We’re as diverse as those we serve. Think Dignity started as Girls Think Tank, a name which spoke to our creation.
Think Dignity’s mission is to inspire, empower, and organize our community to advance basic dignity for those living on the streets.
On October 5, 2006, nine women gathered for dinner at co-founder Rachel Jensen’s home to discuss the challenges of homelessness. The ladies passed many of their displaced neighbors on the streets and it was becoming increasingly clear that a few bucks here, a meal there, were only temporarily helpful. They desired a tangible way to restore basic dignity to these individuals and understood these unhoused neighbors were citizens too. Each person had their own story: mothers and fathers, someone’s child, a man forgotten after becoming disabled during war. Many endured great tragedy.
That night, the female professionals decided to call themselves Girls Think Tank, originating from “girlfriends.”
Now named Think Dignity, the organization has grown, and is many members strong and our efforts are reaching the masses. From our original project – distributing survival backpacks to those living on the streets during the coldest months – to standing with them at City Council, we’ve learned that by speaking and acting out, real change occurs.
We are the proud recipients of San Diego Channel 10 News’s 2008 Leadership Award for our work on homelessness, firmly establishing our organization as a vital group of community change makers.
Think Dignity is a federal 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and California public benefit corporation.
Think Dignity provides a way for citizens like you to become hands-on change agents in San Diego.
Our strength lies in our collaborative, volunteer-based model. Each of us doing our small part makes a big difference, and working together can make the world a better place. We mobilize our community partners and volunteers to accomplish our collective goals. Our success story is not grandiose, but comes from small steps taken every day. We call this micro-activism at its finest.
The model is simple: We hold monthly open forums at the Basic Dignity Coalition to discuss issues impacting our community. Upon identifying the issue, we gather information and conduct on-the-ground research. From there, we craft community-based solutions to the challenge, including coalition building, organizing, and advocacy.
Our efforts result in meaningful change here in San Diego, such as the expansion and growth of the Transitional Storage Center.