Else Holt Interview

David Cowen interviews Else Holt about her work with Bayview Mission.

How long have you been involved with Bayview Mission?

I have the privilege of being involved in Bayview Mission from the very beginning and in fact visited the site with Rev. Nina as early as 2001, long before the food pantry came into existence.

How did you initially get interested in helping out?

Having known Rev. Nina since 1996 there had been many conversations about her desire to begin a program to help her neighbors in Bayview. As soon as she took possession of her property there were numerous opportunities to assist in making her dream become a reality.

I see you at the food pantry every Monday. What kinds of work do you do?

I have the distinct pleasure of creating child-size "fun" bags for the children of the clients who come to the food pantry each Monday. Each week I sort out the donations of children's items that have come in during the week. Books are sorted by age-range and then stamped with the Bayview Mission "stamp". Snacks, juices and small toys are sorted and put into small brown paper lunch sacks in batches of five bags at a time. Crayons and construction paper are added, along with any available small toy. Each week I typically make up to 80 bags, often with lots of help from other Bayview volunteers. There's also a monthly "work party" on a Sunday afternoon, and that's a great time to sort out the seasonal donations such as for Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. In addition, I have helped organize and staff the annual "Bee Busy at Bayview" two-week summer camp for neighborhood children.

What are some things you most appreciate about Bayview Mission?

Bayview Mission first and foremost is a safe, inclusive, welcoming environment for all who come here. Rev. Nina makes everyone welcome, and no one is ever turned away. Homeless people are welcomed and treated with the utmost dignity. The food pantry operates solely on the donations of generous donors and there is zero administrative overhead. Every donation is for the benefit of the neighbors of Bayview, and nothing goes unused. The local children have a city garden, a safe-haven, where they can come and play care-free. Holidays are celebrated with free costume giveaways at Halloween and gift-giving at Christmas. Bayview Mission volunteers understand and appreciate the service they offer to the community, and they work very hard. The volunteer community is very kind and loving and support each other in many ways. Bayview Mission offers us an opportunity to directly give back to a community in need.

Do you find the work or the environment challenging at all?

The work of making up the childrens' bags is not in itself challenging. Creating an adequate work-space in which to complete the necessary tasks can sometimes prove challenging. The volunteers are very resourceful, and the work gets done no matter what. Our goal is to eventually have dedicated program space where we can spread out and have dedicated areas for each type of activity.

What do you do for a living when you’re not helping out at the Mission?

I'm currently employed as Assistant to the Head of School at The Bay School of San Francisco, a start-up high school in the Presidio of San Francisco.