Fall 2015 Newsletter - Curry Senior Center

N e w s
a b o u t
S e n i o r s
i n
t h e
C e n t ra l
C i t y
Senior
Independence
Newsletter No. 3 | Fall 2015
333 Turk Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 | curryseniorcenter.org | 415-292-1040
Affordable Housing for Seniors is Painfully Scarce
So the Best Option is Keeping Them in Place
Your support for Curry helps maintain partnerships and case managers who employ
scant resources to avoid having another senior thrown out onto the street.
By Tod Thorpe
as a gardener in Sausalito where he
also found his first home on the West
coast — a one-bedroom apartment
for $90 per month.
Have you heard about the $3-a-day diet?
Now imagine living on $3-a-day for all
your expenses beyond what you pay
in rent/mortgage and to keep the
lights on. Your food, entertainment,
clothing, transportation, medications,
hygiene items and everything else for
$3-a-day?!
William “Tom” Creveling, 77, has
been subsisting on a daily budget
of less than $3 per day for more
than the last decade — frozen in
isolation and stress and terrified
of being evicted onto the streets.
With homeless shelters beyond
capacity and access to affordable
housing at a complete standstill for
months with waitlists often over
5 years long these days, he felt
completely hopeless.
And I felt completely insensitive and
ignorant when I was planning to take
his photo for this article and asked
him if he had a favorite coffee shop
near his SRO apartment where we
could meet… minimum $2 for a cup
of coffee?… of course he didn’t have
Soon Tom discovered and
mastered the very specific craft
of painting Victorian homes and
found it tangibly rewarding to see
the transformation of a chipped
and scrappy-looking relic into
a beautiful, painted lady. His
business thrived well into his 60s
until the compressing economy
squashed his livelihood.
Tom had been subsisting on less than $3/day for years until
receiving a rental subsidy via a Curry strategic partnership
one! Fortunately he was very goodnatured about my foible.
Tom is a US Army Veteran and just
after his service, his girlfriend in New
York, coaxed him to trek across the
country to San Francisco in a VW
bug just in time for the Summer of
Love. Once here, he discovered
that he greatly enjoyed the sense of
accomplishment he got from working
with his hands so his first job was
This lead Tom to his new SRO
apartment — a one-room space with
a bathroom but no kitchen costing
$850/month these days with his social
security topping out at $941. And he
had to store most of his antiques and
collectibles in a storage unit across
the street from Curry. This was quite
fortunate because he supplemented
his income by selling off his treasures
one by one but more importantly —
because it allowed him to discover
the Clinic at Curry and our beloved
Medical Director, Dr. Zercher.
(Continues on page 2)
Affordable Housing for Seniors
(Continued from front cover)
He credits Curry and Dr. Z with saving his life, just after suffering a stroke
and has witnessed his dedicated doctor for the last decade devoting his
life to public service. He added, “If only we had more “Dr. Zs” and fewer
“Trumps”, the world would be a much better place!”
Curry built a bridge to a new partnership with the very generous Q
Foundation which once focused all its resources on housing for those
living with HIV/AIDS but has recently been able to expand additional rent
subsidies to a limited number of seniors who are stuck paying more than
80% of their monthly income on rent. The subsidy compared to what it
would cost to provide housing and services for a homeless senior represents
a huge financial savings before even taking into account the quality of life
impact on the senior. Case Manager, Hilary Hann immediately seized the
opportunity to rescue Tom. She lamented, “The lack of housing situation
has left case-managers feeling completely depleted so having this
opportunity to improve the quality of someone’s life so extensively is
especially nice. And he’s such an easy guy to want to help!”
Because of what you do to support Curry partnerships and innovation
and Hilary’s efforts, Tom has per month now what seems relatively like
a fortune to live on — about what it costs for just one person to have
dinner and wine at the French Laundry. That’s perspective! The fear and
depression had virtually locked him away from life but now he has enough to
buy fresh foods and vegetables so he can explore nutritious recipes through
Curry’s Healthy Living Class. Although he was never too proud, he preferred
to survive on Top Ramen and what he could scrape together because for him,
he equated free meals lines with giving up even though he knew many others
have no choice and less than him. I could hear the smile in his voice when
he admitted, “I splurged $7 on takeout Chinese food the other day which
I still can’t really do but it was unimaginably delicious.”
He’s now excited to get down to the Curry Computer Center to learn more
about technology so he can continue his blog and start to write his book —
a concept that forever eluded him in a cloud of despair.
I asked Tom what he would say to all of you who support Curry and he
said with a little worry and audible gratitude in his voice, “The economic
divide is expanding and becoming entrenched and the middle class
is hurting more and more. But when people like you can give even
$50 per month to this organization that has completely turned my life
around, I think we can make it. Thank you for giving back my hope and
freedom to live.”
