>Long Live the SFPC

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Front Entrance, San Francisco Patients’ Cooperative			1999-2008

2/28/2011….two years ago was the day before the closing of 350 Divisadero Street’s lifetime as the San Francisco Patients’ Cooperative.  Our very last day was February 29, 2008; a leap year and somehow very appropriate.

SFPRC Original Logos

       It truly was a leap year, in a lot of ways for a very large number of people, displaced by the ending of the Co-Op.  They are, all of them, in my prayers daily and memories often.
      
I was an emotional wreck at the time; between all the hoop jumping for the MCD permit, fed threats and finances, my dearest friend (and soul sister) Diane dying before us after a 13 year battle with Ovarian Cancer and such…there wasn’t a lot left of me but the bones!
To add spice to the dish, some of my old mental problems and demons were trying to kick into gear.
Fantastic.  Just call me the White-Knuckle Kid.

SFPC Staff circa 2005

 Between the absolutely wonderful, dedicated and courageous staff….blessed ones all, and of course the compassionate and unbelievably beautiful support of private contributors and charitable organizations the Co-Op managed to get permits filed, stave off a few wolves, feed the hungry, distribute hugs, pray at 420, clothe the naked, make medicine available to qualified patients as per Prop 215, SB 420, both the Federal and California Palliative Patient Care Act, the Peron Defense, the Trippet Defense,
et al…… and live to fight another day.

And we did just that.

Some of the faces changed through the years, but every person who passed through those doors as members of staff and/or management brought their hearts to the task and included compassion for the patients as part of their motivation.

The Co-Op lasted from August 24, 1999 through February 29, 2008 and for all it’s faults, was still true to its mission of Compassion, Hospitality and Service.

Party circa 2005

Our landlord received a letter from the federal government threatening them with property forfeiture, fines and/or imprisonment if they didn’t make us leave the building and/or stop our work relating to medical cannabis.   We tried to figure out some way to keep at least the patients’ activities going along side some sort of retail (gift shop kind of thing), but there wasn’t enough time or money around to do it, so the doors closed to the public that night at 10:00 pm (or thereabouts) after we decommissioned the chapel and had one heck of a party.

Earthquake Drill

I didn’t want it to end….wanted it to expand into having the entire Medical Cannabis Community’s  participation-including operations.  It would have been tremendous. I’d have gladly turned it over to a group consisting of the Co-Op’s root members-a/k/a staff and representatives from various segments of San Francisco’s MCC so a true Medical Cannabis Community Center could be created.

That was my prayer. Still is my prayer; that some day such a thing be built…a real live Medical Cannabis Community Center.  Just like all the other communities out there have.  A place of our own to house our history, work on our future, and serve one another.

Memorial Garden and Patio

So in this strange pocket of time when, much like Brigadoon, tomorrow isn’t tomorrow until next time ’round, we pause and remember the everything that was 350 Divisadero Street from 1999 through 2/29/2008, including the Staff and Patients and Supporters, the parties, the groups- AA, Harm Reduction, Peer Counseling, Men’s Group, Women’s Group (Ya Ya), Writer’s Group, Weekly Earthquake Drills, Vet’s Group, Bingo, 420, 5:01, Guitar Workshop, Open Mic, the Memorial Garden and Services, the Food Pantry, monthly Open House, Voter’s Workshop, ….and so much more.

 

Long live the San Francisco Patients’ Cooperative.
Long live Compassion, Hospitality and Service

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