Thank You

Vesper Society believes in a simple idea: a just society begins when everyone is well and respected as a human being. Every day, Vesper Society links arms with leaders of overlooked communities that want to create a healthy future.

How does a board of directors do this? Last month, 12 Vesper board members gathered in the San Francisco Bay Area and made the six-hour drive to Humboldt County to meet with community leaders. Over the next three days, the board members connected to a part of the state that many had never visited before.

While there, we learned so much from our program partners–United Indian Health Services and Open Door Community Health Center. Leaders from the North Coast Grantmaking Partnership, McLean Foundation, California Center for Rural Policy, and True North generously gave of their time and talent to share their knowledge and life experiences.

We were especially struck by the warm welcome we received in Fortuna where each Vesper board member received a personal note from a community member. One person thanked Vesper Society for “seeing humanity in a larger sense,” and “for reaching out to help people in need, and for understanding that caring is much more than just words.” The letter concluded, “It is you and people like you who help all of us have hope for the future of humanity.”

We were touched by the sentiment, and we also turn that gratitude to each of you reading this. These bonds of friendship, of sharing together, of being together in our struggles to improve our communities is what sustains us during both the good times and difficult times.

During this holiday season, we are grateful for your partnership, for being able to make a difference at the local level, and to count each of you as part of our beloved Vesper family.

Our vision is of a compassionate world that protects human dignity and enhances human potential and it shines all the more brightly with all of you. May 2018 bring new hope, new energy, and new beginnings!