Methodist Senior Services in San Francisco
San Francisco and the Bay Area have a tradition of Methodist community service, spearheaded by one of the best known and most active UMC congregations in the country. If you’re looking for a church with senior activities, help with independent living, assistance during tough times, or a retirement community to call home, check out these Methodist-affiliated senior care options in and around San Francisco.
Bay Area senior living in the Methodist tradition
Lake Park in Oakland is run by California-Nevada Methodist Homes and is a state-recognized Continuing Care Retirement Community. Residents at Lake Park have a full range of living options, including independent apartment living, customized assisted living services, and Medicare-certified skilled nursing care.
The Lake Park campus offers plenty of leisure, wellness, and learning options, including sewing and woodworking spaces, an onsite spa and supervised fitness center, and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute lectures tailored to the interests of older students. Care services for Lake Park residents include an on-campus medical clinic, Philips Lifeline medical alert gear, respite care services, and hospice care.
For urban senior living in San Francisco’s Japantown, Kokoro Assisted Living is an option with Methodist roots. Born from collaboration among Pine United Methodist Church, the Japanese American Religious Federation, and members of the Sokoji Buddhist Temple, Kokoro provides senior care that embraces Japanese and American traditions.
Amenities at Kokoro include residents’ choice of American or Japanese meals three times a day, courtyard and rooftop outdoor spaces, a tea room, and an interfaith worship space. Regular activities include strength training and tai chi classes, knitting and drawing classes, storytelling sessions, therapy pet visits, and field trips.
Methodist church programs for San Francisco seniors
Pine UMC plays a leading role among Japanese American Methodist congregations nationwide. Apart from its work helping to establish Kokoro, Pine reaches out to local seniors in other ways. Sunday services at Pine are conducted in Japanese and in English. Congregational groups include the Prime Timers monthly social group for seniors, and the Senior Support Luncheon brings local elders together each month to discuss senior wellbeing in the city.
Another Methodist congregation, Temple UMC, partnered with Catholic Charities of San Francisco to open the OMI Senior Center in Merced Heights, where seniors can enjoy hot lunches, day trips, fitness classes, and art sessions. OMI also provides case-management services and referrals for home care.
A tradition of service to San Francisco
Glide Memorial Church is one of the country’s highest-profile Methodist congregations and a major force in San Francisco’s social services sector. Among Glide’s supporters is billionaire investor Warren Buffett, who raises money for the church’s programs with his annual lunch charity auction in New York. Glide’s service projects include:
- free meals 364 days a year to the public, with reserved senior dining times each morning
- low-cost primary medical care, psychiatric and substance abuse treatment, case management and other health services
- emergency rental assistance and vouchers for clothing, boxed food, and household goods
The “radically inclusive” church also hosts meditation and yoga sessions along with Bible study and other discussion groups. From assisted living and social connections to emergency help and medical care, San Francisco’s Methodist community offers a wealth of services for seniors.
Learn more about San Francisco Senior Living here:
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Casey Kelly-Barton
Casey Kelly-Barton is an Austin-based freelance writer whose childhood was made awesome by her grandmothers, great-grandmother, great-aunts and -uncles, and their friends.