Meet the Founder
Professional photo coming soon

Sara Riolo

35 years showing up for Bay Area families — and she's just getting started. From Oakland to San Jose, Sara has built her life around one idea: care is a right, not a luxury.

Born and raised in the East Bay, Sara grew up watching her community's struggles and strengths up close. That foundation led her to funeral services, then to in-home care, then to something bigger: Boots and Bricks.

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Built for the Community,
By the Community

Sara founded Boots and Bricks on a belief that keeps her up at night: there are families in the Bay Area — right here in Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond, San Jose, Alum Rock — who fall through every crack. Too rich for institutional aid. Too poor for premium services. Too proud to ask twice.

That gap is where Boots and Bricks lives. We show up with the same care whether you're in a single-family home in Piedmont or a studio in East Oakland. Whether you're a 90-year-old veteran in San Jose or a young family in Richmond just getting by.

Every service we offer — in-home care, community outreach, janitorial, end-of-life support — exists because Sara saw a family that needed it. And decided to do something about it.

35+ Years of Community Experience
East Bay Rooted & Active
South Bay Commitment Since Day One

35 Years in the Making

Sara's path to Boots and Bricks wasn't straight — but every step prepared her for what this community needed.

1989

Begins Work in Funeral Services

Sara enters the funeral industry, learning early that end-of-life care demands the deepest compassion and clearest professionalism. She discovers she has a gift for holding space for families in their most difficult moments.

1998

Pivots to In-Home Senior Care

After years in funeral services, Sara recognizes a pattern: families who needed support earlier — much earlier — could have stayed together longer with the right help. She pivots to in-home care, helping seniors age with dignity in their own homes.

2008

Expands into Community Outreach

Sara begins connecting with community organizations across Oakland and Richmond. She sees families juggling multiple jobs and still falling behind — and starts building networks to catch people before they fall.

2018

Extends Reach to South Bay

East Bay families aren't the only ones being left out. Sara starts taking Boots and Bricks services to San Jose, Alum Rock, and Evergreen — proving that real support doesn't stop at county lines.

2022

Boots and Bricks Officially Launches

After three decades of building skills, relationships, and a reputation for reliability, Sara formalizes everything under one banner: Boots and Bricks. The name says it all — solid, present, and ready to show up.

The Values Behind the Work

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Compassion First

Sara believes every interaction starts with listening. Before any service is delivered, before any plan is made — we hear what's actually going on. That's how you know you're helping, not just doing.

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Radical Reliability

When we say we'll show up, we show up. When we say we'll call, we call. In a world where people consistently overpromise and underdeliver, Sara has built Boots and Bricks on the simple idea that your word should be your bond.

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Community Over Institution

Institutional care is built around systems. Community care is built around people. Sara chose community — every time. Boots and Bricks exists to serve neighbors, not to serve the bottom line.

East Bay and South Bay —
Her Home Too

Sara knows these streets because she grew up on them. She's seen Oakland change and stay the same. She knows which neighborhoods have been left behind, which families have been forgotten, and which community organizations actually show up.

East Bay: Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond, and surrounding communities — where Sara's roots run deepest. She knows the families here, the history, the specific challenges of aging in place in a city that keeps getting more expensive.

South Bay: San Jose, Alum Rock, Evergreen — where Boots and Bricks extended its mission because Sara saw the same gaps she found in the East Bay. South Bay families deserve the same level of care, and she made sure they get it.

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Fully Insured & Bonded
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Background-Checked Staff
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Family-First Approach
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Local, Community Rooted

Want to work with someone
who genuinely shows up?

Sara and the Boots and Bricks team are ready to listen, plan, and be there when you need us.

Get in Touch