BEGIN:VCALENDAR PRODID:-//github.com/ical-org/ical.net//NONSGML ical.net 5.1.4//EN VERSION:2.0 BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:Del Seymour shares his journey as an African American Vietnam v eteran who was chronically homeless and incarcerated for 18 years to his r ecovery and founding of Code Tenderloin in 2015. Moving to the Tenderloin in his mid-40s\, Del spiraled down into drug addiction. At age 62\, he got clean thanks to the help of San Francisco native Walter Hughes\, a financ ial consultant and an elder at the San Francisco Christian Center in the T enderloin. Hughes ran across Del while doing outreach at a neighborhood pa rk\, gave Del a suit and a business card\, and invited him to church that Sunday. Del went that Sunday and Hughes got him a place to live in the Ten derloin. The church paid his rent until he could get housing through the V eterans Administration. To get off drugs\, Del chose a model of recovery a t Glide\, In Del’s last days of homelessness and substance abuse\, he dr ove a cab. “I enjoyed being a tour guide and earned big tips.” One day \, he got three parking tickets. “That killed my insurance\, so I starte d thinking what I could do that would be like telling people about the cit y but without a car?” That’s when he got the idea for Tenderloin Walki ng Tours. Because Del had lived in Tenderloin for almost two decades\, he knew the neighborhood inside and out. He knew all the hotel workers\, serv ice people\, restaurant and store owners. “I love San Francisco history. ” He took to going to the library everyday to read the archives. Del cre ated Walking Tours from nothing and nine years later\, it’s still in bus iness. “I tell people how the Tenderloin played a part in the LGBTQ move ment\, in the legendary jazz scene and as a theater locale.” He started with a 90-minute tour and has since added the TenderNob Pub Crawl\, which is mentioned in “Lonely Planet\,” as well as group tours for schools\, nonprofits\, and tech companies.  As Del was conducting his tours and me eting more and more people\, locals described him as “the brother that b rought white folks into the neighborhood.” He used that platform as entr ée into the tech world. “The tech companies weren’t integrating with the neighborhood as far as job development\, recruitment\, and placement a nd so I challenged them.” Del founded Code Tenderloin in 2015. Code Tend erloin prepares participants to succeed in the workplace with a curriculum that covers technical skills\, soft skills such as learning the culture o f the workplace\, interview preparation\, resumé creation\, one-on-one me ntorship\, and off-site programs led by some of the best tech companies in the Bay Area. Today\, Code Tenderloin is funded by the Mayor’s Office o f Economic and Workforce Development\, with additional funding from founda tions and tech companies such as Dolby\, Twitter\, and Microsoft. LinkedIn \, Uber\, and Salesforce provide classroom space and teaching instruction.   Del has been on the coordinating board for the city’s Department of H omelessness and Supportive Housing since 2014\, a volunteer position that takes him back and forth to Washington\, D.C. – expenses paid by the cit y – to work with mayors to mitigate homelessness. Nicknamed “Mayor of the Tenderloin” for his contributions\, Del acted in former SF Mayor Lee ’s stead when he visited the White House in November 2016 with 35 mayors from around the country\, to discuss how to help homeless veterans. Del m et Michelle Obama. “We’re both ‘Southies’ from Chicago.” Del Se ymour and Mayor Ed Lee announced 33 dedicated units for chronically homele ss veterans at 528 Valencia Street on November 10\, 2016. Photo courtesy o f SFGate This is a regular membership meeting of the Rotary Club of San Fr ancisco\, open to all Rotarians\, visiting Rotarians\, prospective members \, and guests. Meeting Schedule: 12:00 Noon Registration & Networking 1 2:15 PM (sharp!)  Meeting begins  1:30 PM  Meeting adjourns   Regi ster here for In Person or Zoom attendance. For in-person attendees: We w elcome all attendees! The in-person registration cost for all members of t he Rotary Club of San Francisco is $45 until 11:59 AM on Friday\, Septembe r 11\, 2026. The meeting cost increases to $60 at noon and beyond on Septe mber 11\, 2026 and includes any walk-ins on Tuesday\, September 15. The in -person registration cost for all Visiting Rotarians and Guests is $60. T he Hotel Nikko holds us to the headcount that we submit on Friday at noon\ , prior to our Tuesday meeting\, whether those registered attend or not. I n Rotary spirit\, thanks for helping us to maintain a good relationship wi th our host hotel.  For attendance via Zoom: For those who wish to parti cipate via Zoom\, there is a $15 fee to attend. Accessibility: Hotel Nikko San Francisco offers accessible entrances\, accommodations\, restaurants\ , meeting spaces\, and facilities so that every guest enjoys a comfortable visit. Parking: If you are driving to the Hotel Nikko for this meeting\, please leave your car with the Hotel Nikko valet. Pick up a validation sti cker available at our check-in table. The discounted parking is $25 for th ree hours. Photo Policy and Disclaimer: By attending events of the Rotary Club of San Francisco\, you give to the Club permission to publish photos of you at our events. If you have questions about this policy\, please con tact sfrotary2@gmail.com. Email Policy and Disclaimer: By registering onl ine for events of the Rotary Club of San Francisco\, you give to the Club permission to use your email to invite you to future events. If you have q uestions about this policy or wish to opt out at any time\, please contact sfrotary2@gmail.com. DTEND:20260915T203000Z DTSTAMP:20260830T055459Z DTSTART:20260915T190000Z LOCATION:Hotel Nikko SEQUENCE:1 SUMMARY:ROTARY LUNCHEON: Del Seymour and Code Tenderloin UID:4e5164b3-39c4-4436-834d-c2ef36ce8511 X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Del SeymourDel Seymour shares his jo urney as an African American Vietnam veteran who was chronically homeless and incarcerated for 18 years to his recovery and founding of Code Tenderl oin in 2015.

