The "" continues to be extremely active in the community. We are involved in over 100 charitable organizations and will continue to contribute to companies, organizations, and causes that further the goal of making San Francisco a better place. In 2007 one of our largest contributions, $15,000 was made to the "Pediatric Wing at UCSF Hospital". They provide care for critically ill children and their families and create an environment at the hospital that provides a safe haven for parents and children alike. The SFPOA has worked with UCSF for the past 20 years participating in Christmas and Easter visits as well as many other social events. We now have officers visiting the hospital on a monthly basis and interacting with the children and their families. It is an enriching experience for everyone involved and we look forward to continuing our relationship with this outstanding cause.
We continue to support the PAL (Police Athletic League) whose efforts to provide athletic opportunities for our cities youth has continued for over 40 years. The PAL provides our inner city kids with uniforms, equipment, and transportation to events. It is a collaboration of the SFPOA and private industry to give these children an opportunity to become a part of a team and build a bond of trust between the police officers and the cities youth. We proudly donated a total of $20,000 to this very worthy cause.
We continue to provide the "SFPOA Scholarship Fund" for the children of SFPOA members. Every year high school students are invited to write an essay about an issue that currently confronts us as a nation. The essays are then graded by our Community Services Committee. After grading the essays over $35,000 in scholarship money is distributed to the prospective college students. This program is primarily funded by our annual SFPOA golf tournament traditionally held during the last week of September.
Blind Babies Foundation
Blind Babies Foundation (BBF) has been providing critical early intervention and education services to infants and preschoolers who are blind or visually impaired for 60 years. Our family-centered services are provided in the home environment and encourage every child’s development to the fullest degree possible with careful attention to their individual abilities and needs. These intensive services can help stimulate and enhance available vision, often preventing a further decline of visual acuity or total vision loss. As soon as a visual impairment is detected, BBF is there to help families move from crisis to understanding and self-sufficiency.
Through our Off to a Good Start program, our Vision Impairment Specialists help more than 500 children each year in 14 central and northern California counties at no cost to families. BBF provides services to children under six years of age who have a visual impairment regardless of economic status, ethnicity, gender, country of origin or any other criteria. The only time BBF screens a child and decides not to provide services is when the diagnosis is that of a condition easily corrected through surgery, medication or corrective lenses. Even in these cases, our specialists often act as advisors. Taking into account all of the family members, medical professionals, caregivers and teachers we advise, train and collaborate with, we estimate that more than 4000 people benefit from our services every year.
Make a Wish Foundation
Since 1980, the Make-A-Wish Foundation® has enriched the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions through its wish-granting work. The Foundation's mission reflects the life-changing impact that a Make-A-Wish® experience has on children, families, referral sources, donors, sponsors and entire communities.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation was founded in 1980 after a little boy named Chris Greicius realized his heartfelt wish to become a police officer. Since its humble beginnings, the organization has blossomed into a worldwide phenomenon, reaching more than 193,000 children around the world.
Although it has become one of the world's most well-known charities, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has maintained the grassroots fulfillment of its mission.
A network of nearly 25,000 volunteers enable the Make-A-Wish Foundation to serve children with life-threatening medical conditions. Volunteers serve as wish granters, fundraisers, special events assistants and in numerous other capacities.
As the Foundation continues to mature, its mission will remain steadfast. Wish children of the past, present and future will have an opportunity to share the power of a wish.
Hanna Boys Center
Hanna Boys Center changes the lives of troubled, motivated youth through faith, education and caring, helping them grow into productive members of society.
Hanna is a “haven of hope” for troubled boys and their families. Our mission is to provide a “home away from home” for boys who are underprivileged, troubled, and seriously at-risk. We serve more than 100 boys at any given time, between ages 13 and 18, and we educate them in small classes from grades eight through twelve. Hanna believes that every boy deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, to be empowered to fulfill their maximum potential and become contributing members of society
We also made our yearly contribution of $10,000 to the "Police Memorial Foundation" that is building a police museum in Washington D.C.
We made our first donation to the "Dante Benedetti Foundation" for $5,000. This worthy cause will create free baseball camps for inner city youth at the University of San Francisco.
Our $5,000 donations include "Catholic Charities of San Francisco", the "SFPD Youth Fishing Program", which allows underprivileged youth to enjoy fishing trips with police officers, and the "SFPD Wilderness Program" that allows inner city children to experience back-packing trips with police officers to promote a positive relationship between the SFPD and our young people.
We continued to involve ourselves in over 100 additional charities throughout the Bay Area in 2007 with total charitable contributions in excess of .