IN LOVING MEMORY OF JACKIE SAX
A very special woman was honored at
the gala last May by the Pacific Union
Community Fund — Jackie Sax, who
sadly passed away just weeks ago.
Here she stands with Giants Baseball
Hall-of-Famer, Orlando Cepeda and
her dear husband, Board Emeritus
member, Richard Sax.
Current Gala Chair and board member, Shirley Quitugua had this to say —
“I have never known anyone like Jackie. I enjoyed working with her on Curry
events, especially when she was the Gala Chair. She had sophistication and
class but it was her beautiful heart that touched me. She was a good friend
and I will always remember her and miss her deeply.”
2 — Curry Senior Center
Fall 2015
Curry Senior Center
Board of Directors
Jeffrey Alan Beane, MD
President
Jonrie Dávila
Vice-President
Zachary Schiller
Treasurer
Robert Razzo
Secretary
J. David Bickham
Beverly Brumfield
Cynthia K. Ceres
Walter DeVaughn
Diane Dwyer
Ime Ekanem
John McKinnon
Shirley Quitugua
Richard Sullivan
Lyn Tillery
Amy Whalen
Alice Zhang
Leadership Staff
David Knego
Executive Director
Richard Zercher, MD
Medical Director
Rachel Ainza
Principal Clerk
Dawn Stevens
Nurse Manager
Arlo Bushnell
Associate Director
of Development
Toby Shorts
Community Programs Supervisor
Michael McGinley
Case Management Supervisor
Claudia Pinto-Mora
Medical Records
Margot Ragosta
Behavioral Health Clinician
Susmita Shah
Behavioral Health
Services Director
Tod Thorpe
Director of Development
415-292-1040
This Young, Bright-eyed College Intern Likely Left Her
Fingerprint on the Last Mail You Received from Curry
Read how her internet search for understanding could not compare
to hands-on experience at this oasis you create for Curry seniors
By Bella Lee
illuminating; so I contented myself
to wait and see what I was getting
myself into.
It all started with a Google search.
As it turns out, the textbook
definitions were nowhere near
enough to encompass what I have
found these words to mean. During
my time here at Curry Senior Center,
I have sat in meetings, stamped
envelopes, entered data, served
food, written blurbs—just to name
a few items that have been VIP
members of my to-do list — but
most importantly, I have made
connections with people. And
that is what I think words like
development, nonprofit, and
fundraising are meant to be about.
Having recently relocated to the Bay
Area and possessing a seemingly
infinite amount of days before
the start of the new school year, I
decided that the best way to get
to know San Francisco was to find
something to do here.
After sending out a flurry of emails,
I got into contact with Curry
Senior Center. To be honest, I
didn’t exactly know what I was
getting into. My position was
described to me using words like
“development,” “non-profit,” and
“fundraising.” At the time, these
words held a different connotation
for me than they probably did
for people who worked in the
field. I connected “fundraising” to
crowdfunding websites and Girl
Scout cookies, and “nonprofit” with
international volunteerism. And the
word “development” evoked images
of children growing up, which even I
knew was definitely wrong.
A web search helped to connect me
with Curry, so I figured I could not go
wrong with another web search to
figure out just what I would be doing
when I started my internship.
Summer intern Bella was able to do behind the scenes
development work faster than lightning and also directly
served seniors in the dining room
My work as an intern began when
I was introduced to almost every
person who worked at 315 Turk
Street; my first assignment started
not with a bang, not with a whimper,
but with the click-clack of the keys
on a keyboard. I was given a stack of
paper about five inches thick set out
to enter the contact information of
volunteers who had offered their time
up in the dining room.
Development. Noun. The act or
process of developing.
Fundraising. Noun. The act or process
of raising funds, as for nonprofit
organizations or for a political cause.
Nonprofit. Noun. A nonprofit
organization, institution, corporation,
or other entity.
My second assignment turned out to
be a bit of a sticky situation… literally.
That day, I stuck stamps and address
labels on what seemed like hundreds
of invitations for the 2015 Bocce
Ball Competition. Some of these
invitations were addressed to those
whose information I had just entered
the previous day into our database:
they were volunteers who had given
their time to Curry Senior Center.
