Storytelling is a part of our being, how we experience and navigate the world around us. It is one of the ways we can connect with others and how we learn empathy. As you may have noticed, here at San Francisco Village we love storytelling! For this reason, we paired members of our Board of Directors along with our Executive Director and asked them to interview one another outside of their monthly board meetings and share personal stories. They talked about what brought them to where they are, their contributions to San Francisco Village (SFV), their wishes and hopes for future generations, and more. Join us in listening to their conversations to get a glimpse into their lives.
Our first StoryCorps conversation is between SFV Board Co-chair Bill Haskell (77) and Board member Liv Schaffer (31). In this inspiring conversation, Bill and Liv talked about many things including people who have been instrumental in their lives, losing parents at a young age, opening the first AIDS hospice in the United States, and much more!
Listen to Bill and Liv’s conversation preview here.
You can listen to the full story here.
Our second StoryCorps conversation is between SFV Board Members Steve Hayashi (78) and Jason Dare (49). Amidst many laughs, they speak about how their paths led them to SFV, hobbies which included volunteering as a scuba diver at the California Academy of Sciences, live performances, and the importance of Hawaii in their lives!
Listen to Steve and Jason’s conversation preview here.
You can listen to the full story here.
Our third StoryCorps conversation is between SFV Executive Director Kate Hoepke and Board member Dr. Wayne Pan. Kate and Wayne shared personal stories that led them to be where they are today. They spoke about the significance of becoming parents, community building and much more!
Listen to Kate and Wayne’s conversation preview here.
You can listen to the full story here.
In our fourth StoryCorps conversation, listen to an intergenerational chat between our Board members Barbara Kivowitz and Michelle Maalouf. They talked about their career paths, the importance of intergenerational relationships in their lives, and how they found SFV and became board members.
Listen to Barbara and Michelle’s conversation preview here.
You can listen to the full story here.
Our fifth StoryCorps conversation is between SFV Board Members Joanne Low and Mary Lanier. Both now retired, they had careers in leadership positions in education and healthcare. Mary and Joanne share with us stories about getting a higher education as a woman and choosing career paths that weren’t always understood by their families. They also talk about what they enjoy about being a nonprofit board member.
Listen to Mary and Joanne’s conversation preview here.
You can listen to the full story here.
Our sixth and final StoryCorps conversation is between SFV Board Co-chair Gretchen Addi and Board member Marcia Weisbrot. Although they have different professions, Gretchen and Marcia share a background in creative and visual arts. They tell each other stories about growing up with the influence of an artistic parent, why having role models from other generations is important to them, and how they got involved with San Francisco Village.
Listen to Gretchen and Marcia’s conversation preview here.
You can listen to the full story here.
Sara joined the team in 2018. She brings with her 20 years of experience in community development, philanthropy, and organizational management. She completed her bachelors at George Washington University and her masters at UC Berkeley. Her career focus has been on evaluating how community groups run from year-to-year and strengthening daily processes to increase institutional success. Sara loves travel and global development issues, particularly a non-profit she founded 10 years ago focusing on students’ access to school in Cambodia. Sara is raising her family here in San Francisco.
Maya is a public relations and communications professional with more than a decade of experience; her expertise includes consumer products and technology PR, as well as event management and content development. She has been a pro-bono consultant with the Taproot Foundation since 2012, and has participated in three service grants to date. Maya attended the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and graduated with a BA in mass communications and a minor in political science.