MESSAGE FROM CATHERINE
Dear John,
I want to take this moment to
acknowledge what a stressful time we are living in. I know the shelter
in place order has caused much anxiety and fear and I would be lying
if I told you I don’t feel anxious too during these unprecedented
times. However, I am confident in our public health professionals and
know we are making the best evidence-based decisions to keep everyone
safe. I have great faith in my fellow San Franciscans to pull through
this.
I know, however, that some of us
suffer from anxiety, depression, or addiction, for example, and times
like this make it more difficult to process all that we are hearing,
reading and experiencing. I want everyone to know that you are not
alone and there is help out there. There is absolutely no shame in
needing and seeking help with any of these issues.
Taking care of your mental health
is just as important as taking care of your physical health during
this time. If you are feeling anxious, stressed, depressed or
isolated, you can call the San Francisco Mental Health Warm Line at
(855) 845-7415, or chat with them online at www.mentalhealthsf.org/peer-run-warmline.
If you are having thoughts about
harming yourself, you can call the San Francisco Suicide Prevention
hotline at (415) 781-0500 and they can provide you confidential
emotional support. You can also chat online with the National Suicide
Prevention Lifeline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/.
If you are co-quarantined with an
abuser or are worried about having to self-isolate in a dangerous home
situation, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at
(800) 799-7233 or chat online at
www.thehotline.org.
For those with alcohol and
addiction issues, you can find help in programs like Alcoholics
Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. For confidential support from
Alcoholics Anonymous, you can call their helpline at (415) 674-1821 or
email them at [email protected]. To reach Narcotics Anonymous, call
(415) 610-7294. Online meetings are also available at https://www.weconnectrecovery.com and www.intherooms.com.
All of these services are
available, free of charge, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
I also want to thank so many of you
that have reached out to help your neighbors and others. I’ve seen so
many offers of help on social media and have witnessed the power of
the human spirit and so many acts of kindness that have lifted my
spirit.
Finally, please know I am here for
you. My office stands ready to help however we can. If you need help
getting connected to any of the services I mentioned or have other
questions, do not hesitate to email my office at
[email protected] or call us at (415) 554-7752.
We will get through this and we
will get through it together. We can. We will. We must.
Warmest regards,
Catherine
Office of Supervisor Catherine
Stefani
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 260,
San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone: (415) 554-7752 Fax:
(415) 554-7843
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