A large portion of the elder artists who participate in the AWE program donate their work to ELDERGIVERS knowing that proceeds from any sale go back into the program – to help pay for supplies, to provide classes, to mount additional public exhibits.

Seventy paintings from previous Annual Exhibits will be on sale at the First Congregational Church in San Francisco on December 12th from 10am to 3pm. Browse among these works to find a unique gift and your purchase will benefit ELDERGIVERS. There is more information about the sale on our Events page.

If you see a particular work you like in our on-line Gallery and wish to know the availability and/or the price, please call 415.441.2650 or e-mail info@eldergivers.org. Have the name of the artist (and the title of the artwork, if possible) ready.

Buy a Book

ELDERGIVERS published a series of paper-bound books entitled Nine Lives: Uncovering the Wealth of Life Stories Within Our Nursing Homes. There are still a few copies of Volumes 1 and 2 available for purchase.

Each book was prepared by professional writers who interviewed their elder subjects over the course of months and, at the end of that process, produce manuscripts that capture the essence and highlights of their subjects’ lives. Nine Lives is more than a reportorial exercise, although recording facts and figures can be an important part of the process. Nor is it strictly oral history, or life review. Nine Lives is more akin to creative nonfiction writing in which the writer’s voice is an integral part of the story and the outcome is both objective and subjective.

The Nine Lives accounts are meant to be instrinsically interesting as a “read”. But they are also meant to illustrate for readers the promise and potential of meaningful relationships that can be made with nursing home residents in their own neighborhood and to move readers to visit a nearby facility for that purpose.

The books are on sale for only $7 for the holidays (discounted from $20). Please call 415.441.2650 or e-mail info@eldergivers.org if you would like to purchase a book. These books will also be on sale at the Art With Elders Sale at the First Congregational Church on Saturday, December 12th. There is more information about the sale on our Events page.

Excerpts from Nine Lives:

“I know that Dr. Ruth Fleming made a successful career as a surgeon and that she traveled widely giving talks on her area of specialization. I understand that she was a highly respected doctor and one of the first female surgeons in the country. And yet, I’ve learned all of this second hand. During the first few weeks, Ruth tells me nothing about her professional life. In fact, each time I broach the subject, she intentionally steers away from it. I decide that her reticence stems from humility; perhaps Ruth doesn’t want me to think her overly proud of her own accomplishments.”

— Lilli Antonoff in her narrative about Dr. Ruth Fleming
at Hayes Convalescent Hospital in San Francisco, California
Volume 1 of Nine Lives

“How did I get from telling how Mildred’s days were filled with work and service (the two of them not far apart from each other) to all of the examples of giving? I think because as I got to know Mildred’s parents through her tales, how much they had and to what ends they spent the fruits of their labor, I came to understand her family worked so that they could provide not just for the immediate family but also for anyone else in any kind of need. There was a sense in Mildred’s tale that where she came from, who she was was a community in which everyone knew very well how much they needed each other.” — Cleavon Smith in his story of Mildred Harris at Willow Tree Nursing Center, Oakland, California Volume 2 of Nine Lives