This year, on Giving Tuesday, we were honored to share the story of how a dear SFV member, Carrie G., discovered the joy and relief of finding a community of reliable people who care for her at San Francisco Village.
Carrie, an independent 94-year-old living alone in a third-floor walk-up, joined SFV this year after coming home from the hospital with a broken foot. Lugging grocery bags up three flights of stairs was out of the question. Reluctant to ask for help because of so many broken promises, she took a chance that SFV would actually deliver.
Since then, Stephen and Rome, volunteers in their 20’s, have become an integral part of Carrie’s life. She and Stephen go grocery shopping together. He carries the bags upstairs and she marvels at kindness she can depend on.
When Carrie requested help with “all the things falling apart” in her apartment, Rome stepped in. First, he fixed her sewing machine, a lifeline for Carrie. She’s been sewing since she was four years old and supported herself financially as a seamstress for decades. “I felt lost without my sewing machine. You’ve given me a piece of my life back,” she told Rome.
Carrie says she doesn’t want to imagine her life without San Francisco Village. The best part, she says, is the compassion and care that have been extended to her. After a lifetime of struggle, loss, and caring for others, she is discovering the joy of letting people care for her. “The kindness I receive from staff and volunteers at SFV reminds me that I still matter.”
Watch Carrie and Rome’s inspiring story in this video.
Carrie is one of 585 older adult members whose faith is restored by the generosity of people like Rome, Stephen and you. Your tax-deductible contribution enables us to make these life-affirming connections across generations, that change people’s lives for the better.
| Donate to SFV today! |
Sara joined the team in 2018. She brings with her 20 years of experience in community development, philanthropy, and organizational management. She completed her bachelors at George Washington University and her masters at UC Berkeley. Her career focus has been on evaluating how community groups run from year-to-year and strengthening daily processes to increase institutional success. Sara loves travel and global development issues, particularly a non-profit she founded 10 years ago focusing on students’ access to school in Cambodia. Sara is raising her family here in San Francisco.
Maya is a public relations and communications professional with more than a decade of experience; her expertise includes consumer products and technology PR, as well as event management and content development. She has been a pro-bono consultant with the Taproot Foundation since 2012, and has participated in three service grants to date. Maya attended the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and graduated with a BA in mass communications and a minor in political science.