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Counting on Community in Humboldt County
Vesper Society believes a just society begins when everyone is well, and respected as a human being. We are committed to finding long-term solutions that help leaders and organizations in rural areas improve the wellbeing of their children and communities. Last month, the Children’s Mental Health Summit in Humboldt County partnered with First 5 Humboldt’s Resilience Project, 0 to 8 Mental Health Collaborative, and the Child Abuse Prevention Coordinating Council to bring a three-day wellness symposium to the community. Titled “Counting on Community: Exploring Pathways for Child, Family, and Community Wellness,” the goal was to provide knowledge, strategies, and networking opportunities to practitioners, caregivers, and community members. Raising awareness is a critical step in developing long-term solutions for complex issues. Over 300 people registered to hear nationally recognized speakers such as Dr. Rachel Yehuda, Professor of Neuroscience, Dr. Michael Yellow Bird, Professor of Sociology, Director of Indigenous Tribal Studies, and Steve Gross, founder of Life is Good Kids Foundation. Local experts presented sessions on community resiliency, trauma responsive practices, finding balance amid intergenerational trauma, rethinking Native American mental health, self-care, and parenting. Social workers, early childhood educators, clinicians, health practitioners, parents, day care providers, county agencies, and nonprofits gathered from Humboldt and Del Norte Counties to link arms with leaders of overlooked communities that want to create a healthy future. It was encouraging to hear a member of the Board of Supervisors say that this kind of collaboration and partnership across so many sectors would not have been possible five years ago. The spirit of the symposium is best summarized in the following quote from a booklet “Counting on Community” that is available in digital form on First 5 Humboldt’s website. “When I read Innosanto Nagara’s Counting on Community children’s book, all I could envision were the ways in... Read More
Dedicated Volunteers Serve Clinic by the Bay Patients
Vesper Society believes a just society begins when everyone is well and respected as human beings. Because of this belief, we’re committed to improving the health and well-being of communities. One way we do this is by supporting Clinic by the Bay, a non-profit, free clinic, offering services to the working uninsured. The mission of Clinic by the Bay is to serve the health and wellness needs of the medically underserved in the San Francisco Bay Area with dignity and respect. Their overarching goal is to improve access to healthcare for at risk communities while providing meaningful opportunities for volunteerism and civic engagement. As one of nearly 100 Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) clinics across the country, they rely on volunteers to provide the services that keep the clinic running. The clinic has volunteers at every level – from reception to primary care physicians. They engage retired and practicing doctors, nurses, and non-medical volunteers to provide compassionate, high quality health care – free of charge. Clinic by the Bay is 100% supported by donations from private foundations, businesses, and individuals—plus in-kind contributions of professional services and supplies. Two physicians describe their experience as volunteers working at the clinic serving the community’s working uninsured: “The Clinic is a welcoming, very collegial environment with wonderful supportive staff, and the opportunity to interact with other physicians coming from many different practices in the Bay Area. The rewards of working in a free clinic are great – and allow me as a physician to give back to the community and experience the joy of being a physician in a wonderful work environment.” – Nina Schwartz, MD, Rheumatology Specialist “I wanted to give back on a very personal level. I also wanted to work in a clinic where there was no access to dermatology care,... Read More
Vesper Board Visits Imperial County
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. Last month, Vesper board members immersed themselves in Imperial County and learned from community leaders. Board members gathered in San Diego, carpooled two hours east to Imperial County, and over the next three days, learned about a part of the state that many had never visited before. We are grateful to our partners for welcoming us to their staff, board members, volunteers, and community leaders. You have seen their updates in our monthly communications: Imperial Valley Regional Occupational Program, Clinicas de Salud del Pueblo, First United Methodist Church, and Imperial County 4-H. They are anchor institutions providing essential services and working on long term solutions to create a healthy and thriving community. Much has changed since the Vesper board visited five years ago in March 2014. The County has benefited from the general economic improvement in California, unemployment rates are down to 17%, and the number of people with health insurance has increased. However there is still concern about creating good-paying jobs for young people so they can stay in the Valley. Our partners took board members to places in the Valley to gain a broader perspective of the context within which they operate. We visited the fence at Calexico, a border town. We saw the New River, one of the most polluted in the United States. We drove to the Salton Sea, the largest lake in California that is drying up and exposing toxic dust. We learned about the Imperial Valley Food Bank that provides critical nutrition in a county where half the children are food insecure. It is... Read More
Olive St. Center Addresses Needs of Immigrants in El Centro, CA
Vesper Society links arms with leaders of overlooked communities that want to create a healthy future. Pastor Ron Griffen, serving the rural community of El Centro in Imperial County, California, is such a leader. Shortly after Pastor Ron came to serve at the First United Methodist Church (FUMC), they began having a series of meetings to discuss the direction of the church. One of the goals was to develop programs to meet unmet needs, especially within the Hispanic community. El Centro is on the border of California and Mexico with a population that is 80% Latino. Knowing this community faces a lot of issues regarding immigration, they developed several programs to help provide service and partnership. These programs are now housed in the church’s Olive Street Center. In the spring of 2013, FUMC sponsored its first English Conversation Class at the Olive Street Center for those wanting to improve and practice their English speaking skills. This group has met for the past six years on a weekly basis. Both church and community members provide support, and classes are filled with sharing, laughing and learning. In 2015, the church sponsored free citizenship classes that offer 8 to 12-week sessions throughout the year. It is indeed an exciting time when a student passes their Citizenship test, attends their Naturalization Ceremony and returns to show their newly acquired Citizenship papers to the class. It is with great pride that they often state, “I can now vote.” Mr. Cesar Guzman, community college instructor, has graciously provided the instruction for the classes and is humbly thrilled with how they have improved the health and well-being of the community. In the same year, FUMC sponsored an Immigration Legal Clinic which went on to partner with National Justice for Our Neighbors and became JFON-Imperial Valley. It... Read More
Imperial County 4-H Program Flourishes
At Vesper Society, we are dedicated to long-term solutions that help communities help themselves. One example of this is the University of California Cooperative Extension’s (UCCE) 4-H youth development program in Imperial County. Imperial County Youth Earns Top Honors in 4-H. Rose Fiorenza, Calipatria High School graduate of 2018, was awarded the California Diamond Clover Award – the highest achievement for which a 4-H youth member is recognized in California. To be considered for this award, 4-H members fulfill a number of requirements, including attending State Leadership Conference or an Area Conference and completing more than 100 hours of community service. Six additional requirements such as serving as a state ambassador or serving as a judge at a county, area or state judging day are also met. Fiorenza, a member of the Magnolia 4-H Club, began her 4-H career at the age of 6. Over the past 12 years, she went on to become a junior leader and eventually a teen leader in the small animal projects. Through 4-H, Rose helped develop and implement Sustainable You! — an environmental science summer camp in Imperial County that teaches youth how to conserve our natural resources and lead more sustainable lives. She was instrumental in helping create and develop a statewide curriculum to teach civic leadership to youth. Last year, Rose was one of five youths who represented California at the National 4-H Conference. While there, she gave a presentation to the federal Department of Health and Human Services on how to implement positive youth development into their healthy living programs. “It was an absolutely surreal experience,” Rose recalls. “To know that such a big governmental agency truly values what you have to say is so empowering.” Although her days as a 4-H youth member have ended, Rose has not stopped... Read More