Almost 125 years ago, Mary Staples, wife of San Francisco insurance company president David J. Staples, was asked a question that would changes the lives of hundreds of Bay Area women. David had been spending time with a James Lick, a friend, client, and one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in San Francisco, consulting with James about the disposition of his estate. James had amassed significant fortune from real estate, land purchases, and a bit of chocolate and gold. Eventually, James asked Mary what she thought would be a worthy legacy. Because her life’s commitments had been to help the underserved and disadvantaged populations in San Francisco, Mary suggested creating a home for older women in need.
In 1884, the University Mound Ladies Home was born.
The mission of the Ladies Home is to provide affordable and compassionate assisted living for Bay Area women of modest means. The Home currently provides 72 units of housing on their 2.2 acre facility, and is staffed by 25 people. Easily accessible by MUNI transportation, the facilities offer private and shared rooms; three meals daily plus snacks, laundry and housekeeping; assistance with medications and personal care; and, a beauty parlor, chapel, sunroom, and garden. The Ladies Home recently developed a new partnership with San Francisco State University School of Nursing, expanding many of their human services to the facility residents.
John Fecondo, a former Board Member, currently serves as Executive Director. He brings over a decade of experience in managing long-term care facilities and has extensive contacts throughout the local and regional eldercare community.
NCCLF’s first involvement with the Ladies Home was an opportunity to make an $8,000 grant from an anonymous restricted grant fund managed by NCCLF. The grant allowed the Ladies Home to develop and implement a fiscal management plan that addressed financial oversight responsibilities at both the board and staff levels. As work progressed, the facility applied for and received a $100,000 working capital loan from NCCLF to support their operations while it focuses on maintenance issues and safety upgrades, as well as restoring fiscal stability to its operations.
Fecondo believes that were it not for the NCCLF’s support, the Ladies Home “would have closed in this year of its 125th anniversary. Not only would this loss affect the 30 individuals living there, it would also represent the loss of 74 affordable, licensed residential care beds in San Francisco. The need for affordable assisted living is critical – especially when there is a strong emphasis to move people into non-institutional settings”.
The women who live at UMLH are representative of our diverse San Francisco area population and an array of occupations and religious beliefs. It is in the melting pot of this warm and secure assistant living facility that their lives continue to be active, social, and challenging.
