I don’t know who said “the only constant is change,” but that person had to have been thinking about Davis Street! This year has been almost cataclysmic because there were so many changes impacting the way we do business at Davis Street. There has been a changing social and cultural environment in the United States, and, most acutely, here, in the Bay Area.

People have been awakened to the seismic shifts in social justice. Davis Street breathes diversity, equity and inclusion because of who we are, but we’ve had to remake organizational strategies to accommodate changes in social policy.

As the cost of living in the San Francisco Bay Area continues to escalate, we have seen a lot of staff changes because so many people – particularly those with children – are moving out of the area. While always exciting to see new energy around Davis Street, the constant training of personnel can be a challenge for senior staff.

This Spring, we welcome new leadership to our Primary Care Clinic, with a new Medical Director, Dr. Diana Mokaya, and a new Clinic Operations Director, Shira Revzen.

Our dedicated Board President, Tracy Kennedy, is stepping down from the Board (but taking on the reigns of President of the Davis Street Foundation), as we bring in a new President, Gordon Galvan. Gordon has served on the Davis Street Board in the past, so he is very familiar with our work.

The post COVID-19 period has been as challenging as it was during the actual Pandemic. Last year, we provided more than 85,000 service visits at Davis Street. These visits represent individuals coming to us who are in need. 85,000! You know what? We met that need. This number underscores the critical need for our services.

Rules have changed for getting reimbursed from the State and the Federal government; we have had to update our management information systems to accommodate those changes. To meet the increased need from our clients, we have had to streamline procedures and expand services. Although we have been “doing that Davis Street thing” for 51 years, this year, we are learning to be the Davis Street of the new now and into the future!

All of the changes we experienced this year, and the Davis Street response to those changes, reminded me of a poster I once saw. It said: