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The 2021 holiday season was filled with inspiring and generous support for Compass families. In the 24th year of Compass' Adopt-a-Family program, we connected over 470 individuals, families, friends and corporate teams with 560 families in need . Last week, many families picked up their gifts and are full of joy and gratitude for this wonderful support from our community. Many of the gifts our families receive through Compass’ Adopt-a-Family program includes toys, clothing, hygiene items, kitchen appliances, household items, Clipper cards, grocery gift cards and more. Families also receive gift certificates to experiences that they can enjoy year round, such as tickets to the aquarium or a gift card to Olive Garden for a nice family dinner. Oftentimes donors are also able to fulfill significant needs for a family, such as helping a family recently housed through Compass programs, to furnish their empty apartment with beds, sofas, rugs and other furniture. Last year, many Compass families owed significant amounts of back rent debt and Adopt-a-Family donors raised over $400,000 to help families stay housed during the pandemic. For many families experiencing homelessness or extreme poverty, the holidays may resurface trauma or complicated emotions. Thanks to our generous community of donors, volunteers and staff, Compass’ Adopt-a-Family program will provide families with not only gifts but also joy and happiness during the holiday season. Thank you to our amazing community of donors, volunteers and staff for making the holidays merry and bright for Compass families! If you missed out on participating and are looking forward to the 2022 holiday season, please make sure you’re on our email list for events and updates! SUBSCRIBE HERE .

Meet Trista! 👋 Trista is a Rental Subsidy Case Manager at Compass’ SF HOME program which promotes long-term housing stability through housing search assistance, rental subsidies, case management, and one-time financial assistance to cover rent for families at risk of eviction, as well as, security deposits and first month's rent. Trista is a hard-working, smart, and a deeply compassionate case manager. During the pandemic, she played a vital role in removing barriers for client families and providing support with housing and other services, such as food, job search, benefit applications and more. She fiercely advocates for her client families to access services and has successfully helped families acquire permanent supportive housing. Permanent supportive housing units are an important resource for Compass families, many who are low income, since these units only charge a percentage of the household income as rent instead of a flat rate. Many of the families we serve are greatly affected by the pandemic and lost employment and wages while struggling with childcare and healthcare concerns. Affordable and stable housing is key to helping families stay safe emotionally and physically as we recover from this crisis. Thank you so much, Trista!

Meet Rina! 👋 Rina is a Machine Learning Researcher at LinkedIn and came to Compass as a volunteer, offering statistics and data analysis support for our Impact + Learning team. Compass’ Impact + Learning team gathers and analyzes data and trends around Compass’ program services and offers insights and guidance to improve service delivery and the experience of our client families. Rina supports these efforts by performing complex statistical analysis on our housing and income data to look for racial and ethnic disparities and has been doing a new analysis every few weeks for over 6 months. We appreciate her specialized skills in providing important information for Compass and thinking with our team what the story behind the data is telling us. Thank you, Rina, for applying your incredible skills and knowledge to help us better support Compass families!

Thanks to the generosity of our incredible community of supporters, we raised over $510,000 during our HOME 2021 live program to ensure that Compass' services will be here for San Francisco’s homeless and vulnerable families for as long as they're needed. Funds raised through the Housing. Support. Hope. Campaign will support three key initiatives: the creation of a permanent home for Compass at 37 Grove Street; the launch of new, innovative and expanded programs including emergency COVID response initiatives; and the ongoing delivery of Compass’ essential support services. Meet some of our families and learn about how Compass is supporting their journey to stability. A special thanks to our incredible Spring Event Leadership Committee — Christine Leong Conners, Chad Dyer, Alison Engel, Beth Roy Jenkyn, Lauren Kowal Thank You to our generous HOME 2021 Event Sponsors $25,000 BlackRock JPMorgan Chase & Co Salesforce Kaiser Permanente Freddy and Sara Kerrest Keen Litman Gregory Asset Management ​Qatalyst Partners ​S.C. Johnson & Son Sutter Health Twitter Visa Diane B. Wilsey Zendesk ​ $10,000 Verizon Bank of America Dalana Brand First Republic Bank Comerica Redwood Credit Union ​ $5,000 Cathay Bank Carolyn and Chris Colpitts Meyers + Engineers Anne and Michael Parish Union Bank ​ $2,500 Lanier Coles Dana Corvin and Harris Weinberg Creative Planning Dennis Gibbons and Lisa Erdberg Kerry and Sean Honey Marylou Karp Lauren and Andrew Kowal Stacy and Michael McCarthy Leslie and Nick Podell Sobia and Nadir Shaikh Chris and Karen Wagner Ken Whiting and Nicole DeAvilla ​

