Programs

Since 2018, when the tax was implemented, community based organizations and city agencies have used soda tax revenue to provide people most impacted by the sugary drink industry with physical activity, healthy food, community gatherings, jobs, and much more. Explore here to learn more.

About Our
Programs

Soda tax funded programs were selected based on priorities set by the Sugary Drinks Distributor Tax Advisory Committee. Those priorities were intended to support community capacity and self determination while also decreasing chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. Browse through these categories to see the innovative programs that integrate healthy habits with workforce development and community building. Funded organizations did even more lifesaving work during COVID-19, pivoting to provide healthy, free food and creating virtual classes and community spaces.

NUTRITION SECURITY

includes multiple types of programs: food security (providing free or subsidized healthy food); food access (increasing availability of healthy food); healthy retail (supporting existing corner stores to stock fresh produce); urban agriculture (growing food); and nutrition education.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

includes a range of free programs to get people moving in ways that resonate culturally and support the spectrum of abilities.

ORAL HEALTH

programs offer dental sealants on our youngest school children’s teeth as well as case management and education and outreach to emphasize the importance of oral health.

WATER ACCESS

focuses on providing a free and healthy alternative to sugar loaded drinks in public venues and our public schools as well as educating about the importance of tap water for our health.

COMMUNITY BUILDING

programs offer healthy eating/active living opportunities but do so in a context that is primarily designed to offer safe spaces for community and places to build a sense of community.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

is often a second/third bottom line for some SDDT funded healthy eating/active living (HEAL) organizations; that is, they utilize the SDDT funds to hire and train community residents to implement their SDDT-funded HEAL work.

MENTAL HEALTH

programs provide support to community residents to heal from trauma and improve their general mental health; focusing on HEAL may not be possible until people have the mental and physical capacity to do so.

Bayview Hunters Point Community Advocates

BVHPCA began in 1994 as a grassroots organization, founded, governed, and operated by members of the Bayview Hunter’s Point (BVHP) neighborhood in SF. The organization combines community organizing with education, advocacy and direct services, with a focus on environmental and economic justice. BVHP is a racially diverse and predominantly low-income community that is often described as a food swamp, and has a history of community organizing to address long-standing environmental issues related to the decommissioned Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, and to ensure access to healthy foods.

Read more about Nutrition Security

SisterWeb

Founded in 2018 to address the long-standing maternal and infant health crisis that disproportionately affects women of color and their infants, SisterWeb is a community doula organization offering no-cost culturally and linguistically congruent doula care to Black, Pacific Islander, and Latinx birthing people in San Francisco. By providing tailored doula services by members of the same communities, SW reaches community members prioritized by SF SDDTAC.

Chinatown Task Force on Children's Oral Health

The Chinatown Task Force on Children’s Oral Health is led by NICOS Chinese Health Coalition. This task force targets parents/guardians and other caregivers living in Chinatown, as well as Asian American and Chinese-speaking low-income families living throughout San Francisco. CTFCOH partnered with 19 organizations or groups through membership in the task force, ongoing collaboration and coordination, and reflective evaluation and learning. NICOS hosted six monthly CTFCOH meetings, facilitating the participation of 10 task force members per meeting on average.

Read more about Oral Health

South of Market Community Action Network

South of Market Community Action Network (SOMCAN) is a multi-issue and multi-strategy organization that nurtures the lives of youth, families, individuals and workers in the South of Market (SOMA) neighborhood. SDDT funds SOMCAN to implement a policy, system and/or environmental intervention for the Filipino community.

Read more about Physical Activity

Peace Parks

Peace Parks promotes community wellness and violence prevention in underserved neighborhoods in District 10. It offers a safe space for residents of all ages, with a focus on youth ages 16 to 25, where they can engage in healthy recreational activities, while building relationships with their neighbors, recreation staff and police officers.

Read more about Community Building

Bounce Back Generation

Bounce Back Generation creates a free, accessible wellness space for those who need it most, reaching the poor, systemically and historically oppressed. They provide historically oppressed communities a voice in their own healing process with recognition of the strengths that exist in their communities.

Read more about Mental Health