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Moving to the Tenderloin in his mid-40s\, Del spira led down into drug addiction. At age 62\, he got clean thanks to the help of San Francisco native Walter Hughes\, a financial consultant and an elde r at the San Francisco Christian Center in the Tenderloin. Hughes ran acro ss Del while doing outreach at a neighborhood park\, gave Del a suit and a business card\, and invited him to church that Sunday. Del went that Sund ay and Hughes got him a place to live in the Tenderloin. The church paid h is rent until he could get housing through the Veterans Administration. To get off drugs\, Del chose a model of recovery at Glide\,

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In Del &rsquo\;s last days of homelessness and substance abuse\, he drove a cab. &ldquo\;I enjoyed being a tour guide and earned big tips.&rdquo\; One day\ , he got three parking tickets. &ldquo\;That killed my insurance\, so I st arted thinking what I could do that would be like telling people about the city but without a car?&rdquo\; That&rsquo\;s when he got the idea for Tenderloin Walking Tours.

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Because Del had lived in Tender loin for almost two decades\, he knew the neighborhood inside and out. He knew all the hotel workers\, service people\, restaurant and store owners. &ldquo\;I love San Francisco history.&rdquo\; He took to going to the lib rary everyday to read the archives. Del created Walking Tours from nothing and nine years later\, it&rsquo\;s still in business. &ldquo\;I tell peop le how the Tenderloin played a part in the LGBTQ movement\, in the legenda ry jazz scene and as a theater locale.&rdquo\; He started with a 90-minute tour and has since added the TenderNob Pub Crawl\, which is ment ioned in &ldquo\;Lonely Planet\,&rdquo\; as well as group tours for school s\, nonprofits\, and tech companies. \;

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As Del was conductin g his tours and meeting more and more people\, locals described him as &ld quo\;the brother that brought white folks into the neighborhood.&rdquo\; H e used that platform as entré\;e into the tech world. &ldquo\;The te ch companies weren&rsquo\;t integrating with the neighborhood as far as jo b development\, recruitment\, and placement and so I challenged them.&rdqu o\;

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Del founded Code Tenderloin in 2015. Code Tenderloi n prepares participants to succeed in the workplace with a curriculum that covers technical skills\, soft skills such as learning the culture of the workplace\, interview preparation\, resumé\; creation\, one-on-one mentorship\, and off-site programs led by some of the best tech companies in the Bay Area. Today\, Code Tenderloin is funded by the Mayor&rsquo\;s O ffice of Economic and Workforce Development\, with additional funding from foundations and tech companies such as Dolby\, Twitter\, and Microsoft. L inkedIn\, Uber\, and Salesforce provide classroom space and teaching instr uction. \;

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Del has been on the coordinating board for the ci ty&rsquo\;s Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing since 2014\, a volunteer position that takes him back and forth to Washington\, D.C. & ndash\; expenses paid by the city &ndash\; to work with mayors to mitigate homelessness. Nicknamed &ldquo\;Mayor of the Tenderloin&rdquo\; for his c ontributions\, Del acted in former SF Mayor Lee&rsquo\;s stead when he vis ited the White House in November 2016 with 35 mayors from around the count ry\, to discuss how to help homeless veterans. Del met Michelle Obama. &ld quo\;We&rsquo\;re both &lsquo\;Southies&rsquo\; from Chicago.&rdquo\;

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Del Seymour and Mayor Ed Lee announced 33 dedicated units for chronically home less veterans at 528 Valencia Street on November 10\, 2016. Photo cour tesy of SFGate

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This is a regular membership meeting of the Rotary Club of San Francisco\, open to all Rotarians\, visiting Rotarians \, prospective members\, and guests.

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Meeting Schedule:

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12:00 NoonRegistrat ion &\; Networking
12:15 PM (sharp!) \;Meeting begins \;
1:30 PM \;
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Register here f or In Person or Zoom attendance.

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For in-person attendees: \;We welcome all attendees!

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The Hotel Nikko holds us to the headcount that we submi t on Friday at noon\, prior to our Tuesday meeting\, whether those registe red attend or not. In Rotary spirit\, thanks for helping us to maintain a good relationship with our host hotel. \;

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For attendance via Zoom: \;For those who wish to participate via Zoom\, there is a $15 fee to attend.

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Accessibility: Hotel Nikko San Francisco offers accessible entrances\, accommodations \, restaurants\, meeting spaces\, and facilities so that every guest enjoy s a comfortable visit.

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Parking : If you are driving to the Hotel Nikko for this meeting\, please leave your car with the Hotel Nikko valet. Pick up a validation st icker available at our check-in table. The discounted parking is $25 for t hree hours.

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Photo Policy and Disclaimer: By attending events of the Rotary Club of San Francisco\, you gi ve to the Club permission to publish photos of you at our events. If you h ave questions about this policy\, please contact sfrotary2@gmail.com.

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Ema il Policy and Disclaimer: \;By registering online for events of the Rotary Club of San Francisco\, you give to the Club permissi on to use your email to invite you to future events. If you have questions about this policy or wish to opt out at any time\, please contact sfrotary2@gmail.com.

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