With generous support from the Wells Fargo Foundation, we are launching a monthly Universal Basic Income Pilot to support Compass families. The economic hardships of families experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity during the COVID-19 crisis have been extreme. Compass families lost an average of 40% of their income at the start of the pandemic. The road towards financial recovery continues today with many parents still struggling to find work in their field or unable to work due to childcare needs. A new grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation will enable Compass to study the impact of universal basic income for 13 low-income families with children currently enrolled in Compass Children’s Center. The payments will be $350 per month for six months. Although this pilot program will be modest, resulting in a total of $2,100 per family, we know that any increase in income is likely to produce real benefits for the children and parents we serve. We hope that the results will show an overall improvement in family stability over the pilot period. “We will explore how families utilize this resource and if receiving guaranteed income may lead to increased opportunities in terms of employment, self-determination, goal-setting, and financial literacy,” says Erica Kisch, Compass Executive Director. Participating families will be assessed at the start, middle and end of the program by the Compass Children’s Center’s Clinical Coordinator. Evaluations will assess each family using Compass’ Family Assessment Matrix (FAM) which includes gauges of employment, housing, child well-being, mental health and wellness. Families will also complete surveys at the beginning of the program about how they plan to use the funds and again at the end to understand how they ended up using them. Families will also provide additional information and feedback about their experiences. A control group of non-participating families will also be assessed to help identify any impacts that are specifically from the increased income as opposed to any other variables. The Clinical Coordinator will also follow up with families six months after the pilot’s end to determine if any benefits to family stability have been sustained. “We expect that families will show modest improvement in their financial health, like increasing their savings, reducing debt, acquiring a bank account, increasing their earned income, completing a budget, and participating in financial coaching,” says Kisch. “We are very grateful for Wells Fargo to be providing this direct resource to families and helping us study the benefits of Universal Basic Income.” Compass Children's Center serves some of San Francisco's most vulnerable families -- those who have experienced homelessness and/or are very low-income. 100% of children enrolled at Compass Children's Center qualify for subsidies through Early Learning San Francisco based on their household income and family size. Many families, including both parents and their children, have experienced high levels of trauma related to poverty, homelessness, and housing and food insecurity. The program will start in September with payments distributed from October through March.

“I support Compass Family Services because every family deserves safe and secure housing, access to quality child care, early childhood education and critical support services in time of need. For more than 100 years, Compass Family Services has been there for San Francisco’s neediest residents in their greatest time of need - when they have no one else to turn to. My wife and I are proud to support Compass because the need is critical and the time is now.” - Chris Wagner This year, Chris Wagner, Compass Board Chair, completed his term on Compass Family Services’ Board of Directors after 11 years of service. Chris has supported Compass and our mission to break the cycles of family homelessness in the San Francisco Bay Area since 2008. As a San Francisco native, Chris viewed his role on the Compass board as a meaningful way to improve the lives of homeless families and build a stronger and more supportive community. He joined our Board of Directors in 2010 and became Treasurer in 2017 before taking the helm as Board Chair in 2017. During his years of service, Chris was not afraid to get on the ground from helping to provide direct support to client families to engaging with donors to raise funds to support Compass programs and initiatives. Chris also participated in and volunteered for our annual Adopt-a-Family holiday program where our donor community fulfills holiday gift wish lists for families in need. Prior to his current position as Senior Vice President of Wealth Management at UBS, Chris was the Director of Private Banking at Credit Suisse, where he cultivated a long-lasting relationship with Compass and to this day, Credit Suisse employees volunteer at Compass events annually and also provide a generous grant to support our programs. As Board Chair, Chris was a key player in the acquisition of Compass’ service hub at 37 Grove, where we provide services to over 6,000 homeless and at-risk children and parents each year. He also provided tremendous support for Compass’ three-year $30 million campaign, Housing. Support. Hope., The Campaign for the San Francisco Family., to ensure that the organization will be available and accessible to San Francisco's homeless and vulnerable families for as long as our services are needed. Under Chris’ wise leadership, deep involvement and dedication to Compass’ mission, we reached our big goal in July of 2021, securing Compass' future and ensuring the organization will remain a deep support for San Francisco families in need! We are incredibly grateful for Chris and his strong commitment to Compass and the families we serve!

