The words on her shirt capture her essence perfectly: “The type of woman that when her feet hit the floor, the devil says, ‘Oh crap, she’s up!’

This July, San Francisco SafeHouse has the joy of celebrating our co-founder, Reverend Glenda Hope’s 90th birthday. For many in our community, Glenda is more than one of SafeHouse’s founders. She is a visionary, a friend, and a fierce believer in the dignity, beauty, and strength of every woman. And for those who may be hearing her name for the first time, Glenda’s legacy is woven into every part of SafeHouse’s story.

The Founding of SafeHouse

For years, Glenda walked among residents of the Tenderloin district, serving with compassion, care, and dignity, as she conducted over 1,000 memorial services for our unhoused neighbors.

When she and her community found themselves repeatedly called to grieve women who had lost their lives due to gender-based violence while living unhoused, they channeled that grief into action.

When Glenda met Sister Rosina Conrotto in 1979 at the Presentation Center in Los Gatos, she recalls, “It was like we always knew each other.” As Glenda shared with Sister Rosina her encounters with women who were trapped in cycles of homelessness, they knew they had to do something. They gathered their community, from supporters, advocates, and visionary leaders who came together to found San Francisco’s first Transitional Housing program dedicated specifically for women who had experienced trafficking or exploitation: San Francisco SafeHouse.

Their Vision Has Grown

Today, Glenda and Sister Rosina’s vision continues to grow in ways that the early SafeHouse community could only have dreamed of. What began as a Transitional Housing program serving just 10 women at a time has grown into a continuum of care that now includes not only Transitional Housing, but emergency shelter stays, drop-in services at our Hope Center, scattered-site housing, and soon, long-term supportive Bridge Housing for survivors and their children at 101 Gough. Their once humble dream of SafeHouse has grown to house over 1,240 women and children, and provide over 266,400 nights of safety for women since 1998.

Reverend Glenda Hope’s Birthday Wish

As we celebrate Glenda’s 90th birthday, we are celebrating a life that has opened doors for so many others. We are celebrating the more than 1,240 women who have found safety through SafeHouse, the community that continues to carry this work forward, and the hope that began with a simple but powerful belief: every woman deserves a safe place to heal, rebuild, and begin again.

Now at 90, Glenda’s birthday remains the same as it was 28 years ago: Safety for every woman experiencing homelessness in San Francisco.

As she shares:

“To see even one woman come into her own full beauty, wisdom, and gifts after being on the streets is a gift no one can measure. We have seen this happen over and over at SafeHouse, and there are many more to come.”

On her 84th birthday, Glenda had an interview with “80 Over 80,” an organization that highlights individuals in San Francisco over 80 who have done incredible work in this city. There she shares, “One of the maxims I’ve lived by, is ‘don’t work alone.’”

This motto has rung true throughout SafeHouse’s history. It is not without the help of community, generous donors, partners, and advocates that this work was made possible, and it is only with that continued support that this work can keep growing.

“I think what we have learned from this work is that there needs to be a SafeHouse in every city across this country, and thanks to the support of our community, we are the model.” -Reverend Glenda Hope

Together, we can continue working toward the day when every woman living unhoused has the opportunity to have a safe place to call home, a safe place to heal after experiences of exploitation, and the chance to rebuild again alongside a community of compassion and care.

So, in honor of 90 years of Hope, and the 28 years that SafeHouse has stood as a beacon of hope, San Francisco SafeHouse is raising $28,000 in order to continue the work that Glenda helped begin.

We are beyond grateful for Glenda’s vision, her fire, and her endless heart. Happy birthday, Glenda!

To make a donation to San Francisco SafeHouse and help us reach our goal of $28,000, click here to make a gift today.

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