The storefront at 826 Valencia looks like a pirate supply shop -- and it is. You can buy eye patches, mast cleaner, lard, and bottles labelled "Scurvy Begone." But the real purpose is behind the shop: a free drop-in writing and tutoring centre for young people, founded by author Dave Eggers in 2002.
The pirate theme started as a way to meet a zoning requirement for retail frontage and became a beloved San Francisco institution. Browse the shelves, buy something absurd, and know that the proceeds support one of the best literacy programmes in the city.