David Hooper keeps vigilantly focused on community needs, balancing all manner of issues and projects.
The longtime president of the New Mission Terrace Improvement Association found joining his residence park’s homeowners group a no-brainer as he was raised to always lend a helping hand. When he and his wife, Lisa Dunseth (NMTIA’s interim secretary), first moved to the neighborhood in 1986, he missed a tree planting day and the association’s then lead-president, Tony Sacco, recruited Hooper to work on events and as a delegate for the association.
“I'm always on a campaign to have somebody else step up so that they can be elevated,” Hooper said. “Some things I'm not as good at as others. For example, I'm lucky that my wife is actively engaged and tells me that I need to do this or that.”
Hooper has dedicated much of his life to improving District 11. He’s worked on countless community events like the association’s Valentine’s Day safety walk, the Independence Day parade and Pride block party, along with initiatives such as fundraising to expand the public library’s Excelsior branch, working to restore the former Alemany Emergency Hospital and Health Center and keeping the neighborhood's little farm open.
For Hooper, the advocacy work never stops. He and other concerned residents are currently raising awareness about flooding due to the combined wastewater and sewage system failures through the working group, Solutions Not Sandbags.
But volunteering hasn’t been the only thing the San Francisco native pursued. He operated cable cars and buses for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and was a manager for its Central Control. He also drove cabs and worked as a Post Office clerk and letter carrier.
“I enjoy working with people, and it's a learned process, and there's a lot of pleasure in it,” Hooper said. “Your world is bigger if you work with a lot of other people.”
The Ingleside Light caught up with Hooper to learn more about his years of community advocacy.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
How do you stay motivated to keep helping your community?
I was the fourth generation to live at 22nd and Guerrero, and you get used to the idea of knowing everything. It's like a woodsman seeing a broken twig or hearing a certain bird call. If you're raised in the city and you're receptive to all of that, you just pick up all of that stuff.
What are some pressing issues the neighborhood is still facing?
The agenda is being set by the parents of younger children because they have the most at stake. But the focus is on seniors, especially seniors who are isolated. They are vulnerable to scam phone calls. Then there's also the question of hoarding. Oftentimes, they're in a house for a long, long time, and it isn't necessarily updated. They're also vulnerable to the idea of insurance companies not renewing their house loan because they’re house-rich, cash-poor, or they haven't had a priority in their mind to upgrade the minimum. It needs a new roof; it's 35 years old. You need to upgrade your minimum electrical system. You need to get rid of some of the stuff because it accumulates, and each one is a memory.
There's the combination of safety to walk down the street, that's Patti Spaniak. The idea of pedestrian safety, the idea of it isn't just for kids with their little scooters. The sense of community grows stronger.
Lorraine Grumet and Patti do great work for seniors in our community and help keep people from being isolated and vulnerable. Others grow more conscious of their neighbors. Everyone benefits.
What’s one piece of advice you have for someone who wants to be more involved in their community?
Go out and sweep your sidewalk. Don't just talk to people, but let them see you doing something. They will engage with you. You do something obvious, or you engage, or you talk to your neighbors, or you express interest in them, and you try to avoid contention at least initially. Just express an interest in your community. Go to a meeting. If your neighbor’s kids come to your door with a raffle ticket, you can buy 20 tickets. You engage.
