As San Francisco entered lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, I was in the middle of a public art project for the City of Danville. My heart sculpture, which was centered around the history of Danville, quickly took on a different meaning for neighbors as people were looking for a spark of inspiration. My heart sculpture reminded the community that they shouldn’t obsess about the scary news and worry for themselves but focus on helping others. A mighty oak tree symbolizes our connection to the world. We are never alone - even when we can’t be physical together. We need to be brave like a lion in these times. We all depend on each other and we can’t delegate the responsibility. We have to stand together and be there for each other.
I literately took this message to heart, when the crisis started and did something that was completely not in my comfort zone but necessary. Following the need, I co-founded the Sunset Neighborhood Help Group, which is offering general assistance for the neighborhood. The group provides a helpline through phone and email, to ensure access for everyone, and coordinates volunteers via a Facebook group. The volunteers answer over 100 calls for action a week and have solved more than 450 cases since its creation in Mid-March. Facing unknown problems coming in as requests from neighbors, they ensure to address the biggest needs in the neighborhood. To find solutions, they put the heads of various volunteers together, and iterate until it is solved. Their network has access to volunteers with many different skills and experiences like social workers, translators, people with a medical background or in technology, as well as creatives.
Because the heart sculpture can’t be installed as long as Covid-19 is having its grip on the world, you can still take a sneak peak in my garage on Moraga Street between 44th and 45th.