Stories

I moved to San Francisco in 2019 and immediately decided to join ShelterTech as I felt compelled to take action to address the worsening homelessness crisis. As Product Lead, I have focused on managing product development and on improving collaboration across all key teams to ensure we build an impactful product. At ShelterTech, we prioritize data quality over quantity, so ensuring timely and relevant updates has also been one of my top priorities. Launching SF Service Guide last November was personally satisfying as the people most in need finally have an easy way to access essential services and resources. As part of this project, I have had the opportunity to collaborate with city agencies and community-based organizations who help us better understand the needs of those less fortunate and inspire us every day to make SF Service Guide even better. As a volunteer, what makes the ShelterTech experience unique are my teammates. I am amazed every day by our volunteers’ dedication, professionalism and determination to build the best products possible while making a difference. I look forward to contributing my skills, knowledge and my passion for social impact while learning from my peer volunteers!

We recently accomplished a major milestone that will help us to accomplish our goal of providing all Bay Area shelters with WiFi access by 2024. On October 5, 2020, we completed installation of a WiFi network at the Mission Hotel — San Francisco’s largest Single-Room Occupancy (SRO) Hotel. Through incremental funding and partnerships, hundreds of at-risk residents now have free internet access, making it possible to easily communicate with friends and family, utilize crucial resources, and develop technological and vocational skills. For this project, we partnered with the City of San Francisco’s Digital Equity team to deliver 1GB fiber/ISP capability at no cost to the building. Cisco, which is a new partner of ShelterTech’s, generously donated equipment. Installation was provided by PCS-SF, a San Francisco-based IT support and services company. Funding for this project was partially provided by a grant from PagerDuty, Inc. a provider of global digital management solutions also based in San Francisco. The Tenderloin Housing Clinic (THC), a local nonprofit dedicated to low-income tenant’s rights and preserving and expanding San Francisco’s low-cost housing stock, has overseen the location’s operations since 1999 through the SRO/Master Lease Program. “We are truly grateful to Sheltertech for their partnership with THC and for their commitment to making WiFi accessible to tenants in our largest supportive housing site, the Mission Hotel. Having access to the internet is vital for individuals to stay connected, educated, and able to explore resources, especially during this health crisis that has impacted many of our tenants who suffer from mental health or substance use dependency,” Janet Aguilar, Director of Support Services at THC, said. Originally constructed in 1907, the Mission Hotel stands at 520 South Van Ness Ave., in the hub of the historical Mission District, which is characterized by both its largely Latino and Chicano residents and artistic scene. Since the late nineties, this area has struggled with gentrification, and, as a result, the displacement of native residents, comprising mostly Latino American middle-class families. Despite these trends, this 240-room location remains an integral part of the community by providing shelter to people facing homelessness or housing insecurity. “We are delighted to work with THC to help bridge the digital divide for their residents. Thanks to all of our partners for helping make this project possible,” said Bill Soward, Executive Director at ShelterTech. At ShelterTech, we are inspired every day by the belief that digital equity and connectivity is a right, not a privilege, providing people in need with a pathway to build a brighter future. Phase 1 of our program to provide all Bay area shelters internet access by 2024 is already underway and currently serves 18 shelters and over 4,000 residents per year. “There is no doubt that the WiFi services at the Mission Hotel will be an essential tool that will enable tenants to learn, stay current with information, and access online support groups and current events,” Janet Aguilar said. About ShelterTech Founded in 2016 and based in San Francisco, ShelterTech’s all-volunteer tech team has been on the front lines helping to bridge the digital divide for over 9,000 people experiencing homelessness and thousands more who are housing insecure. Working in close collaboration with the City of San Francisco, frontline services organizations, local corporations, and community representatives, ShelterTech is committed to delivering solutions built by the community, for the community. ShelterTech has two primary programs: SF ServiceGuide, an online directory of all San Francisco Shelters and Services and ShelterConnect, free WiFi for shelters.

ShelterTech’s mission to connect people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity to resources that address their challenges is only possible with the support of our community representatives whom we affectionately refer to as CRs. Our CRs have all experienced homelessness first hand, and we collaborate with them to soak up their invaluable insights and knowledge, develop new product offerings, and, most importantly, engage with volunteers at our datathons. Datathons are public events where volunteers from the community help us verify data in SFServiceGuide, our online directory of human services in San Francisco. Our CRs are vibrant, intellectual, and kind. They proudly voice their thoughts and passionately help us iterate and communicate our ideas to their communities — while also telling a story or joke along the way. The SFService Guide platform and our other initiatives are only possible with the continuous support and feedback of our CRs who enable us to create relevant and helpful products through their guidance and shared experiences. We are excited to launch the ShelterTech Community Stories series so that we can share our CRs unique stories widely. Each chapter will feature a conversation with one of our community representatives. We hope that anyone reading this will discover a new lens into the lives of those who have experienced homelessness and be inspired to take action in their own communities. Check out Chapter 1: Remembering Aaron Mendez

ShelterTech Community Stories is a collection of stories highlighting the lives of our Community Representatives, the people inspiring the work of ShelterTech. More information about this initiative is available here. For our inaugural entry, we are spotlighting Aaron Mendez. Aaron is the reason why our Community Representative (CR) program is so robust today. An influencer in his community, he quickly became one of our go-to advisors on everything from new product ideas to community partnerships to implementing Wi-Fi in shelters. Aaron passed away in June 2020, but his contributions continue to influence ShelterTech and the people behind it. Below we have compiled a few anecdotes and remembrances to spotlight Aaron’s vivacity, sagacity, and magnanimity — qualities that made him integral to our community.