Roof and have facilitated my growth as a volunteer to the point that I now feel I can undertake a project like the newsletter to my and its full potential. For those of you who don’t know me (and there are a lot of you, so please introduce yourself if we ever run into each other at the store!), my name is Dani, I’m 17 years old, a senior at San Francisco University High School, and have been a volunteer at Under One Roof since November of 2007.

                My time at Under One Roof has been immeasurable. I couldn’t possibly describe to my own satisfaction, let alone anyone else’s, everything this place has done for me. If I can attempt to detail my sentiments, the last two years have been everything that is warmly human combined with everything that is transcendentally magical. I have honestly developed a passion for its mission, and have for some time now wanted to do everything in my power to help fulfill it. To touch upon something that is inevitably on a few people’s minds: yes, I am in high school, a member of a mandatory community service program, and yes I do have a certain number of hours plus an additional project to complete. However, since being introduced to Under One Roof via a presentation in a social issues class centered on HIV/AIDS when I was 15, I have been here because I genuinely want to be. Since joining Under One Roof, I have wanted nothing more than to do my part to help strengthen the HIV/AIDS community. To be sure, I know this sounds no different than a simple pageant answer, and in all honesty I’m slightly embarrassed by the hackneyed quality of my previous statement, but it is from the heart.

                So, this being my first issue, I want to possibly leave everyone with the vision I have of Under One Roof. It’s the spirit I see every time I walk in the store. It’s not manufactured optimism, it’s something more. It’s a living, breathing creature that is fostered every day by our wonderful team. Having said that, a venture like that of Under One Roof is inherently strewn with occasional disappointment and discouragement. With all that in mind, I want to remind everyone to enjoy your work. Give yourself time to grow. Things will get ok, good, better, great, and fantastic. Alexis de Tocqueville said that “the health of a democratic society may be measured by the quality of functions performed by private citizens.” Always remember that the quality of Under One Roof is hard-pressed to be outdone, all due to the work of its superb volunteers.

As per request, I want to give a shout out to the University High School extension of the FaceAIDS organization; the club is currently developing the year’s projects: school supplies to those affected and infected with HIV in Rwanda as well as a bake sale fundraiser.

Also, everybody please come and talk to me anytime. I really encourage it and want to get to know everyone on the team a lot better. Finally, thank you so much to Nic Hunter for contributing an intense amount of work to this issue of the newsletter. He has a few words to say in the “Your Space” section.

Best, Dani xx

PS. As the next issue won’t be out until December, Happy Halloween and Happy Thanksgiving to all!!

Dear Under One Roof Volunteers,

I am pleased to have this opportunity to update you all, as well as to thank you for your support and help on my return to active status at Under One Roof.

Many of you know that I came to Under One Roof as a volunteer in our first year of full-year retail.  I did all of the things that you all do, running the cash registers, greeting customers, sweeping the floor, and making friends.  At that time, we had volunteer buyers and I bought two categories with my fellow vollie-buyer, Greg M. - cards and novelty, which are still two of our most popular categories.  I worked on the Gift Show program in the very first years and so was in the trenches soliticiting and collecting donated products.  Eventually I was honored to be asked to join the Board of Directors, which I did for a long time, serving on the Merchandising Committee and as CFO.  With a variety of previous experience, it is very exciting to be back in yet another new role!

We have accomplished so much just in the past five months!  I am so proud of the extraordinary effort each of you has put forth.  None of it would have been possible without the energy, dedication and skills of all our vollies!  The various skill sets and methods of contribution have all helped to get us to where we are now.  Despite a difficult economy and difficult times for non-profits, our sales have been increasing steadily each month.  Our profit margins have improved with the increased presence of donated first-rate merchandise in the store. The store is looking cleaner and warmer and better merchandised.  We have had great successes, such as special sales at Market St, the sale of the beautiful grand piano donated by one of our volunteers, and incredible consigned merchandise from artists within the community.

Our next big project will be the 2009 Holiday Store.  This year we are honored to have the support of the Westfield Shopping Center.  Our holiday store will be on the 4th floor of the center, right across from Santa!  This is an incredible opportunity to do what we do so well - create a magical holiday experience and raise funds to support our ASOs.  I ask that you please consider adding a shift to your schedule in November and December.

My thanks go to you all for making Under One Roof happen.  And a very special thanks goes to the staff - Rene, Deana, James, LaVone, and Chris (our resident the mega-volunteer). 

Please write to me, stop by the store to visit me personally, or give me a call - I am always happy to see and hear from you.
Beth

  In our competitive world where there’s even a pecking order among volunteer agencies (the irony is palpable), sometimes we forget that smaller organizations need attention too. Similarly, few people even know what PAWS stands for, let alone that it’s one of the 29 ASOs that takes up its own space on the giant red banner inside the store. And that’s why PAWS—Pets Are Wonderful Support—is this month’s featured ASO.

