June 2025 eNews
Dear friends,
Happy Pride Month from SDA! We hope you are finding ways to rest and celebrate with loved ones this month, and take care of one another as we continue to face challenges and attacks on our rights and livelihoods. Budget season is upon us, and at the federal, state, and city levels we are facing harmful cuts on all sides. Read more below about what’s at stake and how we can take action this month and fight for the resources our communities need.
In the spirit of solidarity across racial and class lines, we will be hosting an extra special General Meeting this month and encourage you all to join us on Thursday, June 12, 10am to 12pm – in person at the First Unitarian Universalist Church in SF (1187 Franklin St), or on Zoom. This session will focus on California social movement history with City College of SF instructor Keane Chukwuneta. Zoom details will be sent separately. We hope you will join us!
Read on for more updates on our ongoing work and ways to get involved. You can also find details on our program team meetings on our events page.
SDA News & Updates
Keep Fighting for Medicaid!
Right now, we’re facing threats to Medicaid at both the federal and California state levels. On May 22, the U.S. House of Representatives passed their budget reconciliation bill, which includes trillions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP, and the Affordable Care Act. It also excludes gender affirming care from Medicaid and state marketplace health plans for people of all ages. If this plan goes into effect, up to 15 million people will lose their healthcare.
On the California state level, Governor Newsom has released his May revision of the budget proposal, and it is currently being negotiated at the State Legislature. This budget proposal also contains highly concerning cuts to Medi-Cal (California’s version of Medicaid), including reinstatement of a $2,000 asset limit for seniors and disabled people, and imposing $100 monthly premiums on Medi-Cal for undocumented immigrants and people who have not confirmed their immigration status.
For more details on the cuts proposed in the state budget, and ways to take action at both the state and federal levels, visit our Medicaid Defense page on our website.
We joined our partners in the Long-Term Services and Supports for All Grassroots Coalition twice in May to speak out against the Medicaid cuts proposed in the state budget. Our members got a chance to meet with legislative aides to share the harmful impacts the cuts would have on their lives, and we joined with allies for a rally and press conference.
We’ll be going back to Sacramento on June 9 (flyer below) for a rally with more allies, protesting against cuts to Medi-Cal, IHSS, childcare, and discrimination against immigrants and seniors and disabled people. Join us then and continue taking action from home! To sign up for the rally and get support with transportation, go to bit.ly/BudgetRally2025
Call your state legislators NOW – you can find your Assemblymember and Senator here.
Call Governor Newsom at 916-445-2841 and ask that these harmful proposals are not included in the final budget.
Image description: Flyer with drawings of people standing and sitting in wheelchairs holding signs. Text reads: Defend Medi-Cal, IHSS, and Childcare: Take Action Against Harmful Budget Cuts! Governor Newsom is copying Trump and proposing serious budget cuts that hurt immigrants, people with disabilities, seniors, families, and all of us. He and state legislators need to tax wealthy corporations instead! Please join us in Sacramento. Transportation, interpretation, food will be provided. Monday June 9, 12:30pm. At the bottom over a red banner it reads: sign up: bit.ly/BudgetRally2025. Steps of the state capitol.
Save the date and sign up to volunteer for our CommUNITY Celebration – August 14!
SDA’s Annual CommUNITY Celebration will be Thursday, August 14, 6 to 8pm at the First Unitarian Universalist Church (1187 Franklin St, SF). The event will include a variety show, celebrating our communities and collective resistance as we raise money to support our ongoing organizing and education work.
Find more CommUNITY Celebration info on our website. Interested in volunteering at the event? Check out our volunteer opportunities and sign up here!
Pedestrian Safety updates
The empty shoes and the walker are representing lives lost to traffic accidents in SF. Photo Credit: Beth LaBerge, KQED
Thank you to the SDA members that showed up to the rally at City Hall on May 19 with Walk SF and SDA in response to the pedestrian deaths in San Francisco. This year there have been 6 confirmed pedestrian deaths, and the first 5 were all seniors. This is alarming. Jodie Medeiros, the executive director of Walk SF, says, “2024 was the worst year for traffic deaths for pedestrians since 2007.” SDA has signed on to Walk SF’s demands, urging the Mayor to recommit to Vision Zero. Please take a moment to add your name to the Vision Zero letter to the Mayor here.
SF Budget Call to Action
Image description: Flyer with an image of SF City Hall with lots of people gathered in front of it and a banner that says “People’s Budget.” Text of the flyer reads: rally for a people’s budget! Join the people’s budget coalition to say: don’t balance the budget on the backs of the working class! Wednesday, June 4th 12pm at San Francisco City Hall.
We are joining forces with the People’s Budget Coalition and SF Labor Unions for a massive citywide rally! Our city is currently facing lots of cuts to community based programs and life saving services, such as meal services and tenant counseling. This is a crucial time to show up for our community and let the city know exactly how many people they are hurting with these cuts.
We hope to see you on Wednesday, June, 12pm at City Hall for our first DIRECT ACTION in response to the Mayor’s new budget. NOW is the time to act to ensure our voices are heard and our services considered in the budget fight!
What: SF City Budget Action with People’s Budget Coalition and SF Labor Unions
When: June 4 at 12pm (We suggest arriving a bit early, around 11:30)
Where: SF City Hall: 1 Dr Carlton B Goodlett Pl, San Francisco, CA 94102
RSVP for the June 4 SF budget action here.
