For the SFPUC, the custodial team is a critical part of the SFPUC family. These colleagues have been part of the SFPUC’s employees’ careers, milestones and lives over the years. The custodial team may not necessarily sit at a cubical or work in the field, but they are essential in keeping the SFPUC’s employees safe and healthy.

Meet some of these unsung heroes that are dedicated to keeping the SFPUC’s headquarters at 525 Golden Gate Avenue safe every single day.

Leticia Ramos was born in Honduras, but raised in El Salvador and considers herself Salvadorian. She came to America when she was 22 years old. Ramos would one day like to travel to Italy and purchase a piece of land to build a church from the ground up.

Phan (Frank) San came to the United States in 2002 from Vietnam. San said he enjoys traveling and the outdoors and that he would like to visit Iowa, Yellowstone or Utah one day. His hope is to travel anywhere in the world.

At the age of 30, Flor Palacios came to the United States from El Salvador, where she previously worked as a secretary in an “Almacen.” She one day hopes to travel to the Dominican Republic.

Night shift custodians are often overlooked, yet they make significant impacts on the SFPUC’s day-to-day business. After each long work day, employees come back to a clean office the next morning. This does not happen magically.

Originally from El Salvador, ​Natalia Gongora is motivated by her family, especially her daughter. Even though the custodial staff cleans the common spaces, she encourages SFPUC colleagues to still help sort and throw their trash away as it is a team effort to take care of the environment.

Tekij Marmol is also from El Salvador and to the United States when he was 14 years old. He would one day like to visit his sister in Costa Rica. He shared about his dream to one day buy a home in San Francisco.

​Raymond Chau (not pictured) is originally form Hong Kong and came to the United States in 1992. One day, Chau would like to travel the world and buy a home.

​Originally from the Philippines, Ricardo Shibuyan (not pictured)​​ is motivated by doing good work in his work place and in the community. Like many of the custodial team, Shibuyan would one day like to purchase a home and settle down.

Part of the night time crew, Anne Wu originally came to the United States in May 1985 from China, where she used to be a farmer. One of Wu’s dreams is to travel all around the country to see the many sites and monuments in the United States as she has never been outside California. She hopes to one day like to buy a home in the City and donate to charity.

Also a part of the night time crew, Juan Rios had previously studied “academia comercial” to become a secretary. Born in Leon Guanajuato but raised in Ciudad Juarez/Chihuahua, he came to the United States when he was 17 years old.

​Xiao Feng Chen (Jennifer) came from China to the United States in 2000. Chen says her family and children are the most important things to her.

Connie Chen (not pictured), originally from Guangdong, China, immigrated to the United States in 1997. She dreams to one day return to China and visit her family. Chen advises that one way SFPUC employees can help themselves and their colleagues safe is to not leave food in their work spaces. She said it could attract unwanted visitors to the office: fruit flies.