Recreation & Fun

At today’s Recreation and Park Commission meeting, I had the privilege of honoring some very important folks whose commitment to improving our parks and programs is immeasurable.

This year, the Department reached its goal of 100,000 volunteer hours, in large part because of community organizations like One Brick, which is one of the major players in helping us organize and increase our volunteer base. In April 2002, One Brick kicked off their first project in Golden Gate Park’s Bison Paddock. Since then, One Brick has staffed 329 Department events and donated approximately 17,553 volunteer gardening hours to the city’s parks.

Yet, it is impossible to measure the impact of this incredible volunteer organization in numbers alone. The value it brings to volunteering extends far beyond hours worked. Each event is hosted by a seasoned One Brick representative who welcomes the participants, provides nametags and organizes a post-project lunch. This extra level of service and the participant’s professionalism, enthusiasm and pure hard work are what make One Brick events a universal favorite with staff and volunteers alike.

One Brick has literally transformed parklands in the city. In 2003, One Brick adopted the Rhododendron Island in Golden Gate Park, which, at the time, was covered with ivy and blackberry brambles and basically buried in weeds. The combination of One Brick’s dedication and Park Section Supervisor Joe Giammattei’s vision and skill brought this area back to a lively attraction in the park, stopping motorists, pedestrians and bikers alike to feast on its extraordinary color, texture and fragrance. In total, One Brick has volunteered at the Rhododendron Island 70 times for a total of 5,800 hours.

Also recognized for her hard work was Recreation Director Kay Rodrigues-Eik, who began working for the Department in 1987 as an Assistant Recreation Director. She was attending San Francisco State University at the time, where she eventually obtained a dual degree in Recreation and Leisure Studies and Clinical Psychology. In order to complete her degree, she took a leave of absence from our Department to intern for another recreation agency. During her internship for San Francisco State, she was awarded Intern of the Year from Pacifica’s Parks, Beaches and Recreation Department.

Kay returned to the Department in 1993, and in 2000, her patience and determination was rewarded when she obtained a full-time Recreation Director position.

Currently working at Tenderloin Children’s Recreation Center, she has embodied constant improvement and has worked to positively affect the lives of the children and families that rely on her. She has served the Department by developing the first protocols for working with difficult children within a recreation setting and has trained over 120 RPD staff in Quality Customer Service. Demonstrating to her kids that they matter, she gives them the tools and support they need to choose a brighter future.