Marisa Carlini has spent her life helping others.
The 64-year-old Santa Clara resident grew up with a nurse as a mom and decided to pursue the same profession. Yet, she didn’t do it simply because being a nurse ran in the family, but because a compassion toward others is a big part of who she is.
“I love to take care of people — to listen to people,” says Carlini, gazing around her home from her wheelchair. “I never thought I would be in this position.”
After dealing with severe leg problems and pain for five years — and undergoing four failed surgeries to try and correct the situation — Carlini had her left leg amputated in late 2024.
“The pain was gone,” she remarks from the home she shares with two dogs, two birds and son Matteo.
Losing her leg, however, changed pretty much every aspect of her life and threatened the independence that she had long enjoyed. Now, seemingly simple things — such as changing an overhead light bulb — were tasks that required the assistance of others.
“The help I would give others, now I have to take,” she says.
Fortunately, Carlini has been able to receive such assistance from Heart of the Valley, a Santa Clara-based nonprofit that supports independent living for seniors in West Santa Clara Valley.
Heart of the Valley’s roots stretch back to the mid-1980s, when the Santa Clara Methodist Retirement Foundation built a pair of HUD-funded housing complexes that provided low-income rent for seniors. Founder Austin Warburton soon realized, however, that there was more work to be done and came up with a plan to provide volunteer services to low-income seniors throughout West Santa Clara Valley.
Incorporated in 1987, Heart of the Valley now provides transportation, handyman services, yardwork, tech support and other services — ranging from housework to companionship — to more than 250 seniors (age 62 and up). Roughly half of these clients are in Santa Clara, with others scattered through San Jose, Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Saratoga, Los Gatos and Campbell.
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Marisa Carlini checks on her basil plant in the backyard of her home in Santa Clara, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. Wish Book for Heart of the Valley Services for Seniors. Heart of the Valley provided Carlini with home safety upgrades including handrails, lighting, and bidets. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
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Marisa Carlini checks on her basil plant in the backyard of her home in Santa Clara, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. Wish Book for Heart of the Valley Services for Seniors. Heart of the Valley provided Carlini with home safety upgrades including handrails, lighting, and bidets. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
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Through the Mercury News’ annual Wish Book campaign, which seeks to raise money for the most vulnerable in our communities, Heart of the Valley is looking to get $25,000 to further expand its operations and work with even more seniors in need of services.
“Over the years, Heart of the Valley has grown from a small volunteer operation into a full-fledged nonprofit that serves hundreds of seniors each year,” explains Alma Soto, Heart of the Valley executive director. “To sustain and expand our services, we need continued financial support. Wish Book funds will directly strengthen our capacity to reach more seniors and provide them with essential services that support independence, dignity, and well-being.”
Specifically, the grant would be used to help Heart of the Valley improve vital technology (such as upgrading the website), expand its community outreach efforts and grow the volunteer base.
These volunteers provide a wide range of expertise and services to senior clients — such as installing grab bars in Carlini’s home so she won’t have to worry as much about falling.
“Wayne (a Heart of the Valley volunteer) came over and installed seven grab bars in just two hours,” she remembers.
Lidia Donez is one of the many volunteers who work at Heart of the Valley.
The 84-year-old Santa Clara resident got involved with the organization in 2001, at the age of 60, after spending 36 years working at Hewlett-Packard.
“It was the time when HP was the best employer in the Bay Area. Everybody wanted to work there,” said Donez, who was hired by HP in the mid-‘60s. “I loved working there. They had free donuts — I gained about 20 pounds.”
With more time on her hands after retiring, Donez was looking for ways to give back to the community and quickly got plugged into Heart of the Valley.
“I started doing some work taking clients to go grocery shopping, taking clients to doctor appointments,” says Donez, adding that many of the seniors were also in great need of companionship and conversation. “I would talk to them, make them feel like they were worth something.”
Earlier this year, however, Donez went from helping others to also receiving help from Heart of the Valley.
“I just fell in July and broke my arm,” says Donez, who adds that Heart of the Valley provided walkers to help her get around more safely while she healed from the arm injury. “As an elderly, you don’t have the funds that you had when you were young.”
Thankfully, Heart of the Valley was there for Donez — just like she’s been for so many others over the decades.
“Now we send people out to help her after she has helped people all of her life,” Soto says.
Months after her injury, Donez seems to be getting around much better and is back volunteering at Heart of the Valley. Notably, Donez — who has a background in finance from her years at HP — does bookkeeping work and provides other assistance for the organization.
“All of the jobs that she does are essentially three different positions,” Soto says. “She is a value to Heart of the Valley.”
And so are all of the organization’s many other volunteers, whether they can handle household repairs, IT troubleshooting, accounting work or some other type of valuable service to these seniors in need.
Alma Soto, Executive Director of Heart of the Valley, in their office in Santa Clara, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. Wish Book for Heart of the Valley Services for Seniors. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
“That’s the beauty of Heart of the Valley,” Soto says. “I have several volunteers with different areas of expertise.
“A lot of them are recently retired and have more time on their hands.”
Yet, Donez underscores that sometimes the greatest need is simply companionship.
“I can imagine a lot of these people who have no one,” she says. “No one comes to visit them. And that would be horrible for them.”
But thanks to Heart of the Valley, many of these seniors do get a knock on the door and chance to have some much-appreciated conversation. Adds Soto, “Sometimes a volunteer is the first person they’ve seen in months.”
ABOUT WISH BOOK
Wish Book is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operated by The Mercury News. Since 1983, Wish Book has been producing series of stories during the holiday season that highlight the wishes of those in need and invite readers to help fulfill them.
WISH
Donations to Heart of the Valley Services for Seniors will help the nonprofit support seniors living independently in the West Santa Clara Valley by expanding its community outreach, improving crucial technology and growing its volunteer base in addition to delivering services such as transportation, yardwork, home repairs, companionship, and wellness check-ins. Goal: $25,000.
HOW TO GIVE
Donate at wishbook.mercurynews.com/donate or mail in this form.
ONLINE EXTRA
Read other Wish Book stories, view photos and video at wishbook.mercurynews.com.
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Marisa Carlini pets Gus, a 54-year-old yellow-crowned amazon, at her home in Santa Clara, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. Wish Book for Heart of the Valley Services for Seniors. Heart of the Valley provided Carlini with home safety upgrades including handrails, lighting, and bidets. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
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Marisa Carlini pets Gus, a 54-year-old yellow-crowned amazon, at her home in Santa Clara, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. Wish Book for Heart of the Valley Services for Seniors. Heart of the Valley provided Carlini with home safety upgrades including handrails, lighting, and bidets. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
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