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Hiking Humboldt Kids
Vesper Society lifts up through service, breaks down barriers, and elevates community voices. During the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, First 5 Humboldt encouraged families to stay active and spend time outdoors in nature. They reached out to hiking legend Rees Hughes, author of Crossing Paths: A Pacific Crest Trailside Reader and Hiking Humboldt Volume 2 to create a resource for this purpose. The wonderful result of this collaboration is Hiking Humboldt Kids, published by Backcountry Press. First Five Humboldt purchased complementary copies for local families with children ages 0-5, just in time for summer break. As it turns out, older folks really enjoy the length of the hikes too. It took almost two years to produce the book that includes history, fun facts, and activities, all designed to inspire wonder and appreciation of nature. Educators, photographers, artists, and translators all contributed to this bilingual English/Spanish edition. Respect for the complex history of Humboldt and the humility of the leaders who made this happen is notable, in the Land Acknowledgement, at the very beginning of the book. The rich and stunning lands within the boundaries of Humboldt County include the traditional, ancestral, and present homelands of several Indigenous nations, including the Hupa, Karuk, Mattole, Wailaki, Wiyot, and Yurok. These lands were taken from these communities during an extended period of forced removal and genocide that has had far-reaching impacts, yet these peoples have been and continue to be stewards of this place. We honor and acknowledge the strength and resilience of these communities that came before us, that are with us now, and the future Indigenous peoples of this area. We have endeavored to weave in this recognition throughout this book. We would like to extend our gratitude to those who have shared perspectives and knowledge with us on... Read More
Celebrating the Class of 2023
Vesper Society links arms with leaders and communities to uplift through service, break down barriers, and elevate community voices. This month we honor the Class of 2023 who lived through the pandemic and had to cope with loss, grief, and social isolation. We celebrate their spirit and perseverance and wish them the best as they begin their college experience in the fall. (Photo Credit: Esteban Ojeda, Holtville Tribune) From the Imperial Valley, we congratulate three students who received Exemplary Community scholarship awards from the IVROP Community Foundation. Robert Urena served the El Centro community with over 800 community service hours. He coached in Special Olympic events, helped clean up neighborhood parks, and assisted senior citizens. Robert will be attending Imperial Valley College and aspires to become an athletic director. Jaira Betancourt served over 300 community service hours at the El Centro Regional Medical Center and participated in the Health Occupations Students of America. Jaira will be attending Imperial Valley College and is interested in healthcare. Laura Avila served over 275 hours at the El Centro Regional Medical Center and participated in the allcove program at Stanford University. Laura will be attending UC San Diego and will pursue a psychology degree with a specialization in clinical psychology. From South Los Angeles we congratulate all graduating seniors who were part of the Kid City program and will start their college careers in the next few months. Bhea Bourbon — CSU Long Beach, Nursing Program Kimberly Navarro – UCLA, Nursing Lizbeth Ramirez — UC Davis, Biological Sciences Hilary Rocha Gonzalez – UC Irvine, Public Health Sciences Magaly Chuta – UC Irvine, Biological Sciences Daniel Martinez – CSU Los Angeles, Chemistry Nicole Moreno – CSU Northridge, Engineering Alex Ordonez – CSU Fullerton, Occupational Therapy Jasmine Lara, Hannah Diaz, and Jessica Hernandez — UCLA,... Read More
Asian Health Services Community Healing Initiative
Vesper Society believes a just society begins when everyone is well and respected as a human being. This month we asked Julia Liou, MPH and Thu Quach, PhD to talk about the Community Healing Initiative at Asian Health Services in Oakland, CA. What is the context for the Community Healing Initiative? These past three years tested our resilience and our ability to adapt while continuing to be grounded in serving and advocating for our patients and community. Not only were we blamed for COVID, but our patients and communities were overlooked and ignored. We saw our mental health visits increase by 2.5 times. There was a meteoric rise in anti-Asian hate and violence where incidents increased by 300%. There were significant gaps in Alameda County for limited English proficient Asian immigrants and refugees to receive victim