A Legacy of Education for Our Most Vulnerable Children

When it came time to think about leaving a legacy, Michiko Okazaki, born an only child in Japan on June 5, 1926, knew she wanted to help homeless and at-risk students in San Francisco. Her own early-life experience, with bombs dropping on houses where she lived during World War II, may have been instructive. Michiko recalled in her memoir, Enduring Grace, “I don’t want to die on the street”. She had been rescued after a bombing and remembered waking up in a cemetery at 4:30 in the morning not knowing who had rescued her and feeling  “I owed somebody for saving my life.” 

Believing that society’s most vulnerable children should have access to a quality PreK-12 education, Michiko left her entire estate in her trust to Spark SF Public Schools, SFUSD’s official fundraising arm, to support the Students and Families Experiencing Homelessness (SAFEH) program at SFUSD.

“Ms. Okazaki’s legacy is truly inspirational”, said Mark Reisbaum, Chair of Spark SF Public Schools’ Board of Directors, “providing homeless and at-risk students, now and in the future, with the resources they need to help stabilize their housing so they can attend school and learn.”

In 2021, 2,355 SFUSD students identified as being homeless or at-risk. Through SFUSD’s SAFEH program, a Coordinated Care Team of school social workers connect families to services for rental assistance and housing, food, transportation, clothing and uniforms, school books, supplies, and backpacks so that students have stability and the things every school-going child needs to participate in their education. The program’s ultimate goal is to reduce the barriers that students facing homelessness encounter in enrollment, attendance, and success in school.

“SFUSD touches so many different aspects of our city’s life and the lives of more than 50,000 students and their families. That's why supporting our work is so important. We are forever grateful to Ms. Okazaki and other legacy donors who make an indelible impact on our students, especially those furthest from opportunity.” Dr. Matt Wayne, SFUSD Superintendent of Schools

Please contact Colm Hegarty, Development Director, at hegartyc@sfusd.edu or at (415) 377-0976, if you are considering making Spark SF Public Schools (Tax ID: 47-4568396) a beneficiary of your estate or planned giving.