Margaret Trezevant: A Lifelong Commitment to Serving Her Community 

Margaret T, a supporter of Canal Alliance since 2020, says her career in the medical field was driven by a deep-seated desire to help people. From a young age, she knew she wanted to be in a profession where she could make a real difference in others’ lives, and, for her, nursing proved the perfect fit. Over the years, she built a career she found meaningful, including a position as the Nurse Manager at San Francisco General’s Emergency Department, where she worked for eight years. However, it was during her time there that Margaret realized her true calling: to help vulnerable populations, a passion that would shape the rest of her career. 

With a dual master’s degree in Community Health and Adult Psychiatry, Margaret has continuously focused her efforts on improving the health and well-being of marginalized communities that lack ready access to these types of support. Her career in public health led her to work on many programs for the unhoused with the Department of Public Health in San Francisco. Along the way, Margaret helped to establish one of the first homelessness clinics in San Francisco: the Tom Waddell Clinic, where she worked for 10 years as a Nurse Manager. 

After her time at Tom Waddell, Margaret attended seminary and was ordained as an Episcopal Deacon. She then worked in interfaith chaplaincy at shelters and San Francisco General Hospital, providing spiritual care and support to vulnerable populations. During this period, she also served on the Board of Episcopal Community Services, which manages many housing properties for formerly homeless individuals and shelters such as North of Market and the Episcopal Sanctuary. 

Margaret says her commitment to serving others is a family value; her husband, a firefighter and paramedic for San Francisco, shared her passion for helping others, and together, they built their lives around being of service. 

In 2015, Margaret moved to San Rafael and began working with the Ritter Center, an organization dedicated to serving the homeless and low-income populations in Marin County. She quickly became a key figure in the organization, serving as the Board President for six years. During her time at the Ritter Center, Margaret developed a close working relationship with Canal Alliance. She saw firsthand the critical work Canal Alliance was doing for immigrant populations. 

Reflecting on her time at Ritter Center and her growing admiration for Canal Alliance, Margaret shared, “The more I learned about Canal Alliance, the more respect I gained for the work [Canal Alliance] does and how [Canal Alliance] does it. I think the leadership is excellent, and the way [the agency] has grown is inspiring. In addition, the programs offered are exceptional.” 

One aspect of Canal Alliance that particularly resonates with Margaret is the legal team and the range of programs designed to help immigrants adjust to living in a new country. Margaret appreciates the Canal Alliance programs that help people build their lives here, “Whether it be through language acquisition or job training.” She goes on, “Canal Alliance helps people get a start in a new country and contribute, as we know they can and do.” 

Margaret also sees the growing housing crisis in California as a significant issue impacting the communities Canal Alliance serves. “In the state of California, there just isn’t enough housing, so people can’t afford to live here,” she noted. This underscores her commitment to fighting for equitable solutions and better opportunities for those who are most vulnerable. 

Margaret’s connection to Canal Alliance was further deepened by her desire to serve the Latino population. Previously, to better understand the community she was working with, Margaret traveled to Mexico to learn Spanish, showing her commitment to providing culturally sensitive care. And, in 2020, she started donating to the organization each year. 

Margaret’s contributions to Canal Alliance grew as she witnessed the organization’s unwavering commitment to helping immigrants and refugees navigate the complexities of life in the United States. 

She has stated passionately, “With all the immigration travesties happening now, we have upped our contributions to Canal Alliance. We think your work is so incredibly important to the community, and we are very worried about the future.” 

Margaret’s career has been one of service, advocacy, and a relentless commitment to those who need it most. She encourages others to take the time to learn about Canal Alliance and help support the community.