“It’s still surreal to me... because if someone would have told me when I was homeless and in my addiction that I’d make it this far, I would have laughed in their face. Jail or death seemed more like a reality back then.” Compass program directors and case managers frequently get letters and emails from former clients thanking them for their help along the way to achieving a stable home. Marilyn sent an update on her housing success with the news that she and her family purchased their own home in Vallejo earlier this year! Marilyn graduated from Compass Clara House in 2007 after more than two years of dedicated work to keep her and her children together, healthy, and on a path to self-sufficiency. Marilyn credits success to the services she received from her case managers and therapists who helped her heal from past trauma, maintain sobriety, and ultimately to get her college degree. Marilyn’s email to Compass Clara House: “My children had a safe home at Clara House surrounded by staff and other families that fostered a sense of community and genuine care for one another. My children gained a mother who was clean and sober, driven to do better for them, and found stability. I am forever grateful to Compass for helping me put mine and my kid’s life back together. So, whenever something great happens, I always remember where my journey started so I’m reaching out to let you know that...... I am now a homeowner!!!!!! :) I bought a house in Vallejo. It’s still surreal to me... because if someone would have told me when I was homeless and in my addiction that I’d make it this far, I would have laughed in their face. Jail or death seemed more like a reality back then. If Compass hadn’t taken me in, supported us, pushed me to be better, believed in me and gave us a chance at life — I know I wouldn’t be where I am today. So THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! Best, Marilyn Marilyn is currently in a leadership position at a nonprofit agency that provides permanent supportive housing to people experiencing homelessness. Congratulations to you and your family, Marilyn!

Together we achieved our Housing. Support. Hope. campaign goal and raised $30 million to ensure Compass will continue to be here for San Francisco's homeless and vulnerable families for as long as there is a need! Thank you so much for helping us reach this incredible milestone! Every contribution over the past three years counted toward our goal and thousands of people and institutions are a part of this success . We truly can't do our work without this enormous community support making it all possible. We're able to provide housing, childcare and education, mental health support services, workforce development, and more, only because you enable us to do so. Campaign funds support three key initiatives: With your help, we did it!

Meet Terrie! Terrie is a Residential Counselor and Case Manager at Compass Family Shelter, an e mergency shelter providing a place to stay for up to 22 families and offers intensive case management and services geared towards helping families obtain housing and stability. Terrie is an incredible and integral part of the team at Shelter. She always approaches everyone, from Shelter staff and families to our greater Compass community, with warmth and kindness. Her authenticity, positive outlook and attitude immediately brightens up any room! Terrie is also a wonderful mentor towards newer staff members and is a dependable teammate! She readily takes initiative, shares information about helpful resources and happenings to support our families and is never afraid to ask clarifying questions when something new is introduced. Terrie is an excellent communicator, sharing regular updates and fostering a sense of collaboration within the entire Shelter community. We are so grateful for Terrie and her incredible work! Thank you for supporting our Shelter team and families!

During Black History Month and in this new Year of the Ox, Compass stands in solidarity with Asian American communities across the world to condemn anti-Asian racism, particularly the recent spate of anti-Asian hate crimes in San Francisco , Oakland , and beyond . In Oakland, the president of the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce noted tragically that seniors and elders are fearful of walking on their own streets. Compass unreservedly condemns anti-Asian racism in all forms, and we send our deep condolences to the families of those affected and so many other families and neighborhoods impacted by hate, intimidation, threats, and violence. We also extend our gratitude and admiration to the swell of activists, artists, organizers, and others who have stepped in to build community and repair harms, by leading safety patrols, distributing resources across neighborhoods, and fighting hate with their voices and written words . The COVID-19 pandemic has had a uniquely difficult impact on Asian American communities across the world. In San Francisco’s Chinatown—the nation’s largest and oldest Chinatown—the community is not only grappling with COVID-19, but also with decreased tourism and economic pain due to pandemic-related racism. Nationally, the Pew Research Center reports that 58% of Asian Americans feel they experience racism more commonly now than before the pandemic, and more than 30% have reported experiencing slurs or jokes because of their race or ethnicity. There is so much pain in this—specifically, the pain of longstanding racism that has only been reinvigorated during COVID-19. In the 19th century, white communities reacted to economic and social anxieties by blaming Asian and Chinese immigrants for the spread of diseases prevalent at the time. This history goes largely underacknowledged in mainstream discourse, and yet it is the root of where we find ourselves today. At the same time, anti-Asian racism is connected to a broader system of white supremacy that benefits from divisions between communities of color. We must work together and find collaborative solutions to dismantle this system for the benefit of all oppressed groups. Asian American communities in San Francisco are a core and vibrant part of our Compass community, and we stand in allyship, in community, in solidarity, and in the struggle for justice with them and with Asian-American communities everywhere. Here are some relevant resources from The Management Center, which recently issued their own statement on Black & Asian solidarity : Black Futures: An Ode to Freedom Summer On Anti-Asian Hate Crimes: Who Is Our Real Enemy? Open Letter to Community: Asian American Solidarity & #WeKeepUsSafe The First Rainbow Coalition Oakland Mayor Blames Crime Wave Against Asians on Defunded Police; Black and Asian Activists Disagree Some Pastoral Thoughts for Asian Americans about Elder Violence Janaya Future Khan in conversation with Hollis Wong-Wear Do Better Londrelle - Gratitude Black Art: In the Absence of Light Black & Bold: Perspectives on Leadership