San Francisco Chronicle - August 6, 2005
Suzanne Pullen, Chronicle Staff Writer

How she started: Lazzareschi, a trained social worker, was staying at home to take care of her two sons in the mid-1980s. When several homeless people died in an abandoned-building fire in Berkeley, she got involved with the city's new Homeless Facilities Task Force. She soon discovered that there were no support services for homeless women or children. She and several volunteers started a daytime drop-in center in a city-owned bungalow. "There were many reasons that women were homeless -- women's wages not being on par with men's, transitioning from welfare to work, benefits being cut, being homeless due to domestic violence and substance abuse issues," said Lazzareschi. The volunteer-staffed center opened in 1988. By the end of its first year, the center had served 700 women and children. In 1995, with funding from the San Francisco Foundation, the center started a children's activities program.

And now: A paid staff of 12 working with 25 volunteers serve 25 women and children a day, the maximum allowed under a city agreement. More than 1,100 clients received help during the last fiscal year. The center serves two meals a day, provides support groups, housing and health programs and hosts a women's legal clinic. This year, state funding has been restored for an HIV education and prevention program. "Homeless minority women are the highest growing group of HIV cases," she said. Last year, the center opened Bridget House, a transitional home for four single mothers and their children. This year, funding from Alameda County will allow the center to expand its programs for kids age 5 and under.

Her vitals: Lazzareschi has two sons in their 20s, Dan and Michael. She lives in North Berkeley with her husband, Steve. She got her bachelor's degree in social work and psychology and her master's degree in social work from UC Berkeley.

Her inspiration: "Home is such a powerful place for my family," said Lazzareschi. "The center was the perfect way to provide a helping hand and a welcoming, home-like environment where (homeless women and children) could come." She says the dedication of volunteers from all economic and ethnic backgrounds touches her, as does the courage of the clients she meets.

Her hero: Lazzareschi admires the efforts of Jane Addams, the first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Addams' settlement houses provided support and education programs for immigrant women in urban Chicago in the early 1900s. "It was amazing that women at that time were able to create helpful resources for other women and children in need," said Lazzareschi. "I think we are doing a similar type of service today."

In her own words: "I am always touched by the gratitude the women and children express. People can use this service as long as they need, and when they move out of crisis, many come back to donate things or to donate their time. Every person has an opportunity to do something positive. I am amazed at how caring the community is. I believe we can continue to make an impact on the problem."

What others say about her: "I met Linda at one of the lowest points in my life," said Anne Marie Foley, who came to the shelter in 1995 after she separated from her husband, lost her apartment and was staying in a shelter at night with her four children, ages 4 to 15. "The first time I went to the center, I could tell it was someplace special. They helped me get back on my feet, get off welfare and get a job. Without them, I might have had to farm out my kids. My oldest daughter is now a graduate student at San Francisco State and my oldest son is in the U.S. Air Force. I don't know where we would have been with out the drop in and people like Linda. Her warmth is the foundation of the center."

To find out more: Call (510) 548-2884 or visit www.womensdropin.org Each week, The Chronicle features a Bay Area resident who has won a Jefferson Award for making a difference in his or her community. The awards are administered by the American Institute for Public Service, a national foundation established in 1972 to honor community service. Bay Area residents profiled in The Chronicle will also be featured on CBS5-TV and KCBS-AM, which -- along with The Chronicle -- are Jefferson Award media partners.

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