Out of all these definitions, maybe
only “fundraising” was the least bit
A couple weeks and more projects
than I can count later, I was sent up
to volunteer in the dining room, as
the staff there needed a helping
hand that day. There is where it all
came full circle for me, when I was
serving meals. I realized then that
what we were developing was the
Curry community; all of that work
Intern Bella was integral to the team. Here with Development Associate, Michelle Noble, who volunteered as a way to transition from
corporate to non-profit work
curryseniorcenter.org
(Continues on page 11)
Curry Senior Center — 3
You Support Innovation for New Programming
that Employs Empathetic Senior Peers
The peers lead by new Program Manager, Daniel Hill, call upon their own life
stories and experiences to reach the self-isolating seniors in the Tenderloin
By Daniel Hill
“I call her every day, but every day
she has an excuse to not come out.
So we talk on the phone for a while,
talk about the family she never sees,
about the money she doesn’t have.
I tell her I will try again tomorrow.
Maybe go to Walgreens, maybe bring
her up here to Curry for lunch.”
— Barbara Coleman
Loneliness, fear, depression, anxiety,
access and safety are a few barriers
to socialization many seniors are
facing while living in the Tenderloin.
How we, as individuals, an agency,
a community, extend support,
kindness, and engagement to these
individuals is the aim of Curry’s new
Peer Outreach Program.
In the morning I arrive to work and
step lightly along the sidewalk, along
the line of seniors waiting to come in
for breakfast, imagining their ritual of
getting up, getting out, getting here
to eat. In the afternoon I often wander
along Ellis and Eddy and stare down
the facades of SRO’s and wonder about
those seniors who do not get out, who
watch Judge Judy day in and day out,
who can’t get out for a medical visit,
an appointment with a social worker,
or even for breakfast. I ask myself over
and again, how do we get in?
“I felt I made a real difference when
my client, who after spending many
months in a rehabilitation center,
told me I was the only one he could
connect with and the only one who
could get him out” — Anil Sukhram
Peer to peer support is a new and
innovative approach to increase
social connectedness, strengthen
support for recovery and wellness,
while increasing access and use
of mental health services in the
community. Empathetic in that
the peers call upon their own life
stories and experiences to reach the
isolating seniors, knowledgeable in
their history of navigating service
4 — Curry Senior Center
Fall 2015
Peer Outreach Program staff poses with the showcase board used to present to the state-level funders and peers. Front row left to right
— Anil Sukhram, Barbara Coleman, Paul Segal: Back row — DeMarco Kutz, Program Manager Daniel Hill and Frank DeBerry
programs in the community, skillful in
familiarity of culture and suffering in
these streets they call home.
“I told him we could get him a phone.
He said he had no one to call. I said,
hey, you can call me. He smiled.”
—DeMarco Kutz
Our Peer Outreach Program has
two tiers; the first being outreach to
isolated seniors in the Tenderloin,
the second is employing and being
supportive to the peers providing
these outreach services in continuing
their own recovery and wellness. The
thread running between these two
tiers is about relationship, friendship,
cultivating and developing trust to
connect those in need to vital services
that they will not suffer alone.
“I felt deeply appreciated when my
client, who I connected with mental
health services, said he had been
needing to do that for a long time
and now, thanks to me, he was finally
doing it.” — Paul Segal
As I creep into my mid-fifties I
mindfully watch my own aging
process, at times subtle, at times
alarming. In supervising the Peers,
in supporting them along the
way, we as a team recognize we
are Peers to one another. We talk
about our own challenges, the
changes, the sudden disparities
we experience as we age. We
carry this insight into the work
we do. We understand. We
empathize. We learn. We are
patient. In so doing we recognize
what we need to promote in
our own wellness, recovery, and
professional development. Trainings
on nutrition, exercise, mental health
are scheduled as requested by
the peers themselves, while more
trainings will be arranged as we
learn what we need to develop,
cultivate and integrate into the
work we do and the lives we live.
Curry’s Peer Outreach Program
Manager, Daniel Hill is also a
humble, yet acclaimed author
— D. Clifford Hill. His moving
first book “Tender” is a poetic,
brutally self-honest and colorfully
descriptive noir memoir of living
through PTSD after a workplace
shooting in the Tenderloin.
Check it out on Amazon.com!
The Helping Hands, Healing Hearts Gala in May
Broke an All-Time Record $170,000 While Paying Homage
to a San Francisco Icon with a New Annual Award
In memorial to the lifetime work as an icon of determined advocacy for the underprivileged and
Curry Executive Director from 1983–1996, the Vera Haile Dalenberg Award was inaugurated and will
be given annually to a woman or group of women who fight for those who need a hand up.
