Welcome to Our New Program Partners

Vesper Society links arms with leaders and communities to uplift through service, break down barriers, and elevate community voices. We are thrilled to welcome five new partners and in the coming months we will take a closer look at the people they serve and their amazing programs.

WEST OAKLAND HEALTH COUNCIL

Fifty years ago, during the Civil Rights and Black Power movements, four African American mothers launched The West Oakland Health Council.  It immediately rose up to become the neighborhood anchor for healthcare, health education, food and housing programs, and voter registration. The clinic became a spark that led to a transformation in health care advocacy in California and the nation.

West Oakland Health Council’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of the communities it serves by providing the highest quality of health care and treatment for its diverse patient population throughout Alameda County.  Each of the clinic’s health centers strive to be a hub for health, compassion, engagement, and inspiration.

HUPA IMMERSION NEST

Hupa Immersion Nest is dedicated to the resurgence of the Hupa Language and its connection to the overall well-being of the land and community in the Hoopa Valley, Humboldt County. An inspirational group of Indigenous women at the core of this effort have decades of experience in areas of language, cultural revitalization, education, wellness and trauma-informed practice. They work closely with Hupa elders, families, and community at large to inform their work and approaches.

Language is directly tied to their identity as Na:tinixwe (people of the place where the trails return). Language connects people spiritually and physically to the land, their past (ancestors), and future generations yet to come. The language programming is infused with health and wellness, including physical health and wellness through breathing, moving bodies, dancing, healthy traditional foods, mental health and wellness, daily discussions on emotional well-being. Reclaiming and reviving language will heal people and the land.

CALIFORNIA SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH ALLIANCE (CSHA)

CSHA supports schools, school districts, and community organizations in launching, improving and sustaining school health services, including starting and expanding school-based health and wellness centers.

School-based health and wellness centers put health care where students already spend most of their time – at school. Research has shown, and teachers and educators intuitively know, that healthier children are better students because they are able to focus in the classroom and are not distracted by stress or illness.

CLINICA SIERRA VISTA

In 1971, during the early days of the Community Health Center Movement, Clinica Sierra Vista was started in the small Kern County farming community of Weedpatch. A group of visionaries set out to provide quality health care to migrant farmworkers who harvested the lush agricultural fields in the southern San Joaquin Valley, but struggled to afford even basic needs like food, shelter, and health care.

Clinica Sierra Vista is a comprehensive healthcare organization serving the primary medical, dental, and behavioral health needs of about 200,000 people in Kern and Fresno.

CAMARENA HEALTH

Camarena Health serves the community with quality and compassionate healthcare. From their humble beginning in the 1980’s, Camarena Health has grown to become the largest primary care provider in Madera County with 18 locations. With sites in Madera, Coarsegold, Oakhurst, and Fresno, Camarena Health continues to partner with community leaders to ensure those communities thrive and stay well.

Camarena Health plays an essential role caring for the community with heart, especially after the closing of Madera Community Hospital, the only hospital in Madera County.

A just society begins when everyone is well and respected as a human being.  With our partners, we are one step closer to our vision of a world that protects human dignity and enhances human potential.