St. James Infirmary

For years I thought about going in here & didn’t until after going through hell with an art school. St James helped me stay openminded towards holistic health & sexwork.

More for Transgenders than for Sex Workers
Exotic workers that enhance sexual health and protect sexual and sensual basic human rights of all human need a place like St James Infirmary. It is still in the development. I would like to see more SWOP Officers or similar officers recruited and trained working to do more outreach. 8 out of 10 sex workers that I meet in SF Bay (San Mateo, Marin, Alameda, Contra Costa) do not know of St James Infirmary nor its history but seems to be better known among the transgender community of the respectful area.
My Basis in Review
My relationship with this organization is from my personal need to talk to a peer. rescued from a hotel room, back of truck, trunk of car, confinement and torture /​housed — 2 — 6 months /​transported– as far as Vegas, Florida, Hawai’i /​detoxed — up to 6 months in my house /​paid ER bills /​clothed /​educated GED and AA level /​helped take care of their children as far as Napa for over 120 sex workers in my personal homes or in theirs in Northern California and Hawai’i between 2001 and 2008. My funding came from cooperate accounts that accept generous expenses that paid my commission for some of my global net work I was in charge. Back then, I had a bit of leeway of 50K/​year. I rate SJI services and functions from my own experience.
Admin & Front Desk Staff: 2 –3 Stars, interaction & admin needs a lot of improvement. they are still not very good with being warm in welcoming. The entire admin atmosphere and level of hospitality is low. I don’t know how a former sex worker can be so rough on the edge to keep clients like that… Perhaps most of them are not peer. Never were a sex worker… You’ll have to check yourself. I have a few people I adore.
Executives and Board: 3 – 4 Stars, many of them don’t have major political nor philanthrocapitalists connections. Legalizing sex work in SF will not be coming for a long time with the Director and Board they have today.
Peer Executives: I don’t see formal sex workers that were financially successful retired or semi-​retired and working/​helping. I would like to see more of major sex industry workers, DVD
escort agencies, BDSM trainers, traveling exotic dancers to come and build the community.
Clients: 0 – 3 Stars, very few there know what they are doing. 60% of them are not sex workers at all. some are mentally ill and have no friends and come there just to use their services for free, some are backpackers from out of town or poverty struck neighbors taking advantage of food and clothes, bagging both food and clothes during the 1^st 5 min they rush in and taking them out, selling them on the streets for cash. By the time real sex workers get there, there is only left overs. SJI needs to think a bit more in managing resources so that everything gets to the right people that are meant to be using their services. Most have no manners, no social skills and no finesse. I have only met four people there in the past year that were worthy of invite for an occasion.
Volunteers: 0 – 3 Stars, some are warms as family, some care to bring items of high needs, but some are amazingly rude, trash, slow & useless. I do not see volunteer training to be sufficient at SJI. Some of the volunteers do not even care to know the names of the people that work there.
Food: 1 – 2 Stars — canned food, dry food, packed juice and the rest are 6 days old «food runner» food that got dropped off 6 days before it is served on Wednesday. It is nice to nibble when very hungry but I would not call it fresh nor healthy. Director of Development needs to start looking for other way to find higher quality of foods.
Closet: 0 – 3 stars– mostly for petite size to large women. they occasionally have clothing for men. They have walking shoes, boots, sex worker’s work shoes, sandals and unusual ones too. No hair pieces, no hair dryers and once in a few months, lip gloss, shampoo and other make up.
Peer Support: 3 stars: I think a peer can be a lot more effective in supporting… SJI seem to be a bit narrow minded and repetitive. I hope they will start thinking outside the box.
Acupuncture & Massage: 1 – 4 stars: Vadan Ritter, the acupuncturist /​herbalist /​yogini /​chreneo therapist is close to 4 stars. The rest seem to be beginners.
Effectiveness as a Team: 2 Stars, sex workers need a lot more health and safety services, business consulting than what SJI offers.
Worthy of Funding: 2 Stars — I recommend philanthropists to be very specific as to where each dollar goes. Best to donate under $ 1,000 for each project and watch where every penny goes every month.
I have posted some photos for your view.

St. James is a wonderful place: a hot meal, non-​judgmental counseling, acupuncture, massage, and psychiatric care, not to mention some of the best preventative health care I have ever had.
St. James, you make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, like there is love enough for everyone in the world.

Sex worker occupational health clinic. Go get your counseling support, a hot meal, some new heels, a massage, a pap smear, and some sweet referrals after a hard night of tassel twirling, pink slinging, or pipe laying… yeah, these folks rock.
I walked in needing medical attention from a reoccurring chronic condition my HMO MD just couldn’t figure out, diagnose or treat… I walked out with answers, a prescription and sources for holistic care to treat my life long illness.
So it’s not just about providing services to people who happen to do a little sex work… their care goes beyond STI treatment…
I love ya St. James!

The St. James Infirmary helps out people who really need help. From their website, «St. James Infirmary offers free, confidential, nonjudgmental medical and social services for female, transgender, and male sex workers.» Make a difference and go to their website
and find out how you can donate and help them out.

St. James Infirmary is a wonderful organization. I met many fantastic people from this organization. My company does a lot to support them. Basically, they offer free, confidential, nonjudgmental medical and social services for female, transgendered, and male sex workers.
It is a pleasure to announce that the St. James Infirmary Pledge Drive to Fund New Registration Database.
As they enter their 9^th year of service, To support this project, you can make a pledge towards the campaign. Pledges can be paid by check, or in full or in monthly installments. Last Friday, September 14^th, 2007, the St. James Infirmary kicked off their Soliciting for Change campaign! They have received an extremely generous $ 25,000 matching grant; they have 90 days to match it. Your donation is tax deductible.
They also accept clothing donations:
(1−2 grocery bags per donation) for our clothing closet. Clothing must be clean and in good condition (no holes, stains, etc.).
New undergarments & socks
Shirts (button-​down, t-​shirts, etc.)
Skirts
Pants
Dresses
Shoes (for every gender)
Sex Worker gear
St. James serves:
Street and Survival Sex Workers,
Escorts,
Massage and Body workers,
Bondage/​Dominatrix/​Sado-​Masochism (BDSM) workers,
Adult film actors,
Nude Models,
Exotic Dancers,
Phone Sex Workers,
and many other Sex Workers and Adult Entertainers!
This is an amazing organization run by wonderful compassionate people and deserve a wealth of support.