Curry PALS leader Elliot Moore, Co-Founder for the Build
Creative which produced the gala video, “With a Little Help” (see
our home page) poses with one of the stars, Curry senior Diane Evans
Maynard Jenkins, an executive with the presenting sponsor,
CPMC Sutter Health, poses during the reception with life
partner and major Curry supporter, Javier Dávila
Asya Kripalani, the winner of the Orlando Cepeda signed
jersey, here with Event Producer and CEO of Voilà Events,
John McKinnon and the Giants Hall-of-Famer himself
Marie Jobling (left) received the first-ever Vera Haile
Dalenberg Award after the room heard about the namesake’s
lifetime contributions and Marie’s accomplishments from
former ED Gay Kaplan (right)
ED David Knego poses with Kevin Causey, ED of St. Francis
Foundation, which along with St. Francis Memorial Hospital
and Abby Yant, received the Dr. Francis J. Curry Award for
their work with the Tenderloin Health Improvement Project.
Aisha Ahmad, Founding President of the Curry PALS
professionals group received the Joseph Mignola, Jr. Award.
For more info about PALS or to join, go to our website under
“Who We Are” or visit them on facebook.com/CurryPALS
Annual sponsor, Joyce Tinsley, honored the Cancer Angels of
Bellville, Texas who knit, sew and create other handicrafts that
benefit the American Cancer Society. Here is their most senior
member, Verda Bell Westerman who turns 96 in November!
Bay Area news personality and board member, Diane Dwyer, works the room as the premier emcee and unrivaled auctioneer
curryseniorcenter.org
Curry Senior Center — 5
Thank You to Our Sponsors
Justice
Independence
Dignity
Hope
Health
Jeffrey Beane, MD and David Wingate • Stephanie and J. David Bickham • Hope and William Curry • Jonrie and Angel Dávila
Diane Dwyer and Tim Sharp • Latham & Watkins LLP • Joe Khoei — SalesX, Inc. • Rae H. Mignola • Redwood Trust • Helen B. Ripple
Home
The Jobling-Fazio Family • John Wiley Publishers • Polytech Associates, Inc. • RGEB Employee Benefits
Katie and Bob Sharp Sarah and Zack Schiller • Kay and David Werdegar, MD • Diane B. Wilsey
Family
Californians Allied for Patient Protection • Catherine Chodorow and Richard Zercher • City National Bank
Kirsten and Daniel M. Guill • Elizabeth Kantor • Gay and Harvey Kaplan • Get Volunteering • Sally Hatchett • InFlowTech, Inc.
Margaret J. Miller, MD • Michelle and Gary Noble • Northern California Presbyterian Homes and Services
Alisa Oberschelp • Shirley Quitugua • Rainbow Grocery Cooperative • Lara Sallee and Shadow Moyer • Joyce Tinsley
Paula and Ed Tinsley — TME, Inc. • Amy Whalen • Alice Zhang & Calvin Wong
In honor of the inauguration of the Vera Haile Dalenberg Award, sponsors were able to recognize the
women below within their network or family who fight for those who need benevolence in their communities.
SPONSOR
Alice Zhang & Calvin Wong
Amy Whalen
Bank of Guam
Californians Allied
for Patient Protection
City National Bank
Diane Dwyer
Dolby Laboratories
Elizabeth Kantor, MD
Gay & Harvey Kaplan
Get Volunteering
Helen B. Ripple
Jeffrey Beane, MD
& David Wingate
Joe Khoei — SalesX, Inc
Joyce Tinsley
Kaiser Permanente
Katie & Bob Sharp
Lara Sallee & Shadow Moyer
Michelle & Gary Noble
6 — Curry Senior Center
HONOREE
Xia Zhang
Beverly Brumfield
Lou Leon Guerrero
Kathy Kneer
Maureen Sedonaen
Dorothy Blake Dwyer
Midge Wilson and the Bay Area
Women's and Children's Center
Katie Sharp
Anne Hinton, Annie Cheung,
Helen Ripple and Sandy Mori
Erin Petra
Sandy Mori
Diane Sklar, MD
Michelle Rogers
The Cancer Angels of Bellville, Texas
Piper Cafferata
Gay Kaplan, Karen Hagen,
Elizabeth Kantor and Lynne Holleuffer
Susan Poff, P.A. in memoriam
Joan Williams
Fall 2015
SPONSOR
Norther California Presbyterian
Homes and Services
Pacific Union Community Fund
Paula & Ed Tinsley — TME, Inc.
Polytech and Associates
Rae H. Mignola
Rainbow Grocery Cooperative
HONOREE
RGEB — Really Great
Employee Benefits
Jane Stanton
Richard Zercher, MD
Sally Hatchett
San Francisco Giants
Sarah & Zack Schiller
Shirley Quitugua
Stepanie & J. David Bickham
The Jobling-Fazio Family
The Redwood Trust
Employee Foundation
Twitter, Inc.
Voilà Events, Inc.
