Twitter opens $3 million tech skills center for SF poor, homeless

(left to right) Jacqueline Moreno, 10; Diego Castro, 9; Alex Sanchez, 10; and Miguel Sauer, 8; play in the living room at Twitter's NeighborNest before taking a Coding for Kids' class in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, May 14, 2015. less (left to right) Jacqueline Moreno, 10; Diego Castro, 9; Alex Sanchez, 10; and Miguel Sauer, 8; play in the living room at Twitter's NeighborNest before taking a Coding for Kids' class in San Francisco, Calif., ... more Photo: Scott Strazzante, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Scott Strazzante, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Twitter opens $3 million tech skills center for SF poor, homeless 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

There are computers in the transitional living space where Lindsay Moodie lives, but it’s hard for her to learn how to use them when her 1-year-old daughter is climbing all over her.

She finds it easier to concentrate inside the new $3 million Twitter NeighborNest a few blocks from her home. Not only does the 4,000-square-foot Twitter-funded learning center offer child care next to its computer lab, but it’s also staffed weekdays with Twitter employee volunteers and social service workers, offering coaching on everything from basic tech skills to housing and job assistance. It’s a vast upgrade from her previous options to improve her lot in life.

“Some people don’t have a space to go, to do what they need to do,” said the 27-year-old Moodie. “But here you do.”

Moodie, who was homeless for 10 years after she left home at 15, is among the low-income residents already using the NeighborNest, one block from Twitter’s Market Street headquarters and within walking distance of many homeless and low-income Tenderloin residents of Compass Family Services, the tech company’s partner on the project. The facility officially opened Wednesday evening with a ceremony attended by Twitter CEO Dick Costolo and Mayor Ed Lee.

It is a centerpiece of Costolo’s goal of public service.

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‘Stronger ties’

“Twitter employees care deeply about giving back to the community, and the Twitter NeighborNest will allow us to cultivate stronger ties with our local partners and neighbors,” Costolo said.

In Twitter’s case, being part of the community is not just a goal, it’s an obligation. In a deal to keep the company from leaving San Francisco, the city allowed certain Mid-Market companies to avoid payroll taxes for six years by signing a community benefits agreement that promises contributions to nearby areas, some of the poorest parts of the Bay Area.

Twitter’s $3 million investment over the next four years in the NeighborNest is included in its agreement, but company officials expect its contribution to the neighborhood to go beyond that. It has also committed an additional $3 million in financial grants to nonprofits serving residents of the Tenderloin and central Market Street neighborhoods over the next four years. Twitter expects 10 percent of its San Francisco workforce — about 200 people — to hop across the street to volunteer at the center over the next six months.

Officials at Compass, a 100-year-old nonprofit that is that is the main organization serving homeless families in San Francisco, hope to serve 800 clients at the center within its first year, said Compass executive director Erica Kisch.

Just being at the center — in a building christened with the Twitter imprimatur — is something providers hope will be aspirational for the low-income kids and adults who use it.

“A lot of these kids likely don’t know someone who works in the tech sector,” said Coreen Clark, a teacher with Catholic Charities who has accompanied children from the neighborhood to the center several times for computer skills instruction. “For the rest of the week, they’re not part of the San Francisco that everybody talks about. But now they say, ‘Are we going to Twitter today?’ They call this place ‘Twitter.’”

Comfortable space

Twitter officials spent several months meeting with potential clients and service providers to see what they wanted in the learning center. As a result of those talks, they tried to create a homier space that isn’t just a lab where people can learn tech skills.

The kitchen area is stocked with healthy snacks and diner-style booths. The children’s play area is filled with plush furniture and toys. Meeting rooms are designed as places where people not only can learn how to navigate the Internet, but also listen to presentations about housing and jobs programs.

Residents will be able to gain access to the center with a card they obtain through their service provider.

While younger people might seek out the center’s help more readily, it might be harder for older people at first. Some may feel ashamed that they’re not tech literate.

“I think the challenge will be people who are not motivated,” Moodie said. “For me, when I was homeless, I had no computer, no computer access. But if you’re not motivated to get a house or a home, then it will be hard for you.”

Kami Griffiths, executive director of Community Technology Network, is helping to program the center. She cautioned that “nothing is going to happen overnight.”

“It’s going to take time for clients to know it’s there and feel comfortable,” she said, adding that Twitter will gradually make adjustments.

“They’re starting small and trying new things. I think it’s going to grow from here.”

Joe Garofoli is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli