Letter from the CEO

Dear Family Service Agency Stakeholders,

Looking back on 2009-2010, it truly was both the best and worst of times.

An economy that refuses to restart has left our clients more vulnerable than ever and so in greatest need of our services and supports. That same sputtering economy has caused the public sector to retract its support for the social safety net while private philanthropy has had to reduce its investment in social services, as well. Challenging times. Having our supporters at our back certainly makes the good times better and helps us weather the challenges.

Historically, it has always been at the most challenging moments that FSA and its donors have risen to the occasion. With funding from the Crocker and Hearst families in 1889, FSA was founded and transformed how San Francisco addressed the needs of neglected and orphaned children. During the 1906 earthquake, FSA organized the entire relief effort with funding from an array of funders. In 1981, in response to a skyrocketing teen pregnancy epidemic, a small group of funders underwrote FSA’s development of the Teenage Pregnancy and Parenting Program (TAPP) an innovative program that became the state model, replicated and still operating in all 43 counties. And in 2005, a small number of individuals and foundations provided the funds to launch the Prevention and Recovery from Early Psychosis Program, a program that is showing astonishing results, so much so it promises to revolutionize how psychosis is treated. Just as FSA has been there for those most in need; so too, our donors have risen to the challenge, providing the funding needed to make this possible.

Our second e-letter comes to you at the height of the holiday season. We have included a sampling of success stories where FSA has met its historic legacy to change lives. You will read about JC, Yohana, and Phoebe, each with a different story, but each a great example of how FSA can change lives.

We are also including short articles from our Annual Report describing FSA’s 2009-10 achievements and the challenges we face in the coming year. We include also a story on our finances (and yes, we brag about another perfect audit!) and we include a story about PREP, a program that holds the promise of forever changing how we treat psychosis. It is a remarkable story.

I want to close by letting you know that we are working very hard with our 13,000 clients to ensure that their holiday is a good one. As you can imagine, the holidays can be extremely challenging for individuals with mental health conditions, for low-income families and for isolated seniors…all our clients. The purpose of our e-letter is to help you learn more about how we serve as our City’s safety net and how we are working to improve the field’s ability to help vulnerable populations. Please take a moment to read this issue and if you find it compelling, share it with a friend, family member or colleague….and if you are really moved, please use the “Donate” button to make a contribution before the end of the tax year.

Thank you and happy holidays to you.

Bob

Robert Bennett