GLIDE Foundation provides San Francisco community with traditional Thanksgiving meal
SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) - GLIDE Foundation continues its tradition of feeding residents in the Tenderloin and other city neighborhoods on Thursday, inviting the community to once again enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal inside their dining hall for the first time since the pandemic.
The holiday is also an early milestone for the new CEO of the nonprofit, who just started one month on the job.
"GLIDE's story is my story, you know. I was one of those people who had three small kids growing up in poverty, raising them in Hunters Point," said Dr. Gina Fromer, president and CEO of GLIDE Foundation. "So, GLIDE for me is a very special place, because I'm sitting here as president and CEO when I was in line for food, how real is that?"
Dr. Fromer said the mission of the foundation made the decision to take the top job easy, radical inclusiveness and unconditional love. Those themes represent the work she has pursued her whole career.
It's also a full circle moment for her to lead GLIDE after previously receiving holidays meals with her children. She remembers the multiple bus rides they had to take to get services here.
"That helped me feel normal. That helped my kids, me normalize a regular normal Thanksgiving that they can go back to school and share with their friends," Fromer told KPIX.
Looking forward to the work she hopes to accomplish as CEO, she believes taking on the challenges in the Tenderloin and across the city for residents in need will require a comprehensive response to lift people out of poverty, like she did for her family.
"There's not a one-size-fits-all approach, but I do think employment and housing are two key tenants that we need to help people off the street to get stabilized," Fromer said.
This Thanksgiving will hold special meaning for her, helping to serve 2,400 meals to the community in one day, offering a chance to inspire others who can learn that she once was in line like them.
"It means that I'm going to stand and hand another mother and her kids a turkey meal, right? And smile and welcome them with unconditional love and just be excited that I'm able to do this at a massive scale," Fromer said.