Yammer
Zendesk
Catherine Chodorow
Julie Tsan
Sue Petersen
Betsy Schiller
Helen B. Ripple
Susan A. Johnson
Ana Aureoles
Akiyo Kinst-Hori
Jackie Sax
Louise Tinsley, in memoriam
Mehrnoush Arsanjani
Aisha Ahmad
Mary Murtagh
Barbara Wenger
All our women volunteers
Julia Morgan, in memoriam
District 6 Supervisor, Jane Kim
Marilyn Chan
Thank You to Our Live and Silent Auction Donors
5 and 10 Ace Hardware
Failla Wines
A.C.T. American
Conservatory Theater
Fairmont Hotel
Agharta Wines
Frog Hollow Farm
AMC Theatres
Amicis East Coast Pizza
Amphora Nueva
Arizmendi Bakery
Asian Art Museum
Atlantis Casino and Resort
Bank of Guam
Bay Area Discovery Museum
Bay Home and Linens
Berkeley Symphony
Bi-Rite Market
Books, Inc., Laurel Village
Barry Booth
Buca di Beppo
Café Della Stella
Café Rigolo
Calafia Cafe
California Academy of Sciences
Carmichael Salon
Chabot Space & Science Center
Chambers
Chantal Guillon
Chop Bar
Cliff House
Clift Hotel
Club Donatello
Cole Hardware
Credo
Disneyland
Dunstan Wines
Diane Dwyer
Ella’s Restaurant
Eric Kent Wine Cellars
Joshua Ets-Hokin
Exploratorium
Ed Fisch
Gallery of Jewels
Gaucho Gypsy Jazz
Goat Hill Pizza
Golden State Warriors
Greens Restaurant
Hafner Vineyard
Hilton Anaheim
Hilton Hawaiian Village
Waikiki Beach Resort
Hilton San Francisco Union Square
Hotel Adagio
iFly SF Bay Indoor Skydiving
Jewish Community Center
JW Marriott Hotel, Union Square
Kabuki Hot Springs & Spa
Kate @ Orange
Kosta Browne Winery
La Mediterranee (Noe)
Lagunitas Brewing Company
Lakeside Inn and Casino
Le Belge Chocolatier
Lovejoy’s Tea Room
Mark Maberley, DDS
Ron Merk
Rae H. Mignola
Mike Duffy
Mitchell’s Ice Cream
MoMo’s
Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous
New Century Chamber Orchestra
Oakland East Bay Symphony
Oakland Raiders
Olive This Olive That
Pacific Spine &
Joint Medical Group
Palio D’Asti
Panera Bread
Paradiso Restaurant
Lisa Pena
Philz Coffee (SOMA)
Pier 39
Presidio Bowling Center
Presidio Golf Course
Pucci Foods
Shirley Quitugua
Quivira Vineyards and Winery
Ravenswood Winery
Rock Wall Wine Company
San Francisco Bay Adventures
San Francisco Ballet
San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Symphony
Smuin Ballet
St. George Spirits
Stanford Athletics
Studio Grow
Pat Swan
The 8Count
The Inn Above Tide
The InterContinental
Mark Hopkins
The InterContinental
San Francisco
The Kleid Group
The Spinnaker
The Wine Drinkers Club —
Ryan Crosbie
Therapy Stores
Three Sticks Wines
Sam Vitkoski
Ira Watkins
West of Pecos
Wind Gap
Wine Impression
curryseniorcenter.org
Curry Senior Center — 7
Social Programs That Draw Seniors
Out of Their Isolation Are Given a Big
Boost from a New, Good Neighbor
Dolby Laboratories gave a sizable grant to Curry’s Community Programs events which
means that more seniors are served and their social experience is enriched.
By Tod Thorpe
In addition to celebrating with a feast
of tropical fruit-topped pancakes
and fried Spam, Dolby furnished a
real, live hula dancer to entertain and
involve the seniors with a little island
exercise. They also learned about the
history of hula and how to say several
words in the native island tongue.
Have you ever heard this great
quote? “Man cannot discover new
oceans unless he has the courage to
lose sight of the shore.”
—André Paul Guillaume Gide
At Curry await many fun experiences
and new friends that once explored,
give seniors a big boost in health
and joie de vivre — extending their
lives and vitality exponentially while
giving the staff a chance to identify
additional challenges that can be
case-managed. Sometimes the
seniors’ decision to lose “sight of
the shore” of their own apartment,
even if it’s only across the street is
heavily weighted by whether the
destination is worth the anxiety of
Thanks to Dolby, the annual Summer Luau featured a real
hula dancer that got Curry seniors dancing to an island beat
During the inaugural celebration of Dolby’s partnership, seniors
posed with thank you signs in their various languages
trekking through their own Tenderloin
neighborhood to get here.
