Caring Through Touch: Caring in the Margins tells the story of how the Care Through Touch Institute, a small interfaith non-profit organization came into being in Berkeley, CA in the early 80’s providing massage therapy to people living and dying with HIV/AIDS. It chronicles the Institute’s move to San Francisco in the late 90’s where today it is weathering the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout it all CTI’s mission has always been to bring CARE through TOUCH to people relegated to the margins of society due to poverty and homelessness, and traumatized by chronic and life-threatening illness and old age.

Caring in the Margins is a testament to the transforming power of touch that comes not only from the hands, but the hearts and souls of CTI’s massage therapists.  Jackie, dying of cancer said that mentally and physically massage carried her out of her present state of pain, a place she never thought could exist. Wayne claimed that massage was part of his mental and physical medicine towards recovery. For Quinn it was all about the relationship he got to have with the massage therapist, and Milton, echoing that said that it was good to be able to talk to someone he knew cared about him. “It’s the connection between the therapist and the client” that’s so important.

This treasure was a work in progress for close to five years. The creators, Jane Ebaugh, a graduate of CTI and John Verner, a Fine Art photographer both based in Rhinebeck, NY traveled to San Francisco numerous times to capture the spirit of the Tenderloin and the Mission and forged trusting relationships with the people you meet in the book. They both agreed that “…it was a labor of love and a joy to create.” We will always be grateful to them. 

Caring in the Margins can be purchased by emailing office@carethroughtouch.org

$25 - 1 copy

$45 - 2copies

$60 - 3 copies

$75 - 4 copies (3+1 free)