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For 15 years, Randal lived in institutional care. The thing is, he really didn’t need to. When Randal got to Maitri last year, we were surprised by how independent he was. He took exceptional care of his room at [...]

When Byron found out there was a chance he would go blind, he began to blindfold himself while he walked around his apartment. This way, he thought, he would know how to get around if he lost his sight. [...]

Written by David Valentine, Volunteer Coordinator A few weeks ago I was having a conversation with Larry in the living room about his favorite movies. He mentioned a musical from the ‘70s that I had never heard of. So, while [...]

When Lee first came to Maitri, he was so frail and thin that he could barely support his own weight, so he depended on a wheelchair. He was 40 lbs underweight and his blood sugar was over 500, the [...]

Every morning, Ray is the first and last person in the dining room for breakfast. As his appetite has thankfully grown, so has his friendship with one of our talented cooks, Alex. When Ray comes in for breakfast, he [...]

Are you sure you have the cutest lil cat or dog in the Castro District? The Maitri’s Mutts and Meows Charity Calendars are our way of reaching out to our community and helping everyone enjoy the companionship our community’s [...]

Ann, Maitri’s Food Services Director, was 21 when she moved to the Bay Area for school from Iowa. She cooked to get through school, then fell in love with it. In 1999, she started working for Maitri. She tells us [...]

Humans have a tendency to continue to move on after tragedy strikes without thinking too much about it. As the world opens up, Maitri’s therapist, Lonnie Ferguson, reminds us that we must not forget to reflect on the last [...]

After a year of isolation, we may never again take for granted the most basic elements that makes our lives full: being able to see, hold, and spend time with loved ones. The story of Josef, a resident at [...]

Dora has been at Maitri for several months and is struggling with her health and mobility. Last week, just before Dora's birthday, she let staff know she might not be up for a celebration. We took a chance that [...]

“Whenever we are together, we are home” That’s how Jamie describes his relationship to Harry. For 14 years, they have been inseparable. Even when Jamie came to Maitri to recover his health and regain his independence, Harry would visit [...]

After working a steady job and living in San Francisco with two cats, Alejandro became critically ill. For months, he endured fevers, loss of appetite and weight loss. “One day, my body just gave up and I couldn’t support myself [...]

Taking photographs was Brett’s passion and way to capture memories. Over 30 years, Brett’s sizable collection outgrew his apartment’s wall space. His art was so striking that it proved to be an extra source of income to help pay bills [...]

Meaningful conversations and laughter have been Jerome’s medicine in the face of many personal struggles associated with living with AIDS. Recently, something unexpected happened: after being diagnosed as legally blind, Jerome became deaf. “Not being able to fully see [...]

During this crisis, Maitri has responded to this call for help by adapting our services to ensure the health, safety, and care of our residents and those most in need. We know that the work we do in providing [...]

What drew you to Maitri? I was drawn to Maitri by the loving environment, the compassion of the people who work there, and the opportunity to get to know, love, and help the residents. Your connection to Maitri’s Mission? I’ve [...]

A Place for Affirmation Transgender people face enormous stress when they lack access to transition-related health care, with up to 40% attempting suicide. After decades of stress and waiting, dealing with the loss of her husband, and confronting the challenges [...]

Ken Ireland is a Zen Buddhist who worked alongside our founder, Issan Dorsey, to set up Maitri. Here, shared with his permission, are some of his thoughts shared with the community on the 20th anniversary of Issan’s death. Welcome! [...]

You can view our summer newsletter here.