support services and violence prevention interventions. As a result, Asian Health Services launched the Community Healing Initiative (CHI). What does the Initiative do? We are one of three pilot Anti-Asian hate action centers in partnership with the Asian American Foundation. As part of CHI, we provide direct services for survivors of hate and violence. Fear and trauma are directly linked to the health and well-being of our community. Our therapists, social workers, and lay counselors provide mental health counseling and systems navigation. Survivors experience many challenges such as a reporting process that retraumatizes, lack of communication by law enforcement and government agencies, stigma related to mental health therapy, social isolation, and intergenerational trauma. That is why we provide case management, victim assistance funds, and legal referrals. What are some new partnerships and services you have been able to offer? We are now able to offer alternative forms of healing such as Tai Chi, yoga, acupuncture, massage therapy, and food – all of which... Read More
Remember the Alemany
Vesper Society believes that a just society begins when everyone is well and respected as a human being. Every day we link arms with communities to uplift through service, break down barriers, and elevate community voices. We are filled with anticipation about the fall opening of the new Clinic by the Bay facility at a historic site on Onondaga Street. Clinic by the Bay was founded in 2010 in the Excelsior neighborhood, one of the oldest and most culturally diverse in San Francisco. Nearly 90,000 people remain uninsured in San Francisco and San Mateo Counties, with 25% in their service area. Operating out of a small space on Mission Street, Clinic by the Bay is almost ready to move into its new facility. Here is an excerpt from their website about the wonderful history of this location. The Alemany Emergency Hospital was originally opened and dedicated on August 16, 1933. This was the last of seven emergency hospitals in the network to be built…and help address the growing community in the Excelsior district. The San Francisco Emergency Hospital System was heralded around the nation as one of the “world’s finest” and commended for their “exemplary service.” After the announcement that the hospitals would be closed in 1978, there were many demonstrations against the closure. During this movement, volunteer power allowed the hospital to continue serving people of the Excelsior. They moved into the hospital – prepared meals, slept, cleaned up, waxed the floors, did the laundry, and more. The efforts were reported as “the greatest grassroots movement in San Francisco” by the San Francisco Examiner. Unfortunately, the hospital did not survive and was closed almost 45 years to the date on August 24, 1978. Now Clinic by the Bay officially has the keys to the Historic Alemany Emergency Hospital... Read More
Celebrating Gabriela Galicia
Vesper Society links arms with leaders and communities to uplift through service, break down barriers, and elevate community voices. This Women’s History Month we celebrate Gabriela Galicia, executive director of Street Level Health Project, based in the Fruitvale district of Oakland, CA. Gabriela has worked in different capacities and roles at Street Level Health Project (SLHP) since 2010. The organization is entering an exciting period in its growth and we are delighted to share our conversation with Gabriela. Can you tell us about your background? I grew up in Southern California in a predominantly Latino low income, low resourced, immigrant and people of color community. I am the daughter of immigrant parents and am the first in my family to graduate from college. I attended the University of California, Berkeley and received a degree in political science with a minor in ethnic studies and a concentration in Chicano studies. During college, I learned about advocacy and community organizing, and worked on issues affecting the most vulnerable in our society. How did you become involved with SLHP? Because of my experience in college, I was hired in 2010 as the Community Connection and Empowerment Coordinator to work closely with the day labor community and then I helped to co-design and co-create our Immigrant Rights and Empowerment Program Manager position. I further developed what is now the street outreach program to the day laborers who are some of the most exploited workers. As part of this work through collaboration with the day laborer community, we founded the Oakland Workers Collective that provides a safe and empowering space for day laborers and low wage workers to receive access to education, temporary job placements and leadership development opportunities. This is the only day laborer program recognized by the AFL-CIO on the west coast.... Read More