This long-running ministry has not just been about saving souls. It's been about teaching computer skills, performing memorial services for otherwise anonymous street people and, especially close to Hope's heart, operating a safe house to help women escape prostitution.

She will continue to work closely with that program, the San Francisco SafeHouse, after she retires. The other SFNM programs will go on through other nonprofits, but the umbrella organization will fold. Also continuing, of course, is the lovely multifamily housing complex her ministry built in the Tenderloin.

I was amazed to see 555 Ellis St. (and startled that it's even nicer than the building I live in). I recorded our interview in the complex's meditation garden, sitting on a bench next to a small fountain, surrounded by sage plants that attract hummingbirds.

It was clear from the very start of our interview that the Rev. Hope is not eager to retire. "I'm truly grieving," she said, at the thought of losing constant contact with so many people whose lives she, her staff and volunteers have touched. SFNM began as a simple coffee shop and grew into an institution.

Nothing about Hope feels institutional or bureaucratic, so it's easy to see how the organizational rigors might have lost their novelty. But she said this work has made her a better person by forcing her to open her heart, see the divinity in even the most diabolical people, and confront the many prejudices she brought with her to the Bay Area after growing up in the South.

Forget what you've heard about the Tenderloin: Most of the people there are good. Some are deeply troubled and, yes, far too many are strung out and mentally ill, but there aren't as many truly bad people as you might think. The work of SFNM seeks to highlight the goodness in Tenderloin residents so they can have a better chance at life.

On Wednesday Sept. 25 a gala will take place to honor Hope's continuing work and raise money for SafeHouse. It's a way of making sure that more good things happen in the Tenderloin, even after she moves on to her next challenge.

And speaking of challenges, hopefully someday someone will address that taxi problem. After my interview I finally gave up trying to hail one and headed over to City Hall instead.

There, Yellow Cab came in four minutes.

Listen to the interview:

Rev. Glenda HoperRev. Glenda Hoper

Rev. Glenda Hope Retires After Four Decades Serving the Tenderloin