That volunteers deal do on a day of service. We have folks that help give out lunches in the cafe, we have folks who help with the check in, getting people when they arrive, making sure that they find the services that they need to, we have folks who help in the check out process, to make sure they get their food bag, bag of groceries, together hygiene kit, and whatever they need to. Volunteers, i think of them as the secret sauce that just makes the whole process works smoothly. Participants are encouraged and welcomed to come with their pets. We do have a pet daycare, so if they want to have their pets stay in the daycare area while they navigate the event, they are welcome to do that, will we also understand some people are more comfortable having their pets with them. They can bring them into the event as well. We also typically offer veterinary services, and it can be a real detriment to coming into an event like this. We also have a bag check. You dont have to worry about your belongings getting lost, especially when that is all that you have with you. We get connected with people who knew they had hearing loss, but they didnt know they could get services to help them with their hearing loss picks and we are getting connected with each other to make sure they are getting supported. Our next event will be in march, we dont yet have a date set. We typically sap set it six weeks out. The way to volunteer is to follow our newsletter, follow us on social media, or just visit our website. We always announce it right away, and you can register very easily online. A lot of people see folks experience a homelessness in the city, and they dont know how they can help, and defence like this gives a whole bunch of people a lot of good opportunities to give back and be supported. Please stand by please stand by please stand by please stand by preston please stand by please stand by please stand by please stand by its a pleasure and honor and a joy to be part of this celebration. When we do these grand openings, theyre celebrations and they are also acknowledge. No one institution can create the Affordable Housing we see here and so i want to begin by asking mayor breed, thanking you for your support and to share a few words. Yep. [laughter] thats it. All right. Wow. Thank you all so much for being here today and im really excited about this project. Especially because i used to serve on the San FranciscoRedevelopment Agency commission and i remember when mission bay was just taking shape in San Francisco and the conversations around the housing that we know would be built here and we fought really hard and because of that fight, 30 of all the new housing will go to support families that are low and middle income residents. Which brings us here today. 143 units of Family Housing and Senior Housing for people who in some cases were displaced long ago. I grew up in the western Edition Community and there were a lot of mistakes in that community. Homes were torn down. Promises were made and no housing was provided for those people and families. In these 143 units, of Affordable Housing, we have 10 certificate of preference holders. Which is absolutely amazing. [applause] when i served on the San Francisco board of supervisors, i was excited to help pass legislation to address a real problem around displacement of residents through either owner movein elections, ellis act evictions and sometimes in the cases of fire. Because of that, we are residents who are asking living here who fit the bill and qualifications and now have a space affordable clean, nice, beautiful things place to call home. Providing Affordable Housing is not providing a place for people to stay. Its about building a community. Its about supporting a community. Making sure there are creditable services that provide resources to the community. Im excited about a26 va lynn see a and well join the ground floor to support young people in this community. This is absolutely amazing and i never get tired of coming to events where we are celebrating housing for families, housing for seniors, housing for people who need it the most. What is even more exciting is the fact that this property, unlike so Many Properties that we see being developed in San Francisco has two and three bedroom apartments. I know that was such, i read the stories from so many of the residents who talked about their challenges and their experiences and their need in terms of the displacement but also their need to make sure that they have housing and enough room for their families. And so thats why this project is so exciting. This is really an example of what we need to do to provide Affordable Housing to families and folks from low and middle incomes in San Francisco all over this city. So i am just here to celebrate with all of you and to i guess people have already moved in so well do a ribbo ribboncuttingy because why not celebrate such an incredible milestone because it means a better life and future for so many families. It means an opportunity to be part of this Amazing New Community with ucsf and the t3 line and t third. Whatever they call it now. And all of the great amenities that exist right here in mission bay. So so much to don falcon for all the work you all continue to do not just be a nonprofit developer, but be a Community Builder. A Community Builder that sustain communities for years to come and thank you for being here to celebrate this incredible milestone, the architects, the developers, the engineers, all of the people that make this a place we can call home. Thank you so much for being here today. [applause] thank you so much mayor breed. You honor us with your words. Please, welcome one of the Community Residents here, jesus. I want to share a story that has helped me move forward. 