Local leaders will gather in South San Francisco next week to discuss ending child poverty as part of the first summit held by the Jackie Speier Foundation.
From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18, San Mateo County leaders will participate in a summit titled “San Mateo County Rising: Ending Child Poverty,” at the South San Francisco Conference Center. The event is being hosted by the Jackie Speier Foundation, a new organization started by former U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier to address the poverty gap for women and children.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to do what has not been done before — guarantee that no child in our county goes to bed hungry, lives unsheltered in a car, or suffers from physical and emotional violence or trauma,” Speier said in a press release.
Kicking off the summit will be a keynote address by Dr. Matthew Desmond, a professor of sociology at Princeton University and the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Evicted” and “Poverty, by America.” Emmy award-winning journalist Luz Peña will be the event’s master of ceremonies and opening addresses will also be given by Speier and Kathy Kwan, president of the Eustace-Kwan Family Foundation.
U.S. Rep. Kevin Mullin, D-South San Francisco; U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto; and county supervisors Ray Mueller and Noelia Corzo will also be featured speakers of the event with Mueller, Corzo and Speier expected to make a special initiative announcement.
The summit will also feature panel discussions on guaranteed income programs, child poverty and brain development and the effects of evictions on poverty before participants split into breakout groups to further explore eviction policies, youth mental health, local solutions to poverty and understanding a baby’s first year of life.
Additional speakers for those events will include Jim Higa, executive director of Philanthropic Ventures Foundation; Jim Pugh, co-director of the Universal Income Project; Dr. Greg Duncan, a professor at the University of California, Irvine; Dr. Kimberly Noble, professor of neuroscience and education at Columbia University; Dr. Lisa Chamberlain, a professor of pediatrics at the Stanford School of Medicine; Louise Rogers, San Mateo County chief of Health; Belinda Hernandez Arriaga, executive director of the nonprofit ALAS; Foster City Police Chief Tracy Avelar; County Attorney John Nibbelin; former Millbrae Mayor and Realtor Anne Oliva; and Chad Bojorquez, chief program officer of Destination Home.
State Sen. Josh Becker, D-Menlo Park; Redwood City Councilmember Alicia Aguirre; county Superintendent Nancy Magee; County Executive Officer Mike Callagy; Kitty Lopez, executive director of First Five San Mateo County; and Lenny Mendonca, the state’s former chief economic and business advisor, will lead breakout group discussions.
Co-sponsors of the event include the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the County of San Mateo, the Eustace-Kwan Family Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, Philanthropic Ventures Foundation and the San Mateo County Office of Education.
“It is unfathomable that in a county that is home to 22 billionaires and more than 5,000 people making over $4 million a year, 27,000 children live in poverty,” Speier said in the press release. “We will explore exciting strategies to raise children with the skills to fully thrive in our society.”
Visit jackiespeierfoundation.org/ for more information on the Jackie Speier Foundation and this month’s summit, “San Mateo County Rising: Ending Child Poverty.”
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