Have a transportation question? Or maybe you want to know more about what is going on with SF’s budget? Connect with Itzel at itzel@sdaction.org.
Hearing on Rezoning
Please save the date for Monday, June 16, 1 to 4pm for an informational hearing at the Land Use and Transportation Committee on the 2025 Housing Element Rezoning and related policies including, but not limited to, affordable housing, tenant protections, and small business support; and requesting the Planning Department and the Mayor's Office to present.
This is an important hearing to elevate our concerns around upzoning, displacement and senior and disabled priorities in creating deeply affordable housing for our community. Please connect with ocean@sdaction.org for more information about this hearing and our work in the Housing Collaborative.
Member Spotlight: David Harlan
Tell us a little bit about yourself! How long have you been involved with SDA and what have you been working on? What drew you to organizing with SDA?
I am a new member of SDA, having joined at the end of 2024. I am a retired chef and a Unite Here L2 member for over 29 years. I was a shop steward for 25 years and worked at the Stanford Court Hotel for 28 years (one of the Big 4 hotels on Nob Hill). I was a core leader of my union, sitting on our leadership committee, master contract committees, and working on many political campaigns in San Francisco (including SFBOS races).
Read more about David on our Member Spotlight page!
Community Resource Corner
The Community Resource program is led by Damara Lopez and staffed by our team of Peer Advocates. The Peer Advocates field calls and concerns on a variety of issues and work to help people find the right support or redress for their problem.
If you need help...
Getting your benefits, such as SSI, SSDI, CalFresh
Finding home care
Understanding a confusing letter or document you received
Getting services in the language you prefer
With your housing situation
Our Peer Advocates can help answer your questions and direct you to the appropriate resources. Call 415-546-1333 and leave a message or come by during our drop-in hours. To find our up-to-date hours of operation, or to send us an email, visit the Community Resource page on our website.
Resource Highlight: 2025 San Francisco Affordable Housing Fair & Help Center
Saturday, June 21, 10am to 3pm
University of San Francisco (USF) McLaren Conference Center
2130 Fulton Street, San Francisco
Learn about affordable housing resources and education in San Francisco presented by HUD-approved housing counseling agencies, the San Francisco Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) and industry professionals.
Get assistance with your housing:
Apply for SF Housing Programs
Eligibility review for city preferences
Credit and debt issues
Legal aid and eviction defense
Financial planning
Estate planning
Home management and repairs
Assistance to avoid foreclosure
Support for unhoused individuals and families
Reading Recommendation:
Fat and Queer: An Anthology of Queer and Trans Bodies and Lives
Edited by Bruce Owens Grimm, Miguel M Morales and Tiff Joshua TJ Ferentini.
This one-of-a-kind collection explores the intersection of fat and queer identities, showcasing new, emerging and established queer and trans writers from around the world. Celebrating fat and queer bodies and lives, this book challenges negative and damaging representations of queer and fat bodies and offers readers ways to reclaim their bodies, providing stories of support, inspiration and empowerment. In writing that is intimate, luminous and emotionally raw, this anthology is a testament to the diversity and power of fat queer voices and experiences, and they deserve to be heard.
Community News & Updates
Events at the Disability Cultural Center
The Disability Cultural Center is opening their in-person location in July, but in the meantime they are offering some great virtual events, such as monthly Cafe Crip gatherings to talk about important issues in the disability community, accessible strength and mobility sessions, and more! Find more details on the Disability Cultural Center events page.
In other Disability Cultural Center news, they are hiring for two positions – Deaf Interpreter and Access Specialist, and Communications and Outreach Coordinator. Check out the job descriptions on their website, and share with your networks!
Resources on Palestine and Disability
SDA continues to be in support of Palestinians and call for an immediate end to the genocide Israel is inflicting on Palestinian people and their land. Go to our website for some resources on disability and Palestine and opportunities to support. If you know of other resources or action opportunities to share, please let us know!
"Healing For Us, By Us" queer and disabled joy event – June 7, 12 to 4pm
Join Our Family Coalition and this year's On the Verge Cohort for an intergenerational queer and disabled joy event on Saturday, June 7, from 12 to 4pm at the Ed Roberts Campus (3075 Adeline Street, Berkeley). “Healing For Us, By Us” is a collaboration between ten disability rights, Disability Justice, and queer liberation organizations. Activities include multi-cultural drumming, food and a Hydration Station, an accessible movement class, an open mic, an art build and Kids Corner, massage and bodywork, and more. The Disability Justice Community Story Quilt project will be continuing work on our quilts at this June 7 gathering! Entrance and all activities are free of charge. Register here for the Healing For Us, By Us event.
Wednesday, June 25, 12 to 1pm
Join Justice in Aging, Lambda Legal, and SAGE for this webinar that will unpack major issues facing LGBTQ+ older adults in 2025 and beyond. The webinar will include a basic primer on who LGBTQ+ older adults are, updates about the major programs and services that they rely on, an overview of key cases impacting the rights of LGBTQ+ older adults, and more. Learn about how you can be an advocate for LGBTQ+ older adults during this challenging and quickly evolving time. More info and registration for the LGBTQ+ older adults webinar here.
Let's build this movement together.
Please become a member or donate today!
Senior and Disability Action
P.O. Box 423388
San Francisco, CA 94103
www.sdaction.org
(415) 546-1333
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