                The appeal of PAWS is that they recognize the need for companionship—even if it is in the form of a furry creature named “Edward Scissorpaws”—in the HIV/AIDS community. What PAWS does is they service the less wealthy end of those suffering with HIV/AIDS by caring for their animals. This includes taking care of food, veterinary services, grooming and also educational endeavors surrounding zoonotic diseases (those that can be transferred from animal to human). 

                PAWS was started by a group of San Francisco Food Bank volunteers in 1986 who noticed that many sufferers of HIV/AIDS were placing their own health second to the well-being of their animals. So, in a time when nearly every warm-blooded San Franciscan was inspired to join the fight against HIV/AIDS in any way he could, these volunteers turned their focus to the care of these patients’ animals, possibly the only companions they had. PAWS started with the intention to improve the health of the animals and by extension improve the health of the human counter-parts.

                While it is one of the smaller ASOs in the Bay Area, PAWS was recently selected as one of the beneficiaries of Design Above All, a showcase put on by the San Francisco Design Center which features some of Northern California’s most up and coming interior designers as well as more settled design firms. It opened on September 19^th and will run through November 9, 2009. It is being held in the SoMa District of San Francisco; tickets are $20 and can be purchased here. Just as an aside, the event is always in need of volunteers to serve as docents, so if anyone is interested, email volunteer coordinator Daniel Marlay here.

                In all honesty, this is a fantastic organization that has approached the HIV/AIDS community in a way that is alternative but vital all the same. Everyone should consider giving even a moment of their time to an organization like PAWS.

Whenever I think of fall (or Autumn for all you Anglophiles out there) I think of many wonderful things: San Francisco’s “summer”, all of the great street fairs in town, the time when the leaves change and show some brilliant color, Halloween, and so many other fun and exciting events in town and in life. My favorite event of all has to be the annual Volunteer Appreciation event. See, I realize that there are hundreds of volunteers that make up Under One Roof, but it’s so hard to meet them all with our differing schedules and our busy lives. 

I remember my first Volunteer party about 4 years ago and how utterly terrified I was that I would be the kid sitting on the bleachers against the wall and watching everyone have fun and mingle. If you couldn’t tell, I wasn’t the most socially outgoing person in high school (or even when I moved here) and I had quite the overactive imagination. There were so many people that year (when it was hosted at the LGBT Center on Market Street) and I remember thinking how overwhelming the number of people really was. But I chatted, I made friends, and I had a great time. And each year has been no different.

This year I was extremely pleased with the appreciation party for several reasons. The first being that we had the National AIDS Memorial Grove space dedicated to us for our use for the party. This space means a huge deal to me. There has been many times when I’ve taken a trip to Golden Gate Park to sit and meditate on life. And from that, read and recognize the names of the friends and family members that we’ve lost to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. These times have kept me strong and committed to continuing my volunteer service, so I was incredibly pleased that we were able to incorporate such a truly beautiful and serene space to our volunteers. The second part of my happiness was the great turnout of all the volunteers that attended. Many of the volunteers there were individuals that I’ve never met before who had been volunteering for a long time. Not only was it a genuine treat for me to meet so many individuals from various walks of life that make up the Under One Roof family, it was also great to hear their stories of when they started, how things have changed, and how they’ve continued to stay strong and dedicated to helping those with HIV/AIDS in the Bay Area.

While the next opportunity to mingle and meet your fellow volunteers is a year away, I highly encourage you all to come in from time-to-time and meet your fellow volunteers – try a new shift, stop in and say hello while shopping, or say hello at one of the upcoming off-sites or special events. Under One Roof is more than just a non-profit organization or a retail store – it’s a place of positive influences and change, and bringing our community together.

You can never get enough of bath and body product. Whether you’re looking for yourself or for a gift for someone special, bath and body products are the perfect gift since everyone loves to look and smell clean. With that being said, we’ve definitely got a line of products for you to check out - Thymes bath and body products. Graciously donated through the San Francisco Gift Center, Thymes is a product that is a blend of blend of expressive and evocative scents that are beautifully designed and packaged. Each fragrance is developed independently and is tested over and over, but remains true and free of testing on animals. Either for yourself of as a gift to a friend or family member, Thymes is something that will be beautiful in your bathroom and make leave your skin feeling delicious! Ranging from $5.00 to $68.00, you can find many of the fragrances in bath salts, bar soaps, hand crème, votive candles, home sprays, gift sets, and so much more. For more information, visit www.thymes.com.