“Ms. Daisy” lives lifetime of service serving to San Francisco aged, disabled stay of their houses
A San Francisco woman has spent more than a quarter century helping older adults and people with disabilities stay safely in their homes.
Daisy McArthur lives a life of service because she loves people.
“I say, 'Whatever you do, be patient, be kind and listen to them,'” she said.
At age 76, McArthur has worked for the city's Department of Home Support Services for more than 25 years. It helps low-income seniors and people with disabilities so they can stay in their own homes instead of moving into a facility.
She also serves as secretary to the board of directors. Her service is rooted in her Southern upbringing. As a child, she accompanied her mother and her neighbors during emergencies.
“We watched them take care of the elderly. People who got sick or were bitten by snakes broke a leg or an arm,” she described.
McArthur helps her clients with daily tasks such as bathing, dressing, cooking and laundry. She cared for a client for more than 30 years until he recently passed away at the age of 101. Before that, she looked after his 102-year-old mother.
The job isn't easy and can be lonely, but McArthur knows she's making a difference.
“I want to treat myself the way I would treat you, and that is kindness. The golden rule,” McArthur said.
Executive Director Eileen Norman says McArthur is the perfect role model, mentor and trainer for 22,000 home support service providers in San Francisco.
“Ms. Daisy is warm, loving, sensitive and matter-of-fact,” Norman said. “Above all, Ms. Daisy fights for what she believes in.”
When a fire destroyed her Bush Street apartment building 25 years ago, she fought for emergency relief and housing for three dozen other homeless tenants, earning her the nickname “Mayor of Bush Street.”
At the start of the COVID pandemic, McArthur and one of her clients became advocates for vaccinating older adults when many were skeptical of the vaccine.
She also organized memorial services and funerals for several homeless people she met.
Ultimately, McArthur just wants to help people succeed.
“I hope they remember the kindness, the goodness and the work I did,” she said. “There’s an old song: ‘May the work I do speak for me.”
This week's Bay Area Jefferson Award goes to Daisy McArthur for going above and beyond in providing home care and training.
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