The staff created from scratch special
island-themed bingo cards with
great prizes like Dolby t-shirts, water
bottles and free passes to the new
Tenderloin Museum and attendees
received leis and gift bags as well.
Mahalo nui loa Dolby! (Thank you
very much)
The dedicated Curry staff and
volunteers do wonders on limited
resources but in the past they’ve had
to serve hotdogs and potato chips at
the summer luau and watch YouTube
videos of hula dancers, which as
entertaining as that can be, may
not succeed at creating exactly an
imagination destination.
This year the annual luau was very
well-attended and even more,
created a great deal of buzz amongst
the seniors that things have gotten
exciting and special now that Dolby
has become a key partner. That
means attendance will continue to
grow and more lives will be touched
by Curry’s wrap-around services.
Foreground to back, Dolby’s Zoe Fisher, Simon Price and Greg
McBride prepare an island favorite, fried Spam and pancakes
for the seniors’ luau celebration
Did You Know?
Curry is a premier corporate volunteer site. Zendesk incorporates volunteer service here as part of their new-hire orientation
program… Art project creating suspension bridges!
8 — Curry Senior Center
Fall 2015
Community Programs staff
member, Humberto Piñon is now
teaching Tai Chi to the seniors
twice per week for balance and fall
prevention. It’s a great opportunity
for the seniors to develop strength
of body, but also to interact with
the staff in a relaxed environment!
The Annual Donor & Volunteer Heroes Celebration Honored 13
Outstanding Supporters with Awards and Commendations from Nancy Pelosi
Hosted by Twitter — Great Food, Drinks and Outstanding Views Entertained
170 Enthusiastic Supporters Tweeting Excitedly from Inside Twitter!
Here are the honorees for 2015:
Supervisor Jane Kim
As San Francisco Supervisor of District
6, Jane has been an outstanding
advocate for those in her area that
need the most support while working
to create housing and business growth
benefitting the City as a whole. She
also lends her summer interns to Curry
every year. Now she is running for State
Senator in 2016! Visit: janekim.org
Elliot Moore, Jack Birmingham,
Mike Epple, Sharif Nakhleh:
The Build Creative
The Build Creative produced a
39-second video that was shown at ATT
Park and at the gala in May. Check out
their video, “With a Little Help” on the
Curry home page and hope to recruit
them for your next promotional video.
Visit: thebuildcreative.com
Joan Scott: Dolby Laboratories
Joan Scott is head of community
relations at our newest neighbor —
Dolby Laboratories. She and Dolby
very generously gave a huge grant to
our Community Programs and they
send volunteers to participate in the
various social and cultural programs.
Award recipient Joan Scott of newest major partner/neighbor
Dolby Laboratories enjoys visiting with Diane Evans’
daughter, Carmen
John McKinnon: Voilà Events, Inc.
John is founder and president of the
best event producing group in the
City — Voila Events, Inc. which usually
focuses on large corporate events
and conferences. He donated all of
his time and his team to produce
the gala in May which was most
successful in Curry history.
Visit: voilaeventsinc.com
Javier Davila & Maynard Jenkins
Maynard Jenkins is VP of Human
Resources at Sutter Health (CPMC) Bay
Randy Wong generously donated his services and captured this group shot of all the award recipients. Visit: rwpcommercial.net
Area, which has been the presenting
sponsor of the annual gala for the last
three years! But beyond that, he and
his kind and generous partner, Javier
Dávila have together been among our
very most generous contributors.
Michael Caracciolo: Curry PALS
(Professionals & Advocates
Leadership Society)
Michael is one of the founding leaders
of the Curry PALS and has been the
right-hand chief next to Founding
President, Aisha Ahmad. He also starred
in the video, “With a Little Help” and
continues to help lead the drive for the
expansion and development of this
group critical to Curry’s future.
Visit: facebook.com/CurryPALS
Yoko Takahashi
Yoko was referred to us by Board
Development Committee Chair. Yoko
lives in Edith Witt Housing and for
the last year has been volunteering
with the women’s group teaching
therapeutic arts and crafts.
Board President Jeff Beane, MD (back left) with a festive
gang! Front row: Toby Shorts, Rory Volk, Michael DeMatty.
Back row next to Jeff: John Collaros, Humberto Piñon, Board
Member John McKinnon, Ashley Bingham, Michelle Murphy
and Edwin Carmona-Cruz
Pattie Pritchett
Pattie helps keep everything together
at the law firm of board member
Dave Bickham, partner at Reed Smith.
She volunteers in the dining room,
at special events and generates
valuable in-kind donations as well.
Arizona Henderson
You can’t miss Arizona in the Curry
dining room as a leadership volunteer
and most people would say it’s because
of his height but we hear from other
volunteers it’s his smile and enthusiasm.