400 in the 1992 olympics in barcelona, a young man was able to win the race and the gold medal. However, at around 250 meeters. Judge s. L. Neal meeters into the race, he was in pain. While the medics made his way to him he had to decide if he will finish the race in pain or just stay down and give up the race he had trained so hard to win. So despite the pain he stood up and began to limp along the track, even though the pain was unbearable he finished the race. His name is deric redman. This is a story that has inspired me to my darkest moments. Let me share with you a bit about how my journey began. My name is jesus and i am mexican immigrant. I left my home in mexico in april of 1992 to come to america and seeking for a better life. I came empty handed with only the clothes on my back. However, in may of 1992, my life changed in a second. I was hit by a train while on my way to seattle, washington to work in the fishing industry. It was around midnight so they didnt find me until the next morning around 7 00 a. M. They took me to Highland Hospital in oakland where they told me i will never be able to walk again and i was going to be paralyzed. I spent two years recovering at highland and at the facility. Not knowing what was in store for me in the future. When i was discharged, my eyes were open to my new reality. I realized i was homeless, no skills related to work because of my disability. I was all by myself, no family or friends. Eventually i was connected with a Booster Program that helped me get a stable housing unit. My Mental Health however didnt get better. I was living by myself and feeling isolated, depressed and hopeless. I also tuned to people for support. I ended up using alcohol and drugs to cope with my depression to help my life and my time living alone. Fortunately, with the social work program, i was referred to 626 Mission Bay Housing and this great organization. Here i am blessed to have a apartment to share with my mom and dad which allows me to have a Family Support system that i needed to be able to focus on my goals and recovery. My social workers has also been tremendous men doesltremendousl. Its never too late to obtain an education and be a member of the society. Now im beginning to dream again. Currently i have returned to Community College and take classes in hopes of becoming an architect. My hope is to build shelters and for those facing homelessness in the city of San Francisco. Because of the support and safe housing im able to focus on giving back to the beautiful city that has given me a lot. My current goal is to volunteer at the local ucsf Childrens Hospital at 826 valencia next door. I want to thank my church and pastor, social worker, parents and my whole family for always believing in me, even through my darkest episodes of life. Remember, when the darkest hour comes to you its because a light bright of a new dawn is approaching. When the storm is hitting the hardest its because the clouds are approaching. Dont give up. Finish the race. [applause] thank you so much, jesus. Every person in this room is here because of you and people like you. Thank you. Please, join me in welcoming supervisor matt haney. [applause] well, first of all, thank you jesus for those powerful words and thank you to all the residents and all the staff who make it a tremendous place for residents. I want to give a huge thanks to tnbc and to don faulk. Ive been supervisor for five months and ive been to two ribbon cuttings and they both have been tndc ribbon cuttings. Not only that, both have not been in the tenderloin so i represent the tenderloin. We had one in south of market and one in mission bay and it demonstrates how critical and important housing developer you are and not just in district 6, not just in the tenderloin but through out our city. Thank you so much mayor breed. I know you are working hard to make sure we have Affordable Housing and Affordable Housing for families. I have the opportunity to serve on the board of education for six years and the thing that i heard more than anything when i visited our schools, is that our families and our kids are struggling from housing and stability, if you dont have a safe and stable place to live, its going to be hard for a young person to achieve in school to be well socially and emotionally and so investing inhousing, especially for families is one of the most important things we can do for the future of our city. Im so excited that the Mission Bay Community is going to be a place that has a balance of affordability and we have made amount of mistakes in the past when it comes to housing and displacement but when you build a new community, like we have here in mission bay, we have the opportunity to actually get it right. So thank you to ocii, thank you to everybody who has made sure that we have affordability in mission bay and that mission bay is being built through families. Right here will be such a hugely important thing to make sure that families can thrive here in mission bay. And the last thing i want to say is not only do we have 826 valencia here in this building, well have a School Across the street. It was one of the last things you can clap for a new school. [applause] this will be the very First Public School built in San Francisco in about 20 years and its going to be right here in this community in the parking lot. Theyve gone out for design and architects and all that so its happening and the funding is there so i cant wait to see when i and down here and we see kids who can walk directly across the street from this building to their school here right in mission bay and a wonderful, beautiful building in a community that is going to be such a fantastic place for families and for all of the residents who get to call this place home. Thank