Donna is One of Five Local Leaders to Receive KQED and Wells Fargo Award

Every Thursday night, recent retiree Donna Freeman can be found at Ladies Night on 16th and Capp. Not ladies night at the corner bar, rather -Ladies Night- a weekly drop-in the Women's Community Clinic offers in collaboration with local service agencies in the Mission District. Here, the "Food Lady" (as she is affectionately known) and her dedicated volunteers prepare a hot and plentiful meal for the 40-60 homeless women who come weekly to get off the streets, receive free hygiene supplies, exchange syringes to protect each other from HIV and hepatitis C, get a massage, dance, do art activities, and spend time together in a women-only space. While Ladies Night offers many services, it's the Food Lady's meal that makes the program feel like home.

On Wednesday, March 19, KQED and Wells Fargo celebrated Donna Freeman and four other Local Heroes at the KQED Public Broadcasting Center in San Francisco. The event featured live entertainment and an awards ceremony. The five new honorees were chosen based upon their outstanding contributions to their local communities and the Bay Area community at large.

The 2008 Women's History Month honorees are: Donna Freeman (Ladies Night); Norma Hotaling (SAGE [Standing Against Global Exploitation]); Margaret Jenkins (Margaret Jenkins Dance Company); Debbra Lindo (College Track); and Sara O'Donnell (Cancer Resource Center of Mendocino County).

For more information, click here: http://www.kqed.org/topics/history/heritage/women/heroes2008.jsp#dfreeman or contact Meredith Gandy at