He volunteers virtually every day!
Erin Petra
Erin has been a vital resource to Curry
through her leadership on Curry PALS
as well as driving more volunteers to
Curry than any other individual.
Curry resident and client spokeswoman, Diane Evans, wanted to
personally hand out the awards in appreciation of each honoree.
Here with longtime Curry donor/champion Helen B. Ripple
Garrett Swing
Garrett also starred in the video,
“With a Little Help”, and is constantly
at the center willing to volunteer for
anything and everything. There isn’t
likely a single piece of mail that goes
to all of you that he has not touched.
Helen B. Ripple
Helen Ripple has been among the
very most generous and long-term
donors at Curry and also served on
the board. She rarely misses an event.
She inspired VP at Bank of Guam,
Shirley Quitugua, Gala Chair and
board member to get involved too!
Rae Mignola & Family
Rae’s husband was one of the
founders of Curry and he is also
the namesake for one of the annual
awards given at the gala. She is the
one who founded the annual Bocce
Ball Friendly Competition and Social
fundraiser and her daughter Lisa Pena
and their family are right there with her.
curryseniorcenter.org
Curry Senior Center — 9
Be the Difference: How You Can Help Now
It’s easy to make a buck. It’s a lot tougher to make a difference. — Tom Brokaw
S P E C I A L H O L I D AY V O L U N T E E R O P P O R T U N I T I E S AT C U R R Y
Winter Holiday Office Gift Drives
Please hold a collection drive in
your office for $10 Walgreens cards!
This is the seniors’ very favorite gift
because they can use the card for
food, medicine, hygiene supplies and
one is always near just about every
corner for convenience. Hold an
interdepartemental competition!
deliver them to Curry. Most items can
even be bought online!
Contact Arlo Bushnell at
415-292-1064 or email
abushnell@curryseniorcenter.org
For questions about these additional
on-going ways to participate: Call Arlo
Bushnell at 415-292-1064 or email to
abushnell@curryseniorcenter.org
Be a Santa to a Senior (BASTAS) —
Walgreens Elves
This is one of the most highly sought
and definitely greatest needs! Thanks
to a generous partnership with Home
Instead Senior Care and Walgreens,
many San Francisco Walgreens stores
will participate in promoting “trees”
filled with wish-list holiday gift requests
for Curry seniors, many of which are
homeless. You can help by working
with our Queen Elf, Michelle Noble, to
put up the displays at the Walgreens
and by picking up gifts and delivering
them to Curry Senior Center.
This program begins just before
Thanksgiving and ends just after
Christmas Day.
Contact Michelle Noble at
415-292-1095 or email
mnoble@curryseniorcenter.org
Curry’s Own Adopt-a-Senior for
the Holidays Program
Approximately one hundred seventyfive of the very neediest program
participants at Curry are chosen
by the case managers to fill out a
special, personal gift request with
an approximate $50 value each.
Many of these seniors are homeless
or have almost nothing. This is the
perfect opportunity for individuals
or a business group to rally their
colleagues to fulfill the requests and
10 — Curry Senior Center
Fall 2015
This program will begin in December
and last until December 21, 2015.
Contact Tod Thorpe at
415-292-1040 or email
tthorpe@curryseniorcenter.org
Dining Room and Bingo
Serve lunch and visit with the
greatest characters you’ve ever
met — Curry seniors! We always
hear this is guaranteed to bring you
more happiness. On Wednesdays
and weekends, become the most
popular person in the City and host
Weekly Bingo too!
Individuals or groups up to 15
for outstanding team building
Daily 10:15AM to 1PM
Community Programs —
Cultural Celebrations
Bring joy and festivity to Curry Seniors
during various cultural parties throughout
the year. Help decorate, serve and
socialize. The events include but are not
limited to: the Hispanic Heritage Festival,
Halloween, Veteran’s Day, Autumn
Lantern Festival, Moon Festival, Russian
Festival, and Holiday Celebrations
Individuals are welcome but this is
a favorite for groups of up to 10
Various week days throughout the
year, 9:30AM–12:30PM
Photographers please!
A picture is worth a 1,000 words and
it’s so much better when not just taken
from a smartphone! Our designer will
love you and you’ll get credit for your
work too — as well as attend fun events
for free. We also have occasional
portrait sessions with our seniors.
Various dates based on
event calendar
Development Team Support and
Special Events
Join Curry’s Development Team
supporting data management,
mailings, event preparation and
support, expository writing for
publications, grant writing, research
and more. We’re a very entertaining
team and this is a great beginning for
the person considering crossing over
from corporate work to nonprofit.
We are also building a core team of
highly experienced volunteers for our
annual gala and other special events.
