ST. ANTHONY'S MADONNA RESIDENCE
Creating A Home Of Love

Bertha, a community member at St. Anthony’s Madonna Residence, describes the love and understanding that have been the common thread in her life and contemplates the true meaning of home.

“When I first came here, I was welcomed with open arms,” Bertha says ardently in Spanish, a smile brightening her face. “Everyone here made me feel at home.” She sits in her cozy studio apartment at St. Anthony’s Madonna Residence, a supportive housing program for 51 senior women.

Touches of Bertha’s personality are everywhere in her home—in the colorful pillow from her native Peru, the roses on her table, and especially the photos of family and friends covering her refrigerator door.

“I helped raise her, and her, and him,” she says proudly, pointing to laughing children in the pictures.

These days, living at Madonna could not be more natural to Bertha, 86, but eight years ago, she wondered if she would ever have a place of her own.

Miles de obstáculos (Thousands of Obstacles)

A caregiver all her life, Bertha lived and worked with an elderly woman in Millbrae for 11 years. When the woman’s health declined, her family placed her in a nursing home, and at 77, Bertha found herself without a job or place to stay. A San Bruno family offered her a room in exchange for $200 a month and help with the cooking. Although Bertha knew her time there was limited, every place she found was beyond her means, with her monthly Supplemental Security Income (S.S.I.) check as her only income.

A friend directed her to San Francisco’s City Hall, where a staff member suggested St. Anthony’s Madonna Residence. Madonna has just a few requirements: applicants must be females over 60 years old; they must be able to live independently in a community environment; and their income cannot surpass the current S.S.I. amount ($812 in California for elders living independently).

Bertha applied, and when accepted, chose her own furnished studio apartment in Madonna’s new building on Golden Gate Avenue. She happily joined the community—eating with fellow residents in the dining hall and sharing communal meeting spaces, recreation rooms, and the resident maintained community garden.

Una vida de entrega (A Life of Caring)

Bertha is monolingual in her native tongue, like many other residents. The halls of Madonna ring with the harmonies of nine different languages as over half of residents are either monolingual in a language other than English or speak English as a second language. Even in the midst of such diversity, Bertha sees unity, saying, “Despite people being from different countries and nationalities, with love and understanding, everyone can get along.” Bertha was taught these lessons of love as a youngster. Although she was an only child who lost her mother at a young age, she was showered with affection by a large network of relatives who instilled in her a deep commitment to family. Continuing this tradition, Bertha spent much of her adult life taking care of her father. “We had a dear relationship,” she says tenderly. “He taught me the importance of respecting elders and taking care of the needy.”

Having never married, Bertha was in a difficult position when her father passed away. It was almost impossible for a single woman in her fifties to find work in Peru, and life became increasingly difficult after guerilla warfare broke out in the late1960s. She sensed the situation would only worsen, and in 1970, Bertha moved to the United States.

A dual citizen, Bertha maintains cultural traditions through the San Francisco Peruvian community and contact with her many loved ones still residing in Peru. She laughs in her lively way explaining that she is so proud of her home that she sent pictures of Madonna staff and residents to relatives in Peru, who now have these images in their family albums.

Disfrutando y ayudando (A Hobby and a Helping Hand)

“All I want from God now,” Bertha says, “is continued good health to enjoy my life and continue giving back to the community.”

She enjoys participating in Madonna activities such as cultural events, outings, birthday parties, intergenerational activities, and creative arts. Bertha shows off a brilliant purple scarf and hat set that she created in the Madonna knitting club with a “Peacock Stitch” technique. These are among the few pieces she has kept for herself, as she gives most of her handiwork to people in need.

Bertha’s easygoing personality makes her a cherished companion to many, including her case worker from St. Anthony’s Senior Outreach and Support Services, visiting middle school children, and the attendant who accompanies her to medical appointments and assists with chores.  She is currently teaching all of them to knit.

When Bertha reflects on her life, she sees a common thread of community woven throughout. “Respect, sharing, helping one another. Family is a place where you support one another, and a place where hope exists,” she says. This experience of family from her youth is continued in the community of women at Madonna Residence. “This, too, is my home,” she says, “This is my family.”

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