you to everybody who made it possible. [applause] thank you so much supervisor haney for all your support in this work. Wells fargo played a crucial role in the development here. Please welcome geoff bennett. [applause] thank you so much. Its a pleasure to be here. Were thrilled to be part of this wonderful project and congratulations to tnbc and the city and for all those who worked on this project. I was kind of in the trenches with a lot of the details for the loans and i know it was not an easy task. We spent a lot of hours and a lot of Conference Calls and worked through some challenging issues. Im looking at colleen who did a lot of work on that and did a terrific job. [laughter] weve had a great relationship for 25 years now and done some Amazing Things together and we always lev working on projects so thank you for having us on this one and just a couple words. Were the construction lender and were also the low Income Housing tax Credit Investors and well be a limited partner for 15 years on the project and we provided the equity on the project. Other ford able housing a big deal and its been decades and we take it very seriously and its a big commitment and i work in a group that does nothing but Affordable Housing everyday of the week and were putting up big numbers. I know we should put up bigger numbers but just to give you a sense we have a billion dollars to Affordable Housing in the bay area that covered about 42 developments and were finances six new projects here in the city right now. About 400 minute yu 400 million. We got a new one from don yesterday. Were hoping to do a lot more in the city and a billion dollars has been committed through 2025 for grants, which is a big deal. Were happy to see that and yes, wore thrilled to be involved in big projects like this. I have been a longtime San Francisco residents and im a homeowner here and its just extra special to attend things like this in my backyard. We appreciate the opportunity and we look forward being into a lot more like this. So thank you. Thank you, jeff. Stephanie, please come up. [applause] i moved here to reunite with my family and immediately i was struck by the level of homelessness in the bay area. In 2016, a series of unfortunate events involving family and friends and a former employer left me and my family scrambling for help. Through a patchwork of shelters and social services from as far as richmond, i was introduced to tndc. From that moment, my life changed drastically. Our journey from being homeless to being housed was over. Having a place has given my son security and stability to perform well in school and consistency for me to complete my degree. 626 mission bay is more than just an Apartment Building for us its a launch pad to become positive, productive members of society. Thank you. [applause] thank you. Thank you so much, steph know. Yostephanie. You give meaning tod we really appreciate you. I hope you will join me in welcoming colleen ma who was a project manager for 626 mission bay boulevard. [applause] ill try to keep it short. The beautiful building was made possible by all of our amazing partners. From our partners at wells fargo and the Federal Home Loan Bank to our architects and studio and our general contractor its been years in the making to get to finally celebrate the completion of this building. Its pretty wild but i hope you get to look at the acknowledgment list but it scratches the surface of people, staff, engineers, women and more who have worked to make this project a reality. And now that the building is complete, ive had the honor of watching my peer, our site staff work there magic. Marry ellen and tino who are hiding in the crowd or offices have put in countless late nights and weekends to get this building leased. [applause] and they continue to put in the time to keep it running smoothly. Clifton, johnathan, jesse and terry have run miles in this half city block of the building. [applause] to make sure this building functions properly. Key key and natallia meet tenants where theyre at to provide resources and materials. [applause] for some of these tenants, this is their very first home and being presented with such a new space and such a new neighborhood like mission bay, can be isolating and terrifying. Our site staff have done an amazing job of welcoming the space and to this neighborhood. There are around 150 children in this building and growing. Right around movein time last year at least one small child maybe three feet tall was running around dragging their hot cheetos along our white walls. The reality of having families and children in the building hit me. This is no longer just a construction project but this is becoming a home. The partnerships that built this building and freight this building have transformed it no 143 new homes for families and future generations of san franciscans. Its been an honor to be part of it. [applause] thank you, colleen. So theyre just a couple of things i want to say in closing. I think beta is here. Thank you. Can you just raise your hands high. So we are so proud and grateful for 826 valencia and were so proud you decided to come and join us here in mission bay. We have an after School Program and we have been working closely with them for a long time and we just appreciate you. Thank you. The feeling is mutual. I want to convey. We as an organization are very privileged to be in this center of this kind of work. We are not heroes. If anything beer a grateful organization. Thank you to all the people. All the institutions, the staff, the residents, everybody who makes this happen. We appreciate you. Thank you. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 this neighborhood was lived for approximately 22 years. Yeah, like 21 years. 21 years in th