Remarks on the Workforce Education and Recovery Fund, 7.14.2020
(Delivered via public comment to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on the 14th of July, 2020)
Good afternoon. My name is Charlie Garcia-Spiegel, and I am here on behalf of my community at the City College of San Francisco. As a student worker, a peer domestic violence educator, and a representative on the Resource Centers and Programs United committee of the Associated Students’ Council at Ocean Campus, I am here to urge the Board of Supervisors to implement a pilot program for the Workforce Education and Recovery Fund. As this crisis continues into its fifth month and beyond, and knowing that any help from the federal government is unlikely to be adequate, we need to realize that we are the ones who will take care of our community. No institution or organization in this city is better equipped to do this than City College.
Throughout the years, City College has provided a frankly uncountable amount of support for the people who live and work in San Francisco. From food shelves for people in poverty, to studio space that helped foster San Francisco’s arts scene, to training for some of the most demanding jobs on the planet, we have a long history of providing crucial support and resources. We already know the best ways to support our recovery, both physical and economic, and the infrastructure provided by the College is the perfect tool for this.
In the last few months alone, students and community members have organized grocery funds, computer loans, virtual provision of services, scholarships, and even more resources. As we recover from this crisis, San Francisco is going to need trained public health workers, medical practitioners, and infrastructure workers of all stripes. City College already has outstanding programs in these fields, from biotechnology to EMT services to Nursing, and so many more.
With record numbers of people facing unemployment, and an increased strain on healthcare services and public infrastructure, City College is the best opportunity we have to place people into those necessary positions and fuel the economic, physical, and emotional healing of our city. As a public health student and future social worker, I have already seen herculean efforts from my peers in supporting this city through this time. I know that with the support of the Board of Supervisors, we will be able to make it through this crisis together. Also, defund SFPD. Thank you.