Very flexible timing based on
project calendar
Join the Curry Professionals and
Executives Leadership Circle!
This group provides a team approach
to developing leadership and
professional networking opportunities
while having heightened impact
on Curry’s services. They help plan
Curry events, hold collections and
happy hour fundraisers, rally teams of
volunteers and interface with board
leadership to devise new ways to
respond to the crisis and indignity
suffered by so many of the elderly.
Go to curryseniorcenter.org/
curry-pals
Does your company
match donations?
If so, make a donation through your
company’s workplace campaign and
double the impact of your donation. Ask
your HR representative at work how.
Donate cereal, peanut butter, new
clothes or hygiene items!
You’ll guarantee that our seniors will
have breakfast, warm clothes and the
basics we take for granted.
Community Thrift Store
(623 Valencia St., San Francisco)
Accepts donations on behalf
of Curry Senior Center. Bring
your old clothes, jewelry, books,
sports equipment, furniture, CD’s,
electronics and luggage and tell
them you want the proceeds to go
to Curry Senior Center.
The Annual Bocce: A Friendly Competition
and Social Event Raised $21,706 for the Seniors’
Breakfast Program Thanks to Many of You!
You could hear the cheers all the way from San Rafael when Executive
Director David Knego announced that Genentech provided a $15,000 grant
that took us over the top of our $30,000 goal and secured the program for
the next year.
Save the Date for next year’s Bocce: Saturday, September 17th!
Daniel Cohen has the perfect form, surrounded by rose
gardens on every side
New board member, Lyn Tillery and her friends won the
award for best team name: Mission Imbocceball
College Intern Bella Lee
(Continued from page 3)
entering addresses and addressing
envelopes and stamping letters—all
of that was to develop a community
of active volunteers and benefactors
that support Curry’s seniors. That is the
true definition of development: the
building of a solid community that
has a common mission, in this case,
helping seniors live independently
with dignity. The definition of
fundraising became a smile on a
senior’s face as he got his meal —
having a good day because he has
gotten up and on his feet that day,
smiling as he chats and eats with
the dining room staff and the other
seniors at his table.
And the word “nonprofit”? Well,
that defines the infrastructure that
makes all of the services Curry Senior
Center offers, possible. It is the
system that allows me, among the
other employees, and volunteers
and supporters like you, to give
time to assist in developing and
fundraising for that smile.
On my very first day, I had been
introduced to the Curry community,
and on my last day, I left as a member
of the Curry family.
John Collaros, Humberto Piñon, Daniel Cohen and Michael
DeMatty start what could become a tradition- themed and
coordinated team dress!
Michelle Noble and Arlo Bushnell greeted everyone as they
checked in and steered them promptly toward breakfast and
mimosas before their warm-ups
CURRY SENIOR CENTER’S LEGACY CIRCLE
Ensuring that aging with health, hope and dignity
continues long into the future
Curry Senior Center’s Legacy Society is composed of people who include Curry
Senior Center in their will or another type of planned gift. These donors gain
the satisfaction of knowing Curry’s important services — health care, nutrition,
socialization, and celebrations — will continue for years to come.
We ask you to consider joining this group of generous donors, either by
indicating your interest with a note on the enclosed return envelope or
by contacting Curry Board of Directors Vice-President, Jonrie Dávila at
jonried@yahoo.com or by calling her at 650-823-3280. You may also contact
Development Director, Tod Thorpe at tthorpe@curryseniorcenter.org or by
calling 415-292-1040.
Want to stay up-to-date with what’s happening at Curry Senior Center?
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!
CurrySrCenter
@CurrySrCenter
In the beginning, I had used
the Internet to help me define
development, fundraising, and
nonprofit. After spending half of my
summer with the Curry Senior Center
community, I have figured my own
definitions for these words. So thanks,
Google, for helping me to find Curry
and have an incredible summer
experience — but when it comes
to defining words, I think I will stick
with my own conclusions.
Bella left her indelible mark on
us and made life-long friends.
Development work is a fantastic
way to learn about an organization
from the inside out. If you have
ever thought about transitioning
from corporate to non-profit work,
like our own Michelle Noble, or
if you have some extra time to
experience the exponential effect
you can have, contact Director of
Development, Tod Thorpe at
415-292-1040 or via email to:
tthorpe@curryseniorcenter.org
curryseniorcenter.org
Curry Senior Center — 11
SF-DPH Community Health Network
333 Turk Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
Our Mission is to provide services to seniors that
promote independent living while maintaining
their dignity and self-esteem.
SAVE THE DATE!
HELPING HANDS, HEALING HEARTS GALA
FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2016
THE FAIRMONT SAN FRANCISCO