For over 50 years, guided by a mission to improve the quality of life for all seniors, regardless of economic status or cultural background, Sequoia Living has provided community service programs focused on physical, social, health and spiritual care.
Community Services
SERVING BODIES, MINDS, SPIRITS, COMMUNITIES.
Thousands of people—older adults and those with disabilities—are touched by Sequoia Living every year. These numbers include those who live in our Bay Area Affordable Housing communities and our residential communities, as well as others in the region at large.
We fulfill and honor our not-for-profit status by investing significantly in the health and welfare of our neighbors without any expectation of financial return. A portion of the support Sequoia Living receives goes directly to those in need, from healthcare education and referrals to blood pressure monitoring.
THE NUMBERS
2,210
Elementary students were tutored by Experience Corps® Bay Area volunteers
50,000
Low-cost meals were provided at both San Francisco Senior Centers
2,255
Affordable housing residents were provided with information, support, and resources from Resident Services Coordinators
2,180
Diverse seniors participated life-enriching programs at both San Francisco Senior Centers
San Francisco Senior Center
America’s most senior senior center. Founded in 1947, the San Francisco Senior Center (SFSC) is America’s longest operating nonprofit senior center, offering classes, workshops, fitness programs, nutritious lunches and critical social services to older adults at both its Aquatic Park and Downtown locations. Every year thousands of participants come through SFSC’s doors for socialization, companionship and intellectual, physical, creative and emotional stimulation. Our participants range from well or able-bodied to very frail or disabled; from the newly retired to octogenarians and centenarians.
The Downtown Senior Center offers a safe respite in the Tenderloin for older adults, many of whom live in nearby single-room occupancy hotels and experience social isolation.
The Aquatic Park Senior Center is located in the Maritime Historic National Park on the San Francisco Bay: a breathtaking spot for older adults to participate in fine art, ceramics, photography, fitness and other lifelong learning programs.
AARP Experience Corps® Bay Area
Experience Corps Bay Area matches volunteer tutors aged 50 and over with struggling readers in grades K–3. By pairing young learners with experienced readers, we help to build confidence and trust at a critical time for children. Studies have shown that achieving literacy in these early years greatly influences whether a student stays in school and graduates.
Launched in a single school in 2007, Experience Corps Bay Area now serves multiple schools in Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties and reaches thousands of students. Most of our students come from low-income families and many are English Language Learners. Our volunteers come from all of the counties we serve and have a variety of work backgrounds. Most are 65–85 years old. There is no experience necessary to be an Experience Corps Bay Area tutor—we provide training and continuing support.
This intergenerational tutor-student relationship provides benefits beyond the purely academic. Teachers report that our students have improved attendance, participation, concentration and reduced disruptive behavior. Tutors report that volunteering in this program increases their sense of purpose in life, that they are making a difference in their community and that it helps them stay physically and mentally healthy.
Resident Services Program
The Resident Services Program serves low-income seniors and people with disabilities who reside in nineteen affordable housing properties in the Bay Area. Through non-profit housing partnerships, Resident Services Coordinators provide on-site services, crisis management, housing sustainability support, and educational and health related activities.
Intergenerational Program
The Intergenerational Program focuses on seniors and adults with disabilities who live in fourteen San Francisco affordable housing sites where Sequoia Living provides services. The program partners with local schools to organize activities and foster relationships with residents. An adult mentoring program provides additional support for residents who are in recovery from substance abuse. The Intergenerational Program is made possible through a grant provided by the San Francisco Department of Aging and Adult Services Dignity Fund.