The Recreation and Park Commission and our Department released the following statement recently in response to the murder of George Floyd and in support of the ensuing civil protests happening around the world.
Dear Families and Community Stakeholders,
The public murder of George Floyd and the days of unrest that have followed have opened up new and old wounds in this country. Once again, we have been reminded that we have a race problem, an anti-black problem. We acknowledge that this is true in our country and here in the city of St. Francis. The consistent and repeated disregard for black lives has frayed the very fabric of our society.
The San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission and Department (SFRPD) condemns racism and the systematic oppression of black people. We affirm that black lives matter. We know that these social ills are not new and have been centuries in the making. We add our voice of outrage to the chorus of voices in community and across the globe demanding change.
In 2016, SFRPD established a set of equity metrics, which led to the creation of equity zones across San Francisco. Prioritization of the department budget and resource allocation is given to these equity zones. Our goal is to close the gaps and improve equity and access to quality parks and open space for historically marginalized communities, primarily black and brown, in San Francisco. Our performance against these metrics is review annually and informs budget and program planning going forward. We have made some progress, however, our work is not done.
We believe that parks and open space in San Francisco provide the opportunity to model – equity and access for all. In this moment of justified civil unrest, we reaffirm the department’s commitment to doing our part to fight racism and to ensuring justice for all.
We hope this moment in our history, will be one of real, systemic and lasting change in our city and in our country.
In solidarity,
Recreation and Park Commission
Phil Ginsburg
City Hall, Coit Tower, Conservatory of Flowers and SFO were lit in crimson and gold on Monday night in honor of George Floyd
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Mayor Breed Thanks Rec Staff for a Job Well Done
Mayor London Breed spent some time with our Recreation staff on Friday, June 5 to thank them for providing critical child care services during the coronavirus emergency. In total, the Emergency Child and Youth Care program served 513 children over 12 weeks at 37 rec centers and clubhouses, providing meals, exercise, arts and crafts, STEM projects and distance learning. More than 250 recreation staff managed, supervised and provided direct services to program participants.
Recreation staff is now gearing up for the start of the summer camp season that begins on June 15.
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Leave Overview Coffee Chat
Want to learn more about Covid-19 leaves? We’ve seen changes at the federal, state, and local levels, and while the situation continues to evolve, we wanted to give you an opportunity to hear from a panel of RPD HR staff about the leave changes. We will be hosting a Teams virtual coffee chat on June 18th at 10am, please use this link to add it to your calendar and access the meeting. We will be providing general Covid-19 leave information at the coffee chat, and answering any general leave questions submitted through this survey. The survey will be open until Wednesday, June 10th at 5pm. Bring your coffee/tea/water, we hope to see you there!
NOTE: If you would like leave information specific to your situation, please contact HR directly, this is not the forum to receive personal advice on leaves.
Survey to submit leave questions here.
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Hilary’s Safety Tip of the Day
Hilary Stoermer, Health and Safety Division, shares a daily tip on working through these unusual times.
Today’s Tip: Public Health recognizes that in a prolonged pandemic, while staying at home is still preferred, the mental and physical well-being of everyone is enhanced by some social interactions. To that end, last week they put out a Tip Sheet for conducting these social interactions safely. It addresses both outdoor and indoor social interactions, reminds us how to get tested and provides an FAQ section.
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Stay Informed: Employee Resources and Information
The City’s Department of Human Resources (DHR) maintains a web page that provides a comprehensive list of resources and information for City employees during the COVID-19 response. This includes information on:
- COVID-19 Sick Leave, Emergency FMLA, or Vacation
- Disaster Service Worker resources, including front line worker housing
- Telecommuting
- Staying Healthy
- DHR newsletters
- Employment Assistance Program
- COVID-19 Guidance for Employees
Visit the City Employee COVID-19 Resources page
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