St. Francis Living Room Foundation
350 Golden Gate Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 592 2872 or (415)816 5230
DIRECTIONS
Mission Statement: Hope, Love, Peace for the Elderly Poor in the Tenderloin Neighborhood of San Francisco, CA.
According to the Office of the Mayor of San Francisco, there are about 20,000 homeless people, mostly concentrated in the Tenderloin or Mission Neighborhoods. There are approximately 3000 Elderly Poor underserved in the geographic area of St. Boniface Parish Neighborhood. Many come daily to sleep in the Church, where it is warmer and dryer than the streets.
St. Francis Living Room Foundation
350 Golden Gate Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 592 2872 or (415)816 5230
We, at the St. Francis Foundation Living Room, serve breakfast to about 90 Seniors, per day at no cost to the Seniors. The Elderly Poor, who are with walking distance of the St. Francis Foundation Living Room, usually live in homeless shelters at night, but have no place to stay indoors during the day. Some also live in Single Room Hotels and have few choices to socialize during the day with other people. We are open form 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. We provide a safe, structured Day Program for persons 60+ years old. Many Seniors walk to St. Anthony Foundation’s Dining Room for free lunch. The clients leave their possessions in our cabinets or carry all their worldly goods in bags or back packs.
Several Seniors come regularly because we are a faith-based group that shows respect for all persons. Our staff consists of one paid Program Coordinator and an average of 14 Volunteers per week. There is a friendly spirit of caring shown by the staff and volunteers. This spirit catches on and shows itself in the way clients look out for each other. The clients claim that their things are not stolen in the Living Room. When people feel safe they tend not to engage in random acts of violence. Because we treat each person with respect our clientele come regularly and we know their names. There is an 80% rate of stability for those clients that stay all day. The other 20% are often assisted in finding more stable livable conditions. This allows for new clients to take full advantage of our resources of assistance and advocac
We proactively assist and advocate for the elderly to obtain their basic needs of food, clothing and shelter. We recommend qualified Social Workers or Chaplains for individual needs. We provide activities such as Art, Music, Movies, Games, Discussion Groups and Craft Making. We proactively assist and advocate for the Elderly Poor to maintain a healthy life style and to socialize with others. Some former alcoholic and drug addicted Seniors will tell you they have used the Living room for rehabilitation or as a way to decrease their dependency on drugs. We do not allow individuals to use drugs, alcohol or to smoke in the Living Room.
We offer a faith-based atmosphere of non-violent conflict resolution. We teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ by word and example. We are inclusive of all faiths or lack of any faith in a Higher Being. We are respectful of all gender orientations. We offer hope, love and peace to all the clientele, without discrimination of ethnic origin, and based on individual needs and desires. We are a multicultural group and the clientele consist of 50% Afro American, 17 % Latino, 15% Caucasian, 8% Middle Eastern or Asian. 3% transgender and 7% Other. We have about 70% Males and 30% Females.
Some clients are veterans of Foreign Wars or have served time in prison. As they view their life’s choices in their senior years, they often tell their stories to the high school and college students, that come once or twice a week, from 10:00 to noon. Many students are impressed with their interactions with the elderly and often ask to return again for more survival tips and to pass on the stories of those who have lived in a different era.
We rely on grants and community fund raising projects, such as, theatrical productions, days of recollection and retreats.
We invite you to assist us to continue to provide a better community for the Elderly Poor in the Tenderloin Neighborhood of San Francisco. Please feel free to call or visit us.
St. Francis Living Room Foundation
350 Golden Gate Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 592 2872 or (415)816 5230
