Spiritual retreats usually take place in a peaceful, contemplative setting, but there's one program in San Francisco's Tenderloin District that does just the opposite-- it pluges participants into life on the noisy, dangerous and often unpredictable streets. The rules are simple: wander the streets alone and leave your cell phone behind. You are encouraged to eat in a soup kitchen, but can bring money along if you don't feel safe without it. The founders say the "street retreat" puts a face on poverty and homelessness. But can a one-day retreat in the Tenderloin have any real-world impact on the issues that people there face every day? KALW's Fawnee Evnochides (fah-KNEE ev-KNOCK-ih-deez) reports.

Spiritual retreats usually take place in a peaceful, contemplative setting, but there's one program in San Francisco's Tenderloin District that does just the opposite-- it pluges participants into life on the noisy, dangerous and often unpredictable streets. The rules are simple: wander the streets alone and leave your cell phone behind. You are encouraged to eat in a soup kitchen, but can bring money along if you don't feel safe without it. The founders say the "street retreat" puts a face on poverty and homelessness. But can a one-day retreat in the Tenderloin have any real-world impact on the issues that people there face every day? KALW's Fawnee Evnochides (fah-KNEE ev-KNOCK-ih-deez) reports.