SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Trying to cope with homelessness, let alone cure it, is overwhelming. It keeps getting worse in almost every American city. San Francisco copes with more than 7,000 people living on its streets. We’re about to meet a woman who reminds us how one person can change lives.
Andrea Carla Michaels delivers good vibes every day, along with slices of hot pizza, to the people in San Francisco who call the street home.
Dean told Ivanhoe, “She helps out a lot of people. She helped me out when I was hungry. I am surprised people like her still exist.”
Three years ago, Michaels convinced a local pizzeria to give her unsold slices instead of tossing them in the garbage. Before she knew it, Andrea was dubbed ‘The Pizza Lady.’
Michaels said, “It was funny every single person spontaneously started calling me that.”
Since then, all on her own, Michaels has passed out more than 20,000 slices, which thrills the pizzeria owner, Najet Sehili.
Sehili explained, “We are human, we have to help each other. Anyone ask for food, we never push back.”
Michaels now calls this her life’s calling, which is quite a statement coming from someone who graduated from Harvard at 20, became a stand-up comedian, game show whiz, and even a sitcom writer.
“I call it my calling because this is from my heart, and then hopefully I can set an example to other people.”, Michaels said.
That’s why Michaels started the Facebook page, ‘Slice of Life’, which offers tips to helping those in need. The number one thing she wants to get across.
“Every single person can do something,” said Michaels.
Michaels isn’t trying to recruit more pizza ladies. She just hopes more people, in their own way, will help the over 550,000 people living on the streets.
While in a national survey more than 80 percent of companies reported that the threat of liability was the biggest deterrent from donating excess food. However, it’s important to remember good samaritan laws do protect both donors and donees throughout the country.
