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Media Contact: DP&A, Inc. / David Perry (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com

Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly
Marks a Quarter Century of Service to San Francisco

25 Years of Building Friendships with our Elderly Celebrated

Thursday, June 23 (6pm – 9pm)
Sir Francis Drake Hotel’s Starlight Room

Worldwide Charity Has Its Roots in Post WWII France
www.littlebrotherssf.org

9 June 2016 — San Francisco, CA: It’s been a Christmas gift that has kept giving to San Francisco seniors every day for 25 years. On December 25, 1990 Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly (www.littlebrotherssf.org) opened its charitable doors and began providing services to isolated elders in San Francisco. Since then, over 20,000 of our most experienced citizens have received, literally, the gift of friendship, companionship and love. The moving benchmark will be marked with a gala reception, auction and party in the legendary Starlight Room atop the Sir Francis Drake Hotel (450 Powell Street on Union Square, San Francisco) on Thursday, June 23 (6pm – 9pm). Tickets are $ 75. Official patrons of the event are The Honorable Senator Dianne Feinstein and Consul General of France Emmanuel Lebrun-Damiens.

“You gotta’ have friends as the song goes, and that’s exactly what Friends of the Elderly is all about,” said Cathy Michalec, Friends of the Elderly, Executive Director. “We’re celebrating 25 years of building friendships with the elderly.”

The inspiration for the work of Friends of the Elderly was born in 1946 France, where a man named Armand Marquiset formed a group called “Little Brothers of the Poor” to serve the most disadvantaged after World War II.

“Marquiset realized that the elderly, in particular those who had lost their families during the war, were left isolated and alone living in deteriorating conditions with no one to look after them,” says Michalec. “Bringing friendship and a sense of value and dignity to those initial seniors has since become the hallmark of our work. ”

By 1959, Marquiset’s vision had spread to Chicago where the first U.S. chapter was established. Today, there are local chapters in seven U.S. cities and nine countries around the world recognized collectively as a non-governmental organization in consultative status (category II) with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. In 1985, the U.S. affiliation adopted the name of “Little Brothers – Friends of the Elderly” (LBFE) to better reflect our programs and mission.

While part of the LBFE national network, each chapter is an independent non-profit organization overseen by its own board of directors and responsible for its own funding. Elders are served regardless of race, faith, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, financial means, mental health or physical condition.

One of those who found friendship courtesy of Friends of the Elderly is Lottie. “I get some of my meals delivered but I have no one to eat with, or to talk to,” said Lottie. “Before I started receiving visits I was lonely and depressed and sometimes didn’t talk to anyone for days. I am thankful for the meals. However, meals only feed a body. My friendship with my pal from Friends of the Elderly showed me how hungry I was for company – for time with someone who cares about me. I’m much happier now. Because of Friends of the Elderly, I feel more in touch with the world, more connected.”

Tickets for the event June 23rd event may be purchase online at the following link:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fundraising-cocktail-party-tickets-22462371558

Little Brothers-Friends of the Elderly is a national, non-profit, voluntary organization committed to relieving isolation and loneliness among the elderly. Little Brothers-Friends of the Elderly offers to people of good will the opportunity to join the elderly in friendship and celebration of life.

Media contact: David Perry / (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com

San Francisco’s Chinese Historical Society to Receive Chinese American: Exclusion/Inclusion Exhibition from the New-York Historical Society

Landmark Chinatown Museum Building Closes for Summer to Install Unprecedented Showcase
www.chsa.org

10 June 2016 – San Francisco, CA: San Francisco’s Chinese Historical Society of America (www.chsa.org) announced today the New-York Historical Society is donating its Chinese American: Exclusion/Inclusion exhibition materials to the organization. This outstanding showcase, which recently had impressive runs at New-York Historical and the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, will be the Chinese Historical Society’s largest ever undertaking. The museum will close for three months during its installation and re-open in late summer.

“This is an unprecedented opportunity and an unprecedented gift for us,” said Sue Lee, Executive Director of the Chinese Historical Society who orchestrated the acquisition. The exhibition features reproductions from the New-York Historical Society’s holdings, interactive media, evocative re-creations, and CHSA’s own historic Chinatown paintings by Jake Lee. “The curatorial quality, the historical detail, and the hands-on interactive technology of this exhibit are unlike anything we have ever done. Its educational potential really raises the bar for us.”

“We are delighted that Chinese American: Exclusion/Inclusion will have a new home on the west coast, allowing even more people to learn about the centuries-long history of trade and immigration between China and the United States,” said Dr. Louise Mirrer, President and CEO at the New-York Historical Society. “The exhibition materials that the Chinese Historical Society of America are receiving tell a rich story about the generations of immigrants who faced hardships and reaped the rewards of life in the U.S. We are all grateful for the generous support the exhibition received from Oscar Tang and Agnes Hsu-Tang – Tang Family Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities.”

"Agnes and I are so pleased that the story of the Chinese diaspora in America will continue to be told through this marvelous exhibit," said Mr. Tang.

In addition to the exhibition donation from the New-York Historical Society, funding and installation for the exhibit has been made possible through the generous contributions of the following Chinese Historical Society supporters: The R.J.Louie Foundation, Seligman Family Foundation, and the Committee of 100.

“Quite simply,” said Lee, “this exhibit is the most comprehensive museum expression about the experience of Chinese in America to date. We are actively seeking additional financial support and program partnerships in order to make this exhibition a national destination for experiencing this impressive interpretation of our community’s history in the greater American historical narrative.”
 
During installation of Chinese American: Exclusion/Inclusion, group programs offered by the Museum, such as History Alive, Chinese American History by Charlie Chin and walking tours, will still be available by reservation. Contact us at info@chsa.org or (415) 391-1188.
 
The Museum recently hosted the popular exhibit Blank Boy Canvas, Tian Tian Xiang Shang (天天向上) by internationally renowned artist Danny Yung (榮念曾) sponsored by the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office San Francisco (香港駐三藩市經濟貿易辦事處) and Zuni Icosahedron (進念二十面體)

Exhibition details and a definitive opening date will be announced in the next few weeks.

About Chinese Historical Society of America
The Chinese Historical Society of America is the oldest organization in the country dedicated to the interpretation, promotion, and preservation of the social, cultural and political history and contributions of the Chinese in America. CHSA pursues this mission through exhibitions, publications, and educational and public programs in the CHSA Museum and Learning Center, a landmark Julia Morgan-designed building (formerly the Chinatown YWCA) located at 965 Clay Street, San Francisco.
 
About the New-York Historical Society
The New-York Historical Society, one of America’s pre-eminent cultural institutions, is dedicated to fostering research and presenting history and art exhibitions and public programs that reveal the dynamism of history and its influence on the world of today. Founded in 1804, New-York Historical has a mission to explore the richly layered history of New York City and State and the country, and to serve as a national forum for the discussion of issues surrounding the making and meaning of history. Visit www.nyhistory.org to learn more.
Press Contacts
David Perry
(415) 676-7007
news@davidperry.com

Ines Aslan
New-York Historical Society
(212) 485-9263
Ines.aslan@nyhistory.org