People We Meet Archives - Mission Local

Could this S.F. garbage truck driver be named the nation’s best?

by Béatrice Vallières February 1, 2026, 4:00 amFebruary 2, 2026, 12:35 pm

A transit worker in uniform and blue gloves stands in front of a Muni light rail vehicle displaying "Ocean Beach" as its destination.

People We Meet: S.F. bus driver DeJohn Williams has ferried Joe Montana, Lars Ulrich and Da Mayor

by Clara-Sophia Daly January 25, 2026, 4:00 amJanuary 27, 2026, 12:42 pm

A man wearing glasses, a yellow shirt, and a black apron stands behind a counter in a commercial kitchen, with a cash register and electronic equipment nearby.

Tenderloin falafel maven Billy Alabsi may be San Francisco’s most interesting man

by Eleni Balakrishnan January 24, 2026, 4:00 am

Two men wearing black clothing and purple reflective vests stand on a city street in sunlight, with a painted wall and green pole behind them.

People We Meet: They clean up trash and look for people in trouble

by Béatrice Vallières January 18, 2026, 4:00 amJanuary 20, 2026, 11:12 pm

A person with curly hair stands in a bookstore, resting a hand on a display of books. Shelves filled with books and eclectic decor are visible in the background.

How Daniel Meléndez found community among the shelves of a Mission bookstore

by Alice Finno January 17, 2026, 4:00 amJanuary 20, 2026, 12:49 pm

An older woman wearing glasses and a headscarf holds a floral umbrella while walking outdoors on a rainy day.

Abuelitas de la Misión: María Alicia Catalán, a poet who’s lived in the Mission 55 years

by Oscar Palma January 11, 2026, 4:00 amJanuary 12, 2026, 10:49 am

A woman with glasses stands in sunlight holding a sketchpad with a courtroom drawing, featuring labeled figures such as "judge," "defense," and "prosecutor.

People We Meet: The art professor at S.F.’s immigration court

by Mariana Garcia January 9, 2026, 4:00 amJanuary 12, 2026, 2:21 pm

An older man standing on a stepladder adjusts a chandelier in a lighting store filled with lampshades and hanging light fixtures.

People We Meet: Yury Loves Liya

by Naomi Beth Marcus December 28, 2025, 4:00 am

A woman kneels beside a mannequin dressed in a white outfit decorated with paper parking tickets, in a room with guitars hanging on the wall.

Meet the musician taking on the SFMTA, with a dress made of parking tickets

by Anusha Subramanian December 27, 2025, 4:00 amDecember 27, 2025, 1:54 pm

Two women stand by a wall-mounted changing table holding potted flowers and a pink bucket. One woman wears a safety vest and the other is in dark clothing. Both are smiling.

People We Meet: The florists of the Ocean Beach bathroom

by Junyao Yang November 16, 2025, 4:00 amDecember 22, 2025, 3:25 pm

A woman stands next to a table with art supplies and fabric, with a framed anatomical skeleton model on the wall behind her.

People We Meet: Laurel Roth Hope delves into dump for trashy treasures

by Erin Marie Daly November 15, 2025, 4:00 amDecember 9, 2025, 11:56 am

A man gives a haircut to another man seated on a sidewalk, while several people gather nearby, some sitting and one in a wheelchair.

People We Meet: Desmond Cannady, the Tenderloin’s street barber

by Eleni Balakrishnan November 8, 2025, 4:00 amNovember 11, 2025, 10:48 am

A man with glasses and a gray "Downtown Top-Ranking" shirt stands in a record store with colorful vinyl albums displayed on shelves behind him.

People We Meet: Bullet LaVolta member is now a vinyl expert

by Julie Zigoris October 25, 2025, 11:03 amOctober 28, 2025, 10:29 am

A man in a black coat and top hat holds a lit lantern on a city street at dusk, with tall buildings and a car in the background.

An S.F. ghost tour with history and haunts

by Charles Lewis III October 23, 2025, 9:06 amOctober 23, 2025, 12:37 pm

A man in a cap and plaid shirt gestures with his hand while talking to another person outside a modern office building.

People We Meet: Ted Barrow says S.F. is a skateboarder’s Athens

by Nicholas David August 31, 2025, 7:00 amSeptember 23, 2025, 1:46 pm