Seniors from throughout San Francisco filled the St. Mary’s Cathedral Conference Center to capacity last Thursday to attend the Senior Action Network (S.A.N.) 16th Annual Convention, where the theme was “Universal Health Care NOW!” S.A.N. is a San Francisco-wide federation of Senior organizations formed to improve the lives of San Francisco’s Seniors and all of San Francisco’s residents. S.A.N. has programs on health care, housing, pedestrian safety, and Senior leadership development and empowerment. Bill Price, President of S.A.N., Beverly Taylor, Vice President of S.A.N., and David Grant, Executive Director of S.A.N., led the Seniors in celebrating local and state victories on health access issues. In San Francisco, S.A.N. worked hard to organize a coalition of groups to help pass the “Health Access Program,” which provides all uninsured San Francisco residents with a full range of health care services and requires employers in San Francisco to spend on health care for workers.

In Sacramento, S.A.N. worked through the OURx Coalition to pass a landmark piece of legislation which creates a prescription drug access program for every Californian with an income under 300% of the Federal poverty level, taking effect next year.

Tom Ammiano of San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors received S.A.N.’s Susan J. Bierman Community Service Award for his leadership in introducing legislation for the “Health Access Program” and for his devoted work for all communities in San Francisco.

Ted Gullicksen and San Francisco Tenants Union received S.A.N.’s “Speaking Truth Award,” for their relentless fight to protect tenant rights, “using truth as their main weapon.”

Bruce Lee Livingston, former Executive Director of S.A.N., received a special S.A.N. award for leadership during his 6-year tenure.

Beverly Taylor, S.A.N.’s Vice President who also serves as Volunteer Director at Network for Elders in San Francisco’s Bayview District, received the Geraldine G. Earp Award for Pioneer Leadership in Social Justice. The distinguished Award recognizes a person who “is tireless in working to change social systems and is a voice for those who have no voice.” A long time social activist in the Bayview Hunters Point District and throughout San Francisco, Taylor, a former public school educator, works with church congregations to garner volunteer help for Seniors in need. Choking with emotion while accepting the award from Geraldine Earp, Beverly Taylor said, “Now and then, my body may have some human frailties, but as long as the Lord continues to give me physical strength, I will work hard to help Seniors and all members of our community. I feel blessed.”

Seniors at the S.A.N. Convention danced to the music led by the Oakland Soul Line Dancers.

Assemblyman Mark Leno told the S.A.N. Convention attendees that “Governor Schwarzenegger is no friend to health care advocates,” stating that the governor’s “recent turn around” in finally signing legislation creating the California Discount Prescription Program and legislation establishing a website for purchasing affordable prescription drugs from other countries “is clearly politically motivated.” Leno also criticized the Governor for taking part in only one debate and for refusing the San Francisco Chronicle’s invitation for a debate with Phil Angelides.

San Francisco’s Mayor Gavin Newsom, the lunch keynote speaker, applauded the Seniors’ and S.A.N.’s leadership in working to achieve universal health care in San Francisco, and thanked Supervisor Ammiano for his legislative leadership on this issue. Newsom also called on the leadership in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., to work to achieve universal health care throughout California and nationally.

Convention goers proudly applauded the Seniors nominated for the “2006 S.A.N. Senior of the Year Award”: Joanne Addison, Patricio Bautista, Bertha Cartwright, Milton Funchess, Martin Kilgariff, Ya Ming Liang, Ursula McGuire, Dick Ng, Olga Ramos, Lenny Reiter, Jean Roby, and Hui Truong. Jean Roby and Milton Funchess were selected to receive the “Senior of the Year” awards.

Among the Convention goers were Shirley Blane and Viola Whitehead, two sisters, and Ann Berry and her mother, Ruth Dark, part of a large delegation from Network for Elders. These Seniors and other members from Network for Elders had attended S.A.N.’s Senior University, a program to educate and train Seniors on community organizing skills, Senior empowerment, and Senior leadership. As part of their Senior University, the Seniors from Network for Elders had initiated and staged a protest rally at Foods Co Supermarket in San Francisco’s Bayview District in July to demand that the supermarket stop selling spoiled foods and foods with past expiration dates. The Seniors from the Network for Elders vow to actively continue to work on this issue as a community campaign.

The S.A.N. Convention reflected the diversity of the Seniors community. Dick Ng and his wife, Mandarin and English speaking, are long time S.A.N. volunteers. Ed Evans, an activist on many social issues in San Francisco, navigated around the Convention in his wheelchair. John Wood, a retired postal worker who resides in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District, faithfully attends every monthly S.A.N. General Meeting. Two dozens Vietnamese American Seniors, many of whom graduated from S.A.N.’s Senior University last year, listened intently to the translation to Vietnamese provided to them in the headsets they wore. Patricio Bautista and her husband, Tagalog and English speaking, and long time S.A.N. volunteers, recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Jean Lynch, a well known activist on pedestrian safety issues in San Francisco, arrived at the Convention wearing her signature lavendar colored suit and sporting her new matching lavendar colored cowboy hat. Juanita Negrete, who resides in Potrero Hill, and Verlie Pickens, who resides in the Bayview, have arrived at the conference site early in the morning the past two days to help set up for the Convention; both also volunteer at the S.A.N. office and at S.A.N.’s Senior University. Damasio Ramirez and Janet Tandy, who both graduated from S.A.N.’s Senior University in the Excelsior and Mission Districts last year, listened thoughtfully to the Convention speakers.

Buoyed by the festive spirit of the S.A.N Convention, the Seniors joined together in celebrating the successes and achievements of the Seniors community in the past year, reinvigorated and inspired to forge ahead in addressing the common issues that confront the Seniors community, knowing the power, strength, experience, and wisdom Seniors possess.