Anne Gimbel with Barbara
By Anne Gimbel–
Barbara came to Maitri almost 10 years ago for the first time, and was struggling for many of her prior years. She was diagnosed HIV positive. Her life and health changed drastically, and she needed support badly. “I had issues interfering with my health, and I needed support to get strong again,” she said.
When Barbara was diagnosed with advanced AIDS, a social worker told her about Maitri. Her life began to turn around for the better. She said, “Maitri saved my life not once, but three times when I fell and needed help to get up again and survive.”
“Maitri is like my family and a safe place, but it also provides medical stabilization for people like me,” she added. “I am so happy to say I am now stronger.”
At Maitri, we are giving Barbara—who spent so many years on the streets—the compassionate care she so desperately needs and deserves. “The services at Maitri are first class, and I am truly grateful for all the love and compassion I have received since I have been here,” Barbara recently said. “I feel whole once again and excited to resume my life with a positive spirit and renewed health.”
Join us in giving others like Barbara—the homeless, underprivileged, and poor, who bravely face a life and death struggle with late-stage AIDS, and chronical illnesses—a second chance at a full and independent life. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation today to support Maitri’s good work for both our hospice and medical respite residents. We are approaching our 31st year of service to the San Francisco community.
Maitri has faced increased demand for our services this year, making your gift all the more critical—and impactful. Thank you so much for your generosity and for remembering Maitri’s residents during the holidays.
For more information, and to make a donation, visit: http://www.maitrisf.org/kinds-of-donations/
Anne Gimbel is the Executive Director of Maitri Compassionate Care.
Recently we reported that Maitri Compassionate Care, which provides residential care for people living with AIDS, has a new Executive Director. Anne Gimbel, the former Regional Director of the Alzheimer’s Association of Coachella Valley that includes Palm Springs, was named to the position.
Gimbel is a licensed marriage and family therapist and has worked in both Chicago, her hometown, and Los Angeles. She had prior experience as the Executive Director of Lawyers for the Creative Arts, a nonprofit that covered the entire state of Illinois for many years, and served as the Director of Development at Make-A-Wish Foundation in Century City and Geffen Playhouse during the fourteen years that she and her husband lived in Santa Monica.
Gimbel has now been at Maitri for just a little over a month. We were delighted to catch up with her at this busy time. We asked her why she chose to make the move to Maitri.
“I accepted the position of Executive Director at Maitri Compassionate Care because my experience with respite and end-of-life care most mirrored this mission, and most recently, I have loved being involved with families in the Palm Springs area with these same issues,” Gimbel told the San Francisco Bay Times. “Maitri’s reputation is so long-lasting and deep within the community that it is a pleasure to be here.”
She shared her vision for the non-profit, both its present and future.
“At the beginning, I will be listening and learning from this excellent management staff and Board of Directors, and I will be enhancing the good work that is being done here with a love of this community,” she said. “Building on this knowledge and dedication of our team, I hope to enable our programs to grow and develop, to expand our care, and to raise more funds to accomplish this.”
Since 1987, Maitri—a Sanskrit word that means “compassionate friendship”—has been providing 24-hour care to men and women living with HIV/AIDS. We congratulate the organization on its 30th anniversary, and look forward to following the work of Gimbel and her team in the years to come.
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