This year, Swords to Plowshares (Swords) celebrates 50 years of serving the Bay Area’s veterans. Swords provides comprehensive support for everything from VA benefits, housing, job retraining, and community. Koret spoke with two Swords ambassadors about the challenges of re-entering civilian life, and the successes of the organization's approach to building trust and developing community.

Jewish Story Partners (JSP) believes that films generate empathy, inviting Jews and non-Jews alike to see each other across perceived boundaries and gain insight into the human condition. JSP has funded 85 films in its first two years, selected from well over 700 applications. We spoke with Roberta Grossman, JSP’s co-executive director, about the diversity of films JSP funds and the range of additional support it offers filmmakers to maximize impact.

St. Anthony Foundation has been a pillar of San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood for over 70 years, and provides a plethora of services in pursuit of their goal to serve as a gateway to stability. But the dining room is regarded as the heart of the organization. We spoke with CEO Nils Behnke about the organization’s deep-seeded values of dignity and respect, the importance of treating every individual they serve as a guest, and the role that food plays in building relationships.