Special Events

A Blissful Success

Over 250 guests came to Bliss joining Maitri in commemorating 21 years of providing compassionate residential and hospice care for people living with AIDS. The festivities took place on a beautiful evening at the Golden Gate Club in the Presidio – San Francisco.

The program featured exciting performances by the Heiwa Taiko drummers and the Twilight Vixen Revue in addition to an exuberant performance by the Alafia Dance Ensemble. During the evening, guests were able to "bliss-out" in the Ritual Room hosted by Karma Moffit and partake in the blessings of Rev. Jana Drakka and Issan’s monks. Bliss concluded with guests dancing to the luscious jazz music of the Marcus Shelby Trio.

We are grateful for the generous donations of scrumptious food, delectable wine and many silent auction items donated by our supporters. The incredible time and energy of our fantastic volunteers helped make Bliss magical.

Maitri wishes to thank our sponsors, donors and guests for helping us raise over $125,000 - making this our most successful Bliss to date.

Bliss 2008 Photos

Dinner at Maitri

Started in 1999, Dinner at Maitri provides an exclusive opportunity for you to host a private dinner prepared by a celebrated Bay Area chef in Maitri's tranquil, home-like setting.

No matter what the cuisine, San Francisco celebrity chefs find common ground at Maitri. Since Dinner at Maitri began, we have consistently attracted a distinguished list of celebrated chefs to prepare a magnificent meal in our kitchen.

Dinner at Maitri was conceived by Bill Wilkinson of GreenLeaf Produce, one of San Francisco's leading vendors of fresh vegetables, herbs and fruit. GreenLeaf Produce provided the first list of chefs willing to donate an evening of their time and fine foods. The inaugural dinner was prepared by Chef Eric Tucker of Millennium Restaurant.

A Dinner at Maitri for you and 19 guests can be purchased with a tax-deductible donation.
All you need to do is:

• Choose your dinner date
• Select your celebrity Chef
• Provide your invitation list

The evening begins at 7 pm with wine and hors d'oeuvres followed by dinner at 8 pm.
Consider Dinner at Maitri for birthdays, anniversaries, or corporate events.

If you would like to host a dinner or join our dedicated cadre of event volunteers, please contact
Grant Sun, Donor Relations Associate at (415) 558-3003 or email.

Past Comments
"The champagne and party atmosphere was still there, but the event had an overwhelming sense of grace. It was obvious we were surrounded by many caring people going beyond their own needs to help others. For the first time in participating in these types of events, I believe we took away far more than we seemed to give."
Chef: Mark Franz, Farallon

"I consider DINNER AT MAITRI a wonderful option for my Birthday celebration. I am able to introduce friends to an organization I feel very strongly about and focus their generous giving where it will do more good."
Dinner Host: John McGuire

"What brings people together is food…One person's experience of a plate of fish might bring back memories from childhood or a different gathering or moment in time. This shared experience can evoke a larger conversation, which is what bringing our community together is all about."
Chef: Gerald Hirigoyen, Piperade

"As a realtor, I spend tons of money each month taking clients to events and dinners. With one DINNER AT MAITRI I can give them a very fun night, provide them with an opportunity to meet new friends AND enjoy a privately cooked meal from a celebrity chef…now that's a value with compassion!"
Realtor: Ken Cashion

"...we had over 90% attendance which is rare. We typically see 50-75% attendance at routine pharmaceutical dinners, so this is noteworthy."
Pharmaceutical Representative: Sam Jackson, Solvay