Unsung Hero
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Maxine V. Hickman
Dr. Maxine V. Hicks’s entrepreneurial spirit, resilience and faith in God have served as a foundation for her career which has helped provide shelter, food and clothing to countless San Franciscans for decades. Dr. Hickman is founder, Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer of Hickman Homes, Inc., a consortium of agencies and facilities that have served some of San Francisco’s most vulnerable residents. Born in Louisville, Mississippi, Hickman was raised in Milwaukee. After moving to San Francisco, she attended San Francisco City College and earned her BA Degree from San Francisco State University. She received her Master of Science Degree in Child and Youth Care administration from Nova University, and an MBA and Doctor of Philosophy degree from Northfield University. In 1969 she established the Pine Street Guest House, a residen tial care facility for mentally ill/ retarded adults. Additionally, she also established a residential care facility for the elderly. In 1981, she established the “Hickman Home for Mothers and Infants,” a home for unwed mothers who had decided to keep their children. She later established group homes for youth. In 1993 she developed the Hickman Home Foster Family Agency, where prospective foster parents are recruited; trained and certified to become foster parents. She organized a school to provide a successful learning and residential environment, which stimulates intellectual and social growth for at-risk students. Hickman also created a food program that provided food for needy families and established H&W Fashion Boutique to provide quality clothing at reasonable prices. She closed the group homes in 2012, after providing guidance and shelter for thousands of youth many of whom have become successful adults. Currently she continues to operate the Foster Care Agency, renamed Trinity Foster Services of the Bay Area and the boutique. She said she is in discussion to expand the foster services agency. Her agencies are run under the umbrella of “Hickman Homes, Inc.,” where she serves as Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer. “Next year will be the fiftieth year that I’ve been doing residential care,” she said. She said being a Black woman in San Francisco, she has faced many challenges, but she made it work and, “It became my life.” “When I decided to work group homes full time, family and friends told me I needed to give up group homes and get a real job. They could not visualize the difference I was making and could make in the lives of abandoned, abused and neglected youth. Telling me I could not make a difference motivated me to work even harder,” she said. Hickman is the immediate Past President of the San Francisco Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women(NCBW). Under her leadership the NCBW undertook innovative programs including collaboration and partnership with Covered California, implementing the Affordable Care Act and the Bridging the Generations Employment and Training Program. She is currently first Vice President of the SF Chapter and a member of the National Board. She is a certified enrollment counselor for Covered California. She is an active member of the Cosmopolitan Baptist Church, where the Rev. Dr. A.R. Gentle is a pastor. Currently, she is serving as Financial Secretary of the Church, Chair for the Budget Committee. She is a member of the Voices of Cosmopolitan and the board of trustees. She established an outreach mission prayer ministry which goes into the homes of the shut-in. Hickman has been honored by having August 1, 1991 observed as Maxine V. Hickman Day in San Francisco. A widowed mother of one daughter, she is a devoted grandmother of five, great grandmother of seven. Trinity Foster Family Services is looking for responsible, dedicated Couples or Individuals to become Foster Parents to care for children who need a home. To find out how you can offer support to abused and neglected children, please call: 415-941-7291 |