SAINT FRANCIS SENIOR LIVING ROOM
In fellowship with The Saint Anthony Foundation and The Secular Franciscans of San Francisco
Mission Statement: Hope,
Love, Peace for the Elderly Poor in the Tenderloin Neighborhood of San
Francisco, CA.
St. Francis Living Room Foundation
350
Golden Gate Avenue
San
Francisco, CA 94102
(415)
592 2872 or (415) 621 3279
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.
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 advocacy.
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
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) 621 3279