AboutUs
A
Brief History
 The Network for Elders (Network) began in 1989 as a project funded by the Bay Area Independent Elders Program (BAIEP). BAIEP was interested in assessing needs of senior citizens in local communities throughout the Bay Area. A small coalition of residents, service providers and business owners from Bayview Hunters Point applied for the original grant and hired the first director. The coalition named the project Bayview Hunters Point Independent Elders Program. The program was housed in the Bayview Hunters Point Senior Center, which also served as fiscal agent.
The program began as a needs assessment, but researchers quickly found that the community’s seniors were desperately in need of information and linkage to resources. Within several months, the study had developed into a full-scale case management program. In 1991, a volunteer services program—Project VOICE—was added to provide phone reassurance and friendly visiting to isolated seniors. By the end of 1991, the program had served over 150 seniors.
In 1993, the coalition applied for and received nonprofit status under IRS Code 501(c)(3). They re-named the program Bayview Hunters Point Network for Elders and re-located to their own offices.
 The program continued to expand. In 1995, the Network added its home care services component. In 1996, several Network members (members of the original coalition) began the wellness program. Also in 1996, Project VOICE became an interfaith volunteer caregiver program and began the expanded services that it now offers. In 1997, the program officially changed its name to Network for Elders.
In 1998, the Network’s board of directors made a commitment to diversify the organization ethnically and linguistically in order to better reflect the changing demographics of the Bayview Hunters Point community. Since then, the Network has hired Samoan, Chinese and Hispanic staff members while its volunteer base (including board) has expanded to include Chinese, Hispanic, and Samoan Americans as well. The staff is now able to provide services in English, Samoan, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Spanish.
In 1999, the Network began increasing its language capacity from English-only in order to better serve the rapidly changing neighborhood. Also in 1999, the San Francisco Commission on the Aging selected the Network as lead agency of the Bayview Hunters Point Resource Central.
OurAddress
Network for Elders
415 647-5353
1555 Burke Ave., Suite A
San Francisco, Ca. 94124
Monday-Friday 9:00 to 4:30
English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Tagalog and Samoan
Contact: Betty Williams, Executive Director
bwilliams@networkforelders.org
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