415-777-0333 Ms. Michael Minoletti, AILP Client
When she was growing up, Ms. Michael Minoletti was always searching for ways to entertain herself. She learned to take care of flowers and grow vegetables, discovering just how much work it took to keep them thriving. She grew up in a home surrounded by flowers, and the sight of them made her feel happy. Later in life, she realized something profound:
“When my life is crumbling, I gravitate towards things that make me feel light, warm, and happy, and that is flowers.”
Today, Ms. Michael lives in one of PRC’s Assisted Independent Living Program (AILP) residences—a community that helps people in recovery maintain stability and purpose while receiving compassionate case management. Across San Francisco, 80 to 100 residents find safety, structure, and belonging through AILP, living in shared apartments where they support one another and rebuild their lives.
In 2015 and 2016, Ms. Michael attended City College of San Francisco, where she studied floral design and floral shop management. She was introduced to ikebana, the Japanese art of floral design.
“Ikebana floral design taught me that floral design is very intentional and each flower is placed with purpose.”
Floral arranging brings her solace and peace, something she recommends to anyone in recovery.
“Idle hands are the devil’s workshop. I have to be purposeful and busy. I have to do something that keeps me busy everyday, and that is very important to me.”
Today, she often works with silk flowers, appreciating their affordability and permanence. “It’s made to last forever,” she says, adding, “it’s hard to tell the difference.” For her, the act of arranging flowers is deeply healing.
“You have to think of the design and find the flowers to make the arrangement you want. It’s a lot of work and that’s why it helps my mental health.”
Beyond her artistry, Ms. Michael has always challenged societal expectations.
“I have never lived the male or female role, but in today’s society, you have to pick a gender. As I’ve gotten older and learned who I was, I’ve learned I identify with being a female.”
That self-understanding hasn’t come without challenges.
“The only reason one becomes controversial is when people have a hard time placing you or putting you in a category, and they become uncomfortable if they can’t label you.”
Still, she walks proudly in her truth.
“I don’t know how many people can get on a bus like me, and it gets quiet. I get on that bus everyday because I truly love myself. I’m grateful for every morning I wake up because somebody didn’t wake up. I did wake up, at 62.”
For many years, the stage was another outlet for her creativity. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, she impersonated stars like Liza Minnelli or invented her own Joan Rivers–inspired characters, performing at San Francisco’s legendary Tranny Shack.
“I came out with a top hat and my rhinestones,” she recalls.
Performing gave her a wonderful sense of expression, but it also fueled her drinking. Eventually, alcohol abuse forced her to retire from the stage and hang up her top hat.
Today, her recovery is central to her life.
“Without sobriety, there is no other way to exist.”
She recently celebrated seven months sober, and just like her flowers, she continues to grow with resilience, beauty, and grace.
Shout out to AILP Case Manager, Joanna Pablo, who interviewed Ms. Michael Minoletti and helped to capture and write this story.