On a late evening at San Francisco City Hall, Abby Cabrera, Associate Director of Research and Community Engagement with UCSF’s Center for Excellence in Primary Care (CEPC), helped secure a major win for public health and food equity advocates.
As co-chair of San Francisco’s Sugary Drinks Distributor Tax Advisory Committee (SDDTAC), Abby organized members and community allies to testify and send letters opposing a proposal to dissolve or merge the committee. After hours of waiting, their passionate testimony convinced the Task Force to vote unanimously to preserve the Soda Tax Committee and recommend that it remain in place as long as the tax is collected—removing its scheduled 2028 sunset.
Abby’s leadership protected a vital source of funding for programs that advance health equity across San Francisco and demonstrated